20120506 SECME Achievement Awards

(Click on the first picture to flip through the Seminole SECME captain Caitlin Nicole Miller receiving a 2012 FAU SECME Scholarship at the 18th Annual Celebration of Achievement Banquet on Sunday, May 06, 2012)

FAU AWARDS $12K SCHOLARSHIP TO SEMINOLE RIDGE SECME STUDENT

Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science will award a four-year SECME scholarship worth $12,000 to senior Caitlin Miller. Miller will be honored on Sunday, May 6, 2012 at SECME’s annual Celebration of Achievement banquet sponsored by industry partners that includes students, parents, teachers, school administrators, industry representatives and guest speaker.
Captian Caitlin Miller and Mother Miller
Seminole Ridge SECME coordinator and physics teacher Erich Landstrom said, “Caitlin truly belongs to what anthologist Margaret Mead once described as that small group of thoughtful, committed citizens who we should never doubt can change the world. Under her leadership, the Hawks soared high, taking home six trophies and ribbons at the annual engineering Olympiad. Caitlin helped me grow the school’s SECME program in very important ways. For example, this past November Caitlin lead our participation in “Engineering Family Fun Day,” a free annual event in Dreher Park that the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) hosts for Palm Beach County students. Caitlin also assists younger students. When students from Seminole Ridge volunteered to mentor the SECME program at Pierce Hammock Elementary School, Caitlin was the first to arrive and help their teams to build water rockets. Another instance of Caitlin bringing out the best was the “Let’s Build Something Together” challenge during February’s SECME Olympiad for elementary schools. She volunteered herself and her friends to give up a Saturday and to help with the “Gotta Regatta,” where students had to build a model boat and race them a filled rain gutter. Caitlin organized the activity so that nearly seven hundred students from 51 schools could see who had the fastest ferry.”

SECME students selected for the 2012-13 academic-year award receive a renewable $3,000 per year. Students must meet the academic requirements for admission into FAU and have participated in the SECME program in their high school. Applicants must major in Engineering, Mathematics, or Science, achieve a minimum score of 1450 (all three sections) on the SAT or a 21 on the ACT.

Brenda Simmons, director of FAU’s Division of Engineering Student Services, serves as the SECME director for FAU and chairs the SECME Industry Advisory Board. “It is very rewarding for me to work with the South Florida Industry Partners for Education, Broward County and Palm Beach Public Schools to increase the pool of talented students prepared to enter and succeed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Simmons. “The SECME program offers exceptional opportunities for K-12 students to learn, achieve, and become excited about engineering and science based careers.”

SECME is a pre-collegiate program whose mission is to increase the number of under-represented minority students qualified to enter and complete courses of study in the STEM disciplines. Since its inception in 1975, the SECME program has helped to increase the number of minority engineers, scientists and mathematicians by enriching students’ academic preparation from grades K-12 while providing experiences to help raise their levels of aspiration. Teacher training is a significant piece of the equation in order for the program to succeed. It is a coordinated effort with 37 universities, 70 corporations and governmental agencies in 15 states, as well as the District of Columbia. FAU became an official SECME university during the 1986-87 academic year.

Florida Atlantic University 's College of Engineering and Computer Science is committed to providing accessible and responsive programs of education and research recognized nationally for their high quality. Course offerings are presented on-campus, off-campus, and through distance learning in bioengineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, geomatics engineering, mechanical engineering and ocean engineering. For more information about the college, please visit www.eng.fau.edu .

FAU Owls host 2012 Engineering Week Expo

Seminole Ridge SECME was welcomed to Florida Atlantic University by Dean Mohammad Ilyas, head of the College of Engineering and Computer Science on Tuesday, February 21. High students from Palm Beach and Broward counties were on the Boca campus for a pre-college presentation for National Engineering Week.
Engineers Make a World of Difference: (l to r) Ronit Liberman, Kris Cousins, and Summer Roque with our winning banner.
The event began with a parade of banners the students had created on the theme “Engineers Make a World of Difference,” followed by speakers from the US Air Force on new technologies and the Australian outback, and the US Navy on nuclear energy and submarines. Students toured the campus laboratories, with demonstrations on the different types of engineering classes and research projects conducted at FAU, including electrical, civil, mechanical and ocean engineering and computer science on the cloud.
2nd place banner winners (l. to r.) Ronit Liberman, Kris Cousins, and Seminole SECME Captain Caitlin Miller with Jessica Lewis and Brenda Simmons from the FAU Deparment of Engineering Students Services
The day ended with Seminole SECME winning second place in the banner competition. The Hawks then explored the exhibits at Science Explorium in Boca Raton.

(Click on the first picture to flip through the Seminole SECME team at Florida Atlantic University for National Engineering Week 2012 and the Children's Science Explorium on Tuesday, February 21, 2012)

20120221 FAU E-Week

SECME Helped Her Plan It. SECME Helps Her Live It!

senior Caitlin Miller

SECME: Plan It - Build It - Live It!
- by Caitlin Miller, Seminole Ridge Community High School Class of 2012

I want to unlock the keys to the Universe, answer seemingly impossible questions, discover innovations, and so much more. As a kid I’ve always strived to understand the mechanics of everything around me. I constantly asked questions, rattling my other’s minds for the countless things I wondered- “Why is the sky blue? How do birds fly? How did people float on the moon?” It was all so mysterious to me.

When I started school I was relieved because my curiosity was finally beginning to be quenched. Little did I know my mind had only just started growing and soon enough every answer led me to a new question and more observations. I noticed that while other kids were occupied by their games, dolls, and action figures, I was out catching caterpillars and trying to make them turn into butterflies or trying to make new games to play and toys to play with. Even that was not enough for my wandering mind.

It wasn’t until my Junior year that I had found the perfect way to “STEMulate” my mind. It was that booming voice coming from one of my crazy new science teachers that led me to one of my favorite hobbies today. “Have fun! Get Smart! Win Prizes!”- that was the phrase that drew me in.

FAU Owls host 2011 E-Week Expo

Our SECME group attended Florida Atlantic University’s Engineering Week pre-college presentation February 22 to hear speakers Karl Stevens (dean of FAU’s college of engineering and computer science) and Larry Port (co-founder and chief software architect of Rocket Matter, which provides online legal practice management software). During lunch, SRHS competed against other high schools from Broward and Palm Beach counties in the banner, pop fly launcher, and touchdown lander design challenges.

Our students won first place for their banner artwork, third place for their foot-powered mini-catapult launcher, and first place again for their lander, which cushioned their ping-pong payload during a five-foot freefall. The Hawks also showcased their VEX robot playing ‘Round Up’ during a robotic demonstration and explored the Science Explorium in Boca Raton.

1st place banner
2010 SECME Student of the Year for Palm Beach County, FL: Shelby Weininger

FAU College of Engineering

Science Explorium

2011 Engineers Week Celebration at FAU

The students, faculty and staff at FAU's College of Engineering and Computer Science are excited to announce National Engineers Week 2011: "Engineering Innovation," to take place February 19 - 24. This year's activities will help cultivate, honor and celebrate the achievements of engineers, while focusing on the advances engineers have made and continue to make through the process of innovation, entrepreneurship and development.

The 2011 Engineers Week committee, made up of dedicated FAU engineering students, is working together with faculty and staff to develop an outstanding lineup for Engineers Week. Highlights include a kick-off lunch and car show, a distinguished speaker, an interactive program for middle and high school students, the Engineering Leadership Symposium with engineering focused competitions and a laser light show.

Direction from Seminole Ridge High to Science Explorium and FAU in Boca Raton

Florida Atlantic University is a proud participant of National Engineers Week. Every February, the College of Engineering and Computer Science hosts various student and community outreach activities in an effort to increase awareness about the profession of engineering and to honor the achievements of engineers. In 2011, the pre-college program featured:

10:30am Pre-College Program Opening Ceremony in Live Oak Pavilion
Banner Competition
Welcome: Brenda Simmons, DESS Director
Greetings: Dean Karl K. Stevens, College of Engineering and Computer Science
Featured Speaker: Larry Port, Rocket Matter, Co-Founder & Chief Software Architect

11:30am-1:00pm Lunch/Competitions/Displays
Pop Fly Launcher Competition
Touch Down Lander Competition
Ocean Energy Display
SAE Race Car Simulation

1:00pm Presentation of Awards
1:15pm Departure

FAU gets grant to fund enginnering student projects

FAU Receives Grant from the Florida Engineering Foundation

BOCA RATON, FL (May 10, 2010) – Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science has received a $2,000 grant from the Florida Engineering Foundation (FEF) to support students competing in professional, society-sponsored design competitions.

“One of the most valuable learning and team-building experiences our students can have comes from competition with their peers at the national level,” said Karl Stevens, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at FAU. “This generous gift from the Florida Engineering Foundation helps make this possible and is very much appreciated.”

The FAU Owls Racing Team is one of three FAU teams to receive funds from the FEF grant. The team will be competing in the 2010 Formula SAE Competition in Brooklyn, Michigan from Tuesday, May 12 through Saturday, May 15. The FAU team will join more than 100 university teams from around the world at the Michigan International Speedway.

The FEF grant also will help fund the FAU Autonomous Surface Vehicle Club (ASVC), who will be participating in the 2010 Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) competition. The annual contest is sponsored by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The goal of the competition is to advance the state of the art in ASV design by challenging a new generation of scientists and engineers to create a system capable of performing various missions in a marine environment.

FAU’s Human Powered Submarine (HPS) Race Team also will benefit from FEF. 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. In 2009, the team won the “Absolute Speed” award for having the fastest sub at the race. The 11th annual International Submarine Races will be the next competition for the HPS Race Team, which will take place in summer 2011.

The FEF was established in 1986 to encourage and assist students in pursuing engineering careers and to educate the public about engineering.

-FAU-

About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses and sites. Building on its rich tradition as a teaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts 10 colleges: College of Architecture, Urban & Public Affairs, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Biomedical Science, the College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Engineering & Computer Science, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Graduate College, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.

2009-2010 SECME Outstanding Student of the Year for Palm Beach County, FL (High School division): Miss Shelby Weininger

Congratulations, Shelby Weininger! The South Florida Industry Partners for Education recognized Seminole Ridge senior Shelby Weininger as winner of the 2009-2010 SECME Outstanding Student of the Year award for Palm Beach County in the high school division. Shelby will be attending Florida Atlantic University in the fall, and she received a $3000 a year scholarship toward her double major in Psychology and Communication & Multimedia Studies.

(left to right) Shelby Weininger and Michele Williams, Interim Executive Director at SECME (Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering) @ Georgia Tech

These mighty mathletes, these seniors from Seminole Ridge

The sixth annual Math Day at the Boca Raton Campus of Florida Atlantic University was held on Saturday, April 10, 2010, and this was the first year Seminole Ridge High School had students exhibiting their mathematical talents. Congratulations to our competitors: the mighty mathletes seniors Shannon Patelskyand Michael Martin!

The event is open to all mathematics faculty and interested students of high schools in Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, and Dade counties for individual and team competitions, keynote address and presentations on employment opportunities in mathematics, and math trivia. Cash of up tp $1000 for the winners, and other prizes were awarded.

A ranked list of the top 100 participants in the individual contest, and a ranked list of the teams, can be accessed from the navigation bar at the FAU Math Day website http://math.fau.edu/mathday/

Math Days 2010

High School DILs,


Attached is the flyer announcing the 2nd annual Palm Beach Atlantic Mathematics Competition on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Last year’s completion was a great success in large part due to its unique format and use of computer technology.

Please note that registration is limited to the first 20 teams responding by April 21, 2010. Also note that the Publicity Release needs to be completed for each student competing.

Thank you!
Diana Snider
Secondary Mathematics Program Planner
Curriculum Development and School Improvement
snider[at]palmbeach[dot]k12[dot]fl[dot]us

----------

[Ed. note: the following announcement occurs at the same time as the SDPBC SECME Secondary Olympiad. I include it for future reference]

Registration for the sixth annual Math Day at Florida Atlantic University is now open. Math Day 2010 will be held on Saturday, April 10, 2010, on the Boca Raton Campus of Florida Atlantic University. If you are a high school student who likes and enjoys mathematics come for a day of excitement and fun, with a chance to win prizes and to learn more about mathematics. If you are a teacher, come to see your students compete and to meet your college colleagues.

As in previous years, Math Day is an opportunity for mathematics faculty and mathematically inclined students of high schools in Palm Beach, Broward, Martin and Dade counties, and for math faculty at Florida Atlantic University, to get together, get to know each other, and share their appreciation of mathematics. Students can register as individuals or be registered by a teacher as part of a team. Students registered as part of a team are also automatically registered as individuals and can take part in all competitions.

Registration is free and is on a first come, first served basis. It will be held open until 200 students are registered or until 5PM of April 9, whichever happens first. Depending on the number of participants, late, at the door registration might be allowed. To register, please click on the link for Math Day 2010

Thank you!

March 11, 2010

Good Morning:

On behalf of the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the Engineering Student Council at Florida Atlantic University, we would like to extend a sincere thank you for your participation in the Engineering Week 2010 Celebration. It would not have been possible for us to offer the high level of programs, forums, activities and events for our students without your assistance.

With your help, we were able to provide added opportunities for our students to learn more about the engineering profession and to inspire them to excel. E- Week activities featured a visit with Astronaut and FAU alumnus Steve Swanson, an Engineering Leadership Forum, engineering presentations, a brain bowl and a Green festival that included exhibits, competitions, robotics demonstrations and middle and high school students’ participation.

Again, thank you for taking time out of your busy day to support FAU Engineering and Computer Science students. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Brenda Simmons, Director
Division of Engineering Student Services
College of Engineering & Computer Science
Florida Atlantic University
Phone: 561-297-2680
Fax: 561-297-2781

Email: Brenda[dot]simmons[at]fau[dot]edu
College of Engineering and Computer Science Website:
http://www.eng.fau.edu
Division of Engineering Student Services Website:
http://www.dess.eng.fau.edu

GreEngineers at FAU

FAU is a proud participant of National Engineers Week. Every February the College of Engineering and Computer Science hosts various student and community outreach activities in an effort to increase awareness about the profession of engineering and to honor the achievements of engineers. In 2010 the E Week theme is “GreEngineering” and the anticipated events will be sponsored by the Engineering Student Council, including companies promoting “green initiatives” with displays and giveaways. FAU Alumnus and NASA Astronaut Steve Swanson spoke about his latest space mission, STS-119 to the International Space Station.

FAU’s 2010 Engineers Week

Thank you for your RSVP to FAU’s 2010 Engineers Week celebration featuring Astronaut Steve Swanson on Thursday, February 18th. We look forward to having you and your students on our campus as we celebrate this exciting event. Registration begins at 9:00AM. Students will line up at 9:45 am for the banner parade and the program will begin promptly at 10:00 am. Students can be dropped off in Lot 16, by the Student Union and busses can park in Lot 5 for the duration of the program. Students should be picked up at 2:00 pm in Lot 16. I have included an agenda of the day’s events, as well as directions and a map of the campus. We will also have signs and staff directing you to the appropriate locations on the date of the event.

The program will begin with a Banner Parade of all the participating schools. Each school’s banner is required to incorporate the school name, group’s name, school colors and this year’s theme of "going green" and or/sustainability. At the beginning of the program, up to four students from each school will march in with their banner. The banners will be judged on their content, originality and overall appearance. We will announce the winners at the conclusion of the program.

2010 Engineers Week Celebration at FAU

Astronaut Steven R. Swanson, STS-119 mission specialist, gives a "thumb-up" signal while participating in a training session in one of the full-scale trainers in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Attired in a training version of his shuttle launch and entry suit, Swanson is seated on the flight deck for a post insertion/de-orbit training session. Photo Credit: NASA

A special invitation to Palm Beach County High Schools!

Please join the FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science in celebrating Engineers Week 2010

Thursday, February 18th, 2010
9:30 am - 2:00 pm

Activities will include:

A presentation by NASA Astronaut and FAU Alumnus, Dr. Steve R. Swanson about his recent space mission STS-119
&
Engineers Week Celebration
• High School Banner competition
• Robotics demonstrations (by high school teams)
• “Green” industry displays
• Tours of the Solar Panels & Labs
• A showcase of FAU engineering student organizations
• Sponsored competitions and games
• Giveaways
• Free lunch
• And much, much more

Space is limited so sign-up early! Each high school group may bring up to 20 students and chaperones. Please note: only seniors may attend. As per Dr. Janis Andrews, West Area Superintendent for Palm Beach County Schools, "Currently your seniors can attend, it looks like you have 30 seniors and 20 spots so you will be able to fill your quota with your seniors." Get your permission slip and TLE from Mr. Landstrom in 5-107

FAU ASME 2nd Annual Engineering Olympics

The FAU Student Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers announces our 2nd Annual Engineering Olympics

ABOVE (left to right): Seminole SECME "Hawk Heroes" Aleen Touma, Kayleigh Previte, Ralph Regis, Zack Wiggins, Daniel Lowenthal

When: Friday, October 9, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Where: FAU Boca Raton Campus, Live Oak Pavilion, Student Union Building.

ABOVE: Ralph Regis working on popsicle stick bridge challenge.

Objective: Teams compete in a series of engineering challenges or events – similar to the decathlon in the Olympics. Each team receives a ‘brown bag’ of supplies for each event to complete each challenge. FAU ASME members will judge events (5 – 8 in all) and award points. The three highest scoring teams earn a gold, silver or bronze medal for each team member and the gold medal team’s school is presented a trophy.

ABOVE: Daniel Lowenthal ready for judging on parachute challenge .

Registration Information: $50 PER TEAM; limit three teams per school. Each team size cannot exceed five students. Please indicate how many members will be on the team, and make checks payable to ASME at FAU.

Registration Deadline: Friday, October 2nd 5:00 PM Space constraint limits us to 25 –30 teams; please RSVP as soon as possible to reserve a spot in the competition. RSVP to Katharine Lurie at kalurie (at) gmail (dot) com and direct all inquiries to Kate – chairperson of the ASME Olympics Last year’s event was great fun and lots of laugh … high school advisors, we learned our lesson – no “super glue” without acetone readily available this year!

ABOVE: Aleen Touma (left) and Kayleigh Previte (right) work on the aluminum boat challenge.

We are requesting local media coverage (newspapers and television stations) so have teams dress appropriately should they decide to cover this event. Lunch is provided to all participants – including high school advisors!

ABOVE (left to right): Seminole SECME "Hawk Heroes" Aleen Touma, Kayleigh Previte, Ralph Regis, Zack Wiggins, Daniel Lowenthal.

GOOD LUCK to all Broward and Palm Beach High School Team Participants!

SECME Spotlight: Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University, in Boca Raton, Florida, has a dynamic history of “firsts” in post-secondary education and a strong history as a SECME Member University. In 1964, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) officially opened with designs to be a whole new kind of university – the first Information Age university…“one that would harness broadcast technology to beam classes to students wherever they might be…” FAU introduced the nation’s first degree program in ocean engineering and it welcomed the first woman to head a Florida public university. Today, FAU serves 27,000 students on seven campuses and sites.

ABOVE: Brenda Simmons and Seminole SECME students

SECME students will be interested to learn about FAU’s Division of Engineering Student Services (DESS). Many SECME “long-timers” will recognize the DESS Director’s name: Brenda Simmons! Formerly on the SECME National staff, she is now sharing her commitment to student academic success with FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. Make sure your SECME students visit DESS’s pre-collegiate/dual enrollment activities page to learn about many outstanding learning opportunities!

Students are generally required to have a 3.0 high school GPA and a 440 on both the math and reading portions of the SAT.

Students with a lower GPA can be admitted if they have higher SAT scores. The average high school GPA for FAU is 3.3, the second lowest of the 11 schools in the state university system. Just 36.5 percent of FAU students graduate within six years, also the second lowest in the state system. While that's partly because the school serves many non-traditional, part-time students who take a long time to graduate, FAU data show some areas of concern among more traditional students. About 16 percent of freshmen in 2000 dropped out within six years. Another 25 percent transferred to two-year community colleges, an indication that university work was too difficult for them.

College and Career Night @ PBCHS on 10/14

On Wednesday evening, October 14, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 in their gym Palm Beach Central High School will host over 150 colleges, universities, technical schools, military recruiters, and apprentice programs. Presenters will share their expertise and experience to assist students in establishing post-secondary goals. The event is free to the public, and all high school students and their parents are welcome to attend.

Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west. School is between Floridas' Turnpike on the right, and The Mall at Wellington Green (SR-7/441).

Flyer for Oct. 14

FAU SECME Scholarships

Florida Atlantic University SECME SCHOLARSHIPS
DEADLINE MARCH 6
Awards of $3,000 per year are available to a limited number of students from SECME High Schools in Broward and Palm Beach counties for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Selection Criteria: Students must meet the academic requirements for admission into FAU and have participated in the SECME program in their high school. Minimum score of 1000 on the SAT-I or a 21 on the ACT. NOTE: This scholarship is renewable for up to four years based on academic requirements.

Application Requirements:
- Engineering and Computer Science Scholarship Application
- Most Recent Transcript
- One Page Essay on "Your Participation in the SECME Program and Your Future Goals"
- Two Letters of Reference