Engineer the Future: Interactive VR, 3D Scanning, Games, and Innovation

Have you ever wondered how Amazon delivers millions of packages efficiently, how hospitals like Norton reduce patient wait times, how theme parks like Disney manage crowds, or how companies like Apple coordinate global supply chains? The answer often lies in Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISE), a field dedicated to designing smarter systems that bring together people, technology, information, and resources to solve real-world problems. Prominent leaders with ISE background include Tim Cook (former CEO, Chairman at Apple), María Corina Machado (2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner), Mike Duke (former CEO of Walmart), and Nancy Currie (NASA). Visit us to experience Virtual Reality, 3D scanning/printing, play fun games, and grab some snacks!

ASCE Student Competitions: Steel Bridge, Timber-strong, Concrete Canoe

ASCE Student Competitions provide civil engineering students with hands-on opportunities to apply classroom knowledge through design, analysis, construction, and testing. The Steel Bridge Competition challenges students to design and construct a scale steel bridge that balances structural performance, efficiency, and constructability. Timber-Strong requires teams to design and build a timber structure while demonstrating practical wood design and construction skills. Concrete Canoe challenges students to develop a lightweight, functional concrete canoe, combining concrete materials knowledge, structural design, and construction techniques. Together, these competitions develop teamwork, problem-solving, engineering judgment, and practical design experience.

Shireen Art Studio

Investigating the Contextual Nature of Organic Chemistry Students’ Modeling Knowledge

What makes a scientific model good? And when do we change scientific models? This study investigates student conceptions of these questions. First, we asked them to consider these prompts abstractly, and then had them generate a predictive model for organic acid-base equilibria, after which they engaged in evaluating and changing their own models. This comparison allowed us to consider how students’ ideas about models (epistemic modeling knowledge) related to the factors they considered when actually engaging in the practice of evaluating and changing a model. We found that students often considered different factors when discussing their ideas about models broadly versus when they actually engaged in modeling, providing instructional implications for how to support students in this skill.