UA College of Engineering Teams Up with Alabama School of Math and Science

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama College of Engineering is partnering with the Alabama School of Math and Science for a one-week internship program on Nov. 10-14. The two-year-old program gives high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to participate in ongoing student research projects.

The week’s events include working on student projects in the mechanical engineering lab in Hardaway Hall and then in the Electromechanical Systems Lab (EMSyL). Dr. Tim Haskew, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Dr. Joey Parker, associate professor of mechanical engineering, are assisting the students in their research.

“This program is very positive because the students are eager to learn about our ongoing projects and the College of Engineering,” Haskew said.

The projects include research on automated shoe size measurement, automotive steering wheel angle measurement (which is used on the Mini-Baja and Formula SAE car projects already in progress), and automated weather measurement stations that could determine rainfall amount and measure rain pH.

“These research projects show the students just a few activities that are available if they choose to study engineering,” explained Parker.

The students are selected by Alabama School of Math and Science faculty members Drs. Garvin Wattuhewa and Don Wheeler. The twelve students involved in the various research projects include:

• Adam Culberson – Alabaster
• Risa Kawaii and Jordan Sanders – Birmingham
• Jessica Tang – Daphne
• Rebecca Hefty and Richard Peterson – Foley
• James DeAndrade, Tim Lovern and Joshua Welborn – Mobile
• Kristen Jevsevar – Montgomery
• David McClure – Tuscaloosa
• Heather Kaler – West Blocton

In 1837, UA became the first university in the state to offer engineering classes and was one of the first five in the nation to do so. Today, the College of Engineering, with about 1,900 students and more than 90 faculty, is one of the three oldest continuously operating engineering programs in the country and has been fully accredited since accreditation standards were implemented in the 1930s.