Increasingly, we’ve found that engineering students at Oregon State University (OSU) are seeking ways to make a lasting impact on our world. In response to this demand, a diverse group of faculty is working together to launch a humanitarian engineering (HE) program: We define HE as the co-development of science- or engineering-based solutions to improve the human condition, namely through improved access to basic human needs (e.g., clean water, clean energy), an improved quality of life, or improved level of community resilience (e.g., disaster mitigation, economic resilience).
Let’s the race begin
This summer the Oregon State’s Solar Vehicle Team will once again be competing in the American Solar Challenge (ASC) and Formula Sun Grand Prix (FSGP). The FSGP (July 17 – 19) is a three-day track race against universities from around the country and serves as the qualifier for the biannual ASC (July 21 – 28), an eight-day road race from Austin, Texas to Minneapolis, Minnesota purely on solar power!
Staying fluid: Tracie Jackson takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine how pollutants move through rivers
When a massive chemical spill contaminated West Virginia’s Elk River in January, up to 300,000 residents were without access to potable water. Officials began lifting the ban on using tap water only a few days later, citing lowered concentrations of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM), the licorice-smelling chemical used in the separation and cleaning of coal products. Continue reading
Dreaming outside the box: How a graduate program in Denmark inspired Alexandria Moseley to think big
Alexandria Moseley knows how to dream big. It might be just who she is, or it might be because of something the internship manager at Welch Allyn told her: if she can achieve her five-year plan on her own, she isn’t thinking big enough. Continue reading
Two OSU teams shine at national Intel competition
Of the more than 500 teams that applied, two Oregon State teams were among the top 35 to make it to the finals of Intel’s 2014 Cornell Cup competition, held on May 2 and 3 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. After three rounds of judging by Intel representatives including a floor presentation, and a formal pitch to an audience — both teams were awarded honorable mention.
The competition gives students the real-world experience of working as a team to design a product for a client. “There will be supply chain issues, there will be hobgoblins in what should be working hardware, there will be times when you absolutely lose the motivation to fix the last few issues. How you overcome these challenges dictates what kind of engineer you are,” said Kevin McGrath, adviser to the teams.
Read the whole story by Rachel Robertson.