This year’s E-Week features virtual events for students K-12


  Monday, February 22, 2021
  Community

By Amanda Taylor

Imagining tomorrow

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – Today marks the first day of Engineers Week 2021 – a week full of virtual events led by the UTRGV College of Engineering & Computer Science faculty geared toward students throughout the community ranging in ages from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

This year’s theme is “Imagining Tomorrow” and aims to inspire students to dream big and use skill and imagination to build a better tomorrow.

“Engineers Week is an opportunity to increase community awareness about engineering, what engineers do and the difference they make in our lives,” said Dr. Ala Qubbaj, dean of the UTRGV College of Engineering & Computer Science. “It is also an opportunity to engage and inspire the next generation of engineers and innovators, including our college students as well as K-12.” 

Qubbaj said this year’s Engineers Week is unique because it will be completely virtual for the first time in the event’s history and presents an opportunity to reach more students throughout the community.

While each day has a theme or focus, there will be events planned for each day that are suitable for all ages.

  • Monday, Feb 22– Innovation Day: A kick off to Engineers Week via Zoom to announce the InnoVaquero Innovation Challenge.
  • Tuesday, Feb. 23– Career Development Day: Working with the university’s Career Center, major companies will be presenting information sessions to students, including an internship panel where students who did internships will share their experiences in the workplace. The distinguished speaker will be Mauricio Salinas, from Raytheon, who will share his experiences as a professional engineer.
  • Wednesday, Feb. 24 - Imagination Camp: The camp is geared toward high school students with an interactive, hands-on portion, keynote speakers, and a virtual tour of labs. Events include mentoring and the judging of students’ innovations in a fun “Shark Tank”-like event at 12:15 p.m. The results of the poster competition also will be announced and will showcase the winning projects/posters (selected by a faculty committee).
  • Thursday, Feb. 25 - “Energy & U”: These shows are for K-12 and the community to explain the various forms and laws of energy in an engaging and fun way.
  • Friday, Feb. 26– E-Week Celebration: Recognitions and highlights for everyone to see close the weeklong activities. The celebration premieres on the UTRGV College of Engineering & Computer Science’s YouTube channel at 12:15 p.m. It will recognize the successes of students by announcing the “Outstanding Student Awards,” as well as the winners of the various E-week competitions and contests.

 

“We’re excited for our students to take part in these events, to collaborate, innovate and network with companies and professional engineers,” Qubbaj said.

For more information on this year’s E-Week, visit the following links:



ABOUT UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.

UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.