High school students to test engineering, math skills at UCLA competition
By Wileen Wong Kromhout
April 17, 2008
WHAT:
Los Angeles Metro MESA Day at UCLA is an annual event that gives local high school students an opportunity to apply their math and science learning to a series of challenging engineering design competitions. Contests include the designing of civil structures, mousetrap cars, catapults, balsa-wood gliders and Web pages. The event will also feature an engineering and technology fair.
WHO:
- More than 300 high school students and their teachers from the school districts of Los Angeles, Inglewood, Long Beach, ABC, San Gabriel, El Monte and Culver City will attend the event.
- Competition judges will include members of UCLA's National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Latino Engineers and Scientists, and American Indian Science and Engineering Society; directors and staff of MESA programs from UCLA, USC and CSU Long Beach; and industry representatives from Cisco and Caltrans.
WHEN:
9 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturday, April 19
- 9:15 a.m.: Orientation
- 9:30 a.m.: Math competitions
- 11 a.m.: Project-based competitions and Discovering Engineering and Technology Fair
- 12:45 p.m.: Lunch
- 1:45 p.m.: Awards ceremony
WHERE:
UCLA's Court of Sciences (on the UCLA campus) and nearby classrooms at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.
BACKGROUND:
The event is hosted by the UCLA Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity (CEED) MESA program. MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) is a statewide college preparatory program administered by the University of California that helps students prepare for and succeed in math-based studies and go to college as majors in engineering and science.
The Discovering Engineering and Technology Fair is sponsored by local industry, engineering departments and clubs, including Xerox, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Chevron, Lockheed Martin, UCLA's American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the UCLA Robotics Club and UCLA's American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics student organization.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Wileen Wong Kromhout, UCLA Engineering media relations and marketing, (310) 206-0540
Linda Robertson and Rick Ainsworth, UCLA CEED, (310) 206-6493 and (310) 402-4209