Engineering Open House 2012
March 17, 2012 |
9:00AM - 3:00PM
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Welcome!
You are invited to attend the U.Va. School of Engineering and Applied Science Open House—an annual, free event open to the public that provides an opportunity for visitors to meet faculty and staff, interact with current students, take tours of state-of-the-art facilities, and attend interesting exhibits, presentations and demonstrations. Bring friends, family members and others who have always wanted to know the answer to the question: “What do Engineers do?”
Pre-registration for the 2012 Engineering Open House is now open. Those who pre-register will be e-mailed a printable map and schedule so they can beat the crowds and get started on the morning of Open House on their own.
In 2011, there were several special presentations: former astronaut and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Kathy Thornton will describe the Sights and Sounds of Space Flight, Doug Hartog of the U.Va. Admissions Office and Engineering School Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs Ed Berger will discuss admissions and curriculum matters and Professor Larry Richards will highlight some Engineering Greats. A list of scheduled events from Open House 2011 appears below.
If you are thinking about engineering as a career or want your students to gain a more comprehensive idea of the opportunities available to engineers, mark your calendars. The SEAS Open House is of particular interest to prospective students and school groups of all grade levels. Please see the information below for a sample of activities that will be planned for the day. Schedules and maps will be distributed from the registration table in the lobby of Thornton Hall on the day of the event.
Student-led tours of the Engineering School will be offered from 10 a.m.-12noon every 15 minutes and from 12noon-2 p.m. every 30 minutes. Please arrive for the tours 5 minutes early. Tour groups form at a table in THN-A Lobby. Often this form of tour provides a better way to learn about School matters.
General Information
- General Curriculum and Admissions Information
- Scheduled Events
- Special Presentation
- Map, Directions, Parking
- Tours
- Other Information
- Additional Program Activities
- Engineering Alumni Table (near the Office of Career Services)
Contact
Open House 2012
School of Engineering and Applied Science
University of Virginia
Thornton Hall, McCormick Road
P.O. Box 400743
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4743
pdn2p@virginia.edu (best way to contact!)
Departments and Centers
(Select a link below to see further information)Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Computer Science
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Materials Science and Engineering
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Science, Technology, and Society
Systems and Information Engineering
Center for Diversity in Engineering
Exhibits
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering is the rational application of engineering principles to biology and medicine. Those practicing in this inherently multi-disciplinary field strive to better human health through research, design and technology development. Current areas of research interest in Biomedical Engineering include improving and discovering new ultrasound and MRI methods for imaging selected tissues and organs within the body, developing new drug delivery technologies for treating cardiovascular disease, correcting bone defects by growing stem-cell based tissue replacements, studying how cells and tissues sense and respond to their physical surroundings, and using computational models to better understand complex intracellular signaling systems and the formation of new blood vessels in both normal and pathological conditions.
| BME Exhibits will be in the second floor study room in the A Wing of Thornton Hall | |
| Tours depart from the 2nd Floor Thornton Hall Study Room (west side) | |
| Walking Tour to MR5, the Biomedical Engineering Building (Primary Offering) | |
| Departs: Thornton Study Rm |
Walking tour to MR5, the BME Building. Led by BME students.Departs from 2nd Floor Thornton Hall Study Room (west side) at 9:30a.m., 10:30am, 12:30pm, and 1:00pm. At MR5, there will be a Q&A Panel with BME Faculty and Students. After the Q&A, explore research and design exhibits and chat individually with students and faculty. No pre-registration is required. Budget 1.5 hours. |
BME Departmental Research (Secondary Offering) |
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| Departs: Thornton Study Rm |
A video overview of U.Va. Biomedical Engineering Research. A few BME representatives will be at 2nd Floor Thornton Hall Study Room (west side) from 9:00am-3:00pm to answer questions and launch the walking tours. |
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineers combine chemistry, biology, and other natural sciences with engineering to efficiently and safely create products for our modern world. They help give us fuels, food, synthetic materials, medicines, biotechnology products, electronic materials, paper, and many other consumer products. They also have important roles in cleaning up the environment and in pollution prevention.
| CHE lobby | Engineering Molecular Change - Careers in Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Materials, and Alternative Energy |
| CHE 125 | Designer Molecules and Materials - Simulating Chemistry on the Computer |
| CHE 029 | Particle Engineering Frontiers - the Nano-World Around Us |
| CHE 229 | Fuels and Chemicals from Renewable Biomass |
| Wilsdorf 301 | Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory |
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil engineers build the physical foundation of society, protect the environment and develop the infrastructure of our communities. Their work spans the planning, design, construction and maintenance of projects including dams, bridges, transportation systems, materials, water resources, aerospace structure, ships, tanks, towers, hydraulic systems, and hazardous waste management programs. They work as environmental, geotechnical, hydraulic, structural or transportation engineers in design, construction or research areas. An important part of civil engineering is applied mechanics, which focuses on the fundamentals essential in many areas of engineering, including mechanical and thermal modeling and behavior of solids and fluids in a variety of configurations.
| THN D-112 | Connected Vehicles - Harnessing Information Technology for Improved Travel |
| THN B-123 | Flow and transport beneath the ground – visualizing groundwater hydrology |
| THN D-221 | Civil and Environmental Engineering posters, models and computer demonstrations. Some highlights include • CEE departmental information • ASCE Student posters • Static and Dynamic Studies of Bridges and Buildings • Computer-Aided Materials by Design: Micromechanics at Its Finest |
| THN D-222 | Pure MADI - sustainable water purification for the developing world |
| Outside THN D | Concrete Canoe – An annual student design competition and race |
Computer Science
The Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia provides outstanding educational programs in computer science and computer engineering at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The department offers undergraduate degree programs in both the School of Engineering and Applied Science and in the College of Arts and Sciences. A principal part of our activity involves basic and applied scientific research, and research fundamental to the engineering process. Topics include the theory and foundations of computing, software and computer system design, human-computer interactions, prototyping, development and evaluation of cutting-edge computing and communications systems. Our research is essential to our doctoral programs. It ensures that faculty knowledge is up-to-date. Our research is also integral to our educational activities at all levels. Many of our undergraduate students become involved in research. Our undergraduates are among the mostly successful in the nation in competitions for undergraduate research awards. Through our activities, we contribute to the success of our students and to the strengthening of scientific and engineering research potential and the workforce in science and engineering: in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the nation, and for the global community.
| 9:00 -10:00 | John Knight and Aaron Bloofield |
| 10:00 - 11:00 | Paul Reynolds and Mark Sherriff |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Sudhanva Gurumurthi and Jack Stankovic |
Demonstrations of Computing Systems Research Projects: Olsson Hall with demos in Olsson 228E and 236D
| "Rodinia: A Benchmark Suite for Heterogeneous Computing" (Shuai Che) |
| "Federation: Dynamically Trading Throughput for Single-Thread Performance" (Liang Wang) |
| "A Compact Model for Microprocessor Power Delivery Networks" (Runjie Zhang) |
| "Real-Time Image Enhancement Using Graphics Processors (GPUs)" (Lukasz Szafaryn) |
| "Wireless Health in the Home" (Rob Dickerson) |
| "Passive Monitoring of Sleep Quality" (Enamul Hoque) |
| "Fall Detection" (Qiang Lie) |
| "Wireless Breadcrumb Trails for Fire Fighters" (Zhiheng Xie and Hengchang Liu) |
| "Nancy's Pantry" (Christine Jogerst) |
| "Building and Navigating a Database of 10 Million Textures" (Sean Arietta) |
| Designing with STT-RAM: From Disks to Dies (Clint Smullen) |
| Building Energy (Timothy Hnat) |
Presentations and Interactions with Students:and Faculty: Olsson Hall
| "Why you might be a CS Major!" presentation by faculty members Tom Horton and Jim Cohoon in Olsson 005 at 11:00 |
| U.Va. Student Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (an undergraduate organization) |
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical engineers find new ways of using electricity and electronic devices to improve technology and turn ideas into reality. They use their knowledge of science and mathematics to design and build microelectronic circuits, robots, communication systems and computers. In addition, they use their knowledge of physics and materials to develop new technologies for faster and more capable electronic devices, which find application in computers, radio astronomy, lasers, aircraft and medicine, among other fields.
Some venues are subject to change. On the day of the event, the ECE main office at Thornton Hall will have posters directing visitors to the demos.
Exhibits:| Wilsdorf B025 | Light Interference Experiment and Solar Cells |
| THN C308 | VLSI Design and Large Scale Integrated Circuit Design |
| THN Cleanroom | Tour of the Cleanroom |
| THN C310/311 | Understanding Molecular Electronics |
| THN C309 | Magnetic Suspension by Feedback Control |
| THN C310/311 | Concepts from Analog and Digital Controls |
| THN C316 | Spectrum Surfing: looking at Wireless Signals |
| THN E106 | Wireless Body-Area Sensor Networks for Medical Applications |
| THN 304 | ecoMOD: Affordable Sustainable, Modular Housing |
NB: Some Venues are Subject to Change. On the day of the event, the EE main office at Thornton Hall will have posters directing visitors to the demos.
Materials Science and Engineering
Materials scientists and engineers develop new materials, new processing
technology and new understanding of how a material's properties and performance derive from its underlying structure. Advances in materials are critically important to improving current technologies and enabling new technologies never before imagined. The MaterialsScience and Engineering Department also oversees the Engineering Science program, which allows students to design a flexibly, interdisciplinary program of study towards a bachelor's degree that recognizes the growing need for engineers who can work across the boundaries of the traditional disciplines. . See
MSE flyer here.
| Wilsdorf Atrium | See the world's most powerful electron microscopes |
| Wilsdorf Atrium | Discover how new "quantum computing" materials are made |
| Wilsdorf Atrium | Delve into the power and perils of electrochemistry |
NanoDays: We will have MANY fun, interactive demonstrations and games on how things are different when they're Nano. You won't leave unamazed. Check out the flyer.
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is a combined department. Mechanical engineering is one of the largest, broadest, and oldest engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers use the principles of energy, materials, and mechanics to design and manufacture machines and devices of all types. They create the processes and systems that drive technology and industry. The key characteristics of the profession are its breadth, flexibility, and individuality. The career paths of mechanical engineers are largely determined by individual choices, a decided advantage in a changing world. Aerospace engineers create machines, from airplanes that weigh over a half a million pounds to spacecraft that travel over 17,000 miles an hour. Aerospace engineers develop new technologies for use in aviation, defense systems, and space exploration, often specializing in areas such as structural design, guidance, navigation and control, instrumentation and communication, or production methods.
| North Entrance MEC | Hy-V (Chris Goyne and Students) |
| Mini Baja Vehicle RideForward is a group of engineering and business students who work on converting gasoline-powered cars to all-electric automobiles. (David Sheffler and students) |
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| MEC 347 | Hoo's Flying airplane design competition Aerospace Engineering Information (Eric Loth and students) |
| MEC 204 | Advanced Mechatronics (Gavin Garner and students) |
| MEC 345 | Center for Applied Biomechanics (Silvia Blemker, Richard Kent) and Mechanical Engineering Information |
| MEC 339 | JefferSat is a new exhibit of a CubeSat design, build and fly project. Includes presentations and videos (Chris Goyne and students). |
Permanent Exhibits:
| MEC 341 | Frederick J. Morse Historic Photo Collection |
| MEC 339 | Aviation Art Collection |
| 3rd Fl, S. Foyer | Russian Aircraft Models Collection |
| MEC 205 | NASA Space Art Collection |
| MEC 215 | UVA Family Original Artworks Collection |
Presentations:
| MEC 205 | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UVA: Hossein Haj-Hariri, Professor and Chair of MAE (10:00 - 10:45 a.m.) |
| MEC 341 | Larry G Richards, Engineering Greats (11:00 am to 11:45 am) |
Science, Technology, and Society
This department provides the ethical, sociological, historical, and communication components of professional engineering education in the SEAS. STS courses encourage students to think about their role as engineers and scientists in society, and to speak and write effectively. Faculty in STS, who are trained in a variety of disciplines from the humanities and social sciences, conduct research on the intellectual, social, and cultural contexts of technology and technological change.
| Thornton Hall Lobby | Information and Display Table |
Systems and Information Engineering
Systems engineering focuses on the big picture of system integration and analysis. Systems engineers seek solutions to large-scale, complex problems that require the integration of technological, organizational, human and economic factors. They are skillful in the use of analytical and computational techniques, problem solving methodologies and eclectic solution design.
Undergraduate students will welcome attendees at front door with informational brochures and posters, which detail curriculum and job placement.
Plenary Session| Olsson Hall 120 10:00 am - 10:50 am |
What is Systems Engineering - at UVa and Beyond? Barry Horowitz, Professor and Chair of SIE |
| Olsson Hall 120 10:50 am - 11:00 am |
Teaser for UVa Bay Game - Sustaining the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Gerard Learmonth, Associate Professor of SIE |
Presentations
| Olsson Hall 111 9:00 am - 10:00 am |
Virtual Reality Treatment of Phantom Limb Pain in Amputees, SIE Associate Professor Gregory Gerling, SIE 4th year students Maximilian Meese and Annie Zweighaft, and BME student Steven Kern |
| Olsson Hall 111 11:00 am - 12:00 pm |
Play a Few Rounds of the UVa Bay Game to Understand Environmental and Economic Sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay, SIE Associate Professor Gerard Learmonth and SIE students |
| Olsson Hall 111 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm |
Rapid Adaptive Needs Assessment (RANA) for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response, SIE 4th year students |
| Olsson Hall 111 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm |
Human Factors in a New Weather Radar System, SIE Graduate Student Don Rude |
| Olsson Hall 111 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm |
Flight Dynamics System Design, SIE Assistant Professor Reid Bailey and SIE 4th year students |
Continuous Exhibits
Olsson Hall Main Floor Hallway
Exhibits remain up all day, and student presenters attend for portions of the day
| Olsson Hall 120 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm |
Faculty - Jim Lark, Garrick Louis |
| Olsson Hall 120 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm |
Faculty - Reid Bailey, Greg Gerling |
General Curriculum and Admissions Information
For visitors with interests in general aspects of the Engineering School undergraduate curriculum, applying for admission, or the Rodman Scholars program, Doug Hartog, U.Va. Admissions office and Engineering School Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs Ed Berger will make presentations, and be available for questions, in Room MEC 205, at 11:00 a.m. and at noon.
Persons interested in curriculum details for School undergraduate major programs may inquire of faculty in individual departments present for the Open House.
Scheduled Events
| 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Walking tour to MR5, the BME Building. Led by BME students. At MR5, there will be a Q&A Panel with BME Faculty and Students. After the Q&A, explore research and design exhibits and chat individually with students and faculty. No pre-registration is required. Departs from 2nd Floor Thornton Hall Study Room (west side). |
| 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UVA Hossein Haj-Hariri, Professor and Chair of MAE., MEC 205 |
| 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Paxton Marshall, Community Service and Citizenship in the E-School, THN E304 |
| 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Walking tour to MR5, the BME Building. Led by BME students. At MR5, there will be a Q&A Panel with BME Faculty and Students. After the Q&A, explore research and design exhibits and chat individually with students and faculty. No pre-registration is required. Departs from 2nd Floor Thornton Hall Study Room (west side). |
| 11:00 a.m. | Engineering Student Council Design Competition (Can you build an object that will fall to the ground the slowest when dropped from the second floor? We provide the materials, and a prize for the winner.), Wilsdorf Hall Second floor. Repeated at noon. |
| 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. | Larry G Richards Engineering Greats MEC 339 |
| 11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. | Admissions information (Ed Berger, SEAS undergraduate office, and Doug Hartog, and Jeannine Lalonde, U.Va. Admissions Office) MEC 205. Repeated at noon. |
| 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m. | Admissions information (Ed Berger, SEAS undergraduate office, Doug Hartog, and Jeannine Lalonde, U.Va. Admissions Office) MEC 205. |
| 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Walking tour to MR5, the BME Building. Led by BME students. At MR5, there will be a Q&A Panel with BME Faculty and Students. After the Q&A, explore research and design exhibits and chat individually with students and faculty. No pre-registration is required. Departs from 2nd Floor Thornton Hall Study Room (west side). |
| 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Kathy Thornton The Sights and Sounds of Space. |
| 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Walking tour to MR5, the BME Building. Led by BME students. At MR5, there will be a Q&A Panel with BME Faculty and Students. After the Q&A, explore research and design exhibits and chat individually with students and faculty. No pre-registration is required. Departs from 2nd Floor Thornton Hall Study Room (west side). |
Special Presentation
Prof. Kathryn Thornton, former astronaut and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
"Sights and Sounds of Space Flight"
Room MEC 205, 1:00 PM
Map, Directions, Parking
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For the Engineering School complex: See a map of the Engineering School complex |
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Directions and Parking
The University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, approximately 120 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. Two major highways, Interstate 64 and US 29, intersect close to the University Grounds. Ample hourly parking is available in the Visitors' Parking Garage on Emmet Street, about a block south of the intersection with University Avenue. The parking garage does have parking spaces designated for persons with disabilities. The Engineering School does not provide parking validation.
From I-64, take exit 118B onto the 29/250 Bypass; then take the second exit (250 East Business), making a right at the top of the ramp and then another right, roughly a mile later, onto Emmet Street. From US 29, follow the signs to Business 29, which becomes Emmet Street. The Visitors' Parking Garage will be on your left.
To reach US 29 from the Northeast, take I-495 around Washington to I-66 West. From I-66 West, take the exit marked "US 29 South - Gainesville." Travel on US 29S into Charlottesville where it will turn into Emmet Street. Emmet Street will lead you to the University. The Visitors' Parking Garage will be on your left. If you reach the Jefferson Park Avenue (JPA) traffic light, you have gone too far. See the U.Va. Webmap (Offsite).
To download a PDF file containing directions to the University (PDF)!
You can also use Google Maps (Offsite) with the following address to get directions to the Visitor's Parking Garage: 400 Emmet St. South, Charlottesville, VA 22903.
Note: Please do not park in the Education School lots across from Thornton Hall (46 on the map above). All three lots by Ruffner are off limits.
Tours
Student-led tours of the Engineering School will be offered from 10 a.m.-12noon every 15 minutes and from 12noon-2 p.m. every 30 minutes. Please arrive for the tours 5 minutes early. Tour groups form at a table in THN-A Lobby. Often this form of tour provides a better way to learn about School matters.
Biomedical Engineering
Walking Tour to MR5, the Biomedical Engineering BuildingTour #1 (9:30 - 10:45 AM)
Tour #2 (10:30 - 11:45 PM)
Tour #3 (12:30 - 1:45 PM)
Tour #4 (1:00 - 2:30 PM)
Meet in Departs from 2nd Floor Thornton Hall Study Room (west side)., at least 5 minutes before tour is scheduled to begin. Visit BME's state-of-the-art labs and teaching space. Guided by graduate and undergraduate students.
Other Information
Near the Registration Table, other information tables will be set up: information on special curriculum programs, student organizations, other matters.
Center for Diversity in Engineering
In connection with this Open House, the Center for Diversity in Engineering organizes special programs - information sessions, tours, etc. These activities are open to all interested persons. Individuals or groups interested in participating in these activities are encouraged to contact:
Center for Diversity in Engineering
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Thornton Hall, University of Virginia
P. O. Box 400255
Charlottesville VA 22904-4255
Telephone: 434-924-0604
e-mail: cv5d@virginia.edu
Society of Women Engineers High School Visitation: SWE Schedule (PDF)
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers: Juntos Podemos Schedule of Events (PDF)
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