FAU receives grant from Florida Engineering Foundation
Published May 13th, 2008
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science received a $2,000 grant from the Florida Engineering Foundation (FEF) to support students competing in professional, society-sponsored design competitions.
“With this gift, we hope to reach out to students who participate in regional and national competitions that are sponsored by outside engineering organizations,” said Donald Goddeau of the Florida Engineering Foundation. “Our ultimate objective is to foster promising students who are enthusiastic about engineering as a profession.”
The FAU Owls Racing Team is one of three FAU teams to receive funds from FEF. On May 14, the team will take part in the Formula SAE®, a competition sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
The FAU team will join more than 100 university teams from around the world at the Ford Proving Grounds in Michigan. Students will be asked to conceive, design, fabricate and race small formula-style race cars.
The FEF grant helped fund the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) FAU Student Chapter’s participation in the Southeast Student Conference Concrete Canoe Competition. The FAU team traveled to Orlando, where the University of Central Florida and Florida Institute of Technology hosted the event.
The Concrete Canoe Competition provides students with practical experience in applying engineering principles from the classroom to the real world. The event teaches students leadership and project management skills, and showcases the versatility and durability of concrete as a building material.
FAU’s Human Powered Submarine (HPS) Race Team will also benefit from FEF. Members of this team design and race submersibles that are propelled by the students themselves. With the competition taking place underwater, these races are a challenge of human “peddling” strength and endurance, as well as a test of putting academic theory into practice.
The next competition will be held in 2009 in Bethesda, Md., and is sponsored by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division.
“Joining any of these teams is voluntary and outside of normal academic schedules,” said Karl Stevens, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at FAU. “The experience is invaluable as it helps students develop technical, social and teamwork skills. This gift will allow us to help our teams as they participate in these competitions.”
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