LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. — Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus invited five local school districts to the 24th annual Engineering Days (E-Days) event on Dec. 9 for a day of demonstrations and activities.
“The purpose of this event is to expose gifted students to some of the technology associated with a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics),” said David Meredith, associate professor of engineering. He has facilitated the event since 1995.
The event engages first-year engineering students currently enrolled at Fayette in the design of hands-on activities for middle schoolers.
“We challenge them to come up with safe, fun, and educational activities for a young audience,” said Nathaniel Bohna, associate teaching professor of engineering.
This year’s theme explored the technology of wind turbines. “Civil engineers design the foundation and tower of a wind turbine, and aerospace engineers design the aerodynamic turbine blade. Mechanical engineers design the gearbox, while electrical engineers work on the generator,” said Meredith. “Not too many projects have this level of collaboration on the same concept.”
Davon White, a first-year student studying chemical engineering, attended the event as a middle schooler at Laurel Highlands.
“I remember Professor Meredith did a demonstration in which he put liquid nitrogen in my Pepsi. It turned into a slushy instantly,” said White. “I started to take an interest in engineering — I thought it was really cool and I wanted to know more.”
Gabrielle Beatty, a sophomore mechanical engineering student from Uniontown, remembered her experience at E-Days in sixth, seventh and eighth grades.
“The Van De Graaff generator and the liquid-nitrogen lollipops and marshmallows were unforgettable,” said Beatty, who transferred to Fayette from the University of Arizona. “I think those demonstrations really piqued my interest in the field and helped me feel at home here.”