The College of Engineering’s program -- UK Building Engineering, Science and Technology -- brought Ryan Russell and Ethan Sweno, both of Cadiz, and 20 others to UK’s campus, where they built motorized model cars and assembled kits designed to teach engineering concepts and practical uses.
Ryan is the son of Robert and Teresa Russell. ?Ethan is the son of Eric and Kerry Sweno. Both are rising juniors at Trigg County High School.
“With ever-expanding opportunities for trained engineers, the UK College of Engineering helps youngsters begin considering the field as early as possible. UK BEST is designed to excite high school students about the creative and critical work that engineers perform on a daily basis. ?I’m always pleased to see the caliber of young people who come to campus for UK BEST,” said Tom Lester, dean of the UK College of Engineering.
The students attended classes and lab sessions led by electrical engineering professor Janet Lumpp, chemical and materials engineering professors Richard Eitel and Tom Dzibula, and civil engineering professor Christy Goble.
In building their motorized toy cars, the students calculated gear ratios and learned about torque and friction that affect car speeds. ?They also carved and molded plastic bodies for their model cars.
The students also worked in teams to build model bridges and model roller coasters.?Also assisting in the program were Gene Toth, director of the pre-engineering program at Lafayette High School, and Sarah Zehnder, a math teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High.
In addition to the program’s hands-on activities, the participants also enjoyed tours of a variety of College of Engineering laboratories. ?The events were designed to give a taste of the opportunities offered by a career as an engineer.
At the end of each day, the participants returned to their dormitory where they played games and enjoyed other recreational activities.
(Information in this report was contributed by Dan Adkins, senior information specialist for the University of Kentucky.)
