The event, held in the Engineering Building, was organized to inspire the next generation to choose career paths in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
“Role models play a key role in inspiring future students and leaders to choose a STEM path,” said Teresa Isela VanderSloot, director of Broadening Participation K-12 at the college.
College of Engineering undergraduate students, along with alumni from General Motors and the Michigan Department of Transportation, served as role models for young students, while the research team of Ilce Medina Meza, assistant professor in the Departments of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, offered a hands-on activity.
“Being able to see people that look like you in positions of success helps STEM dreams become more obtainable and realistic,” said event organizer Jose Guadalupe Hernandez, a Computer Science Ph.D. candidate and member of SHPE.
SHPE and the College of Engineering believe events like Día de Ciencias help close the diversity gap because they offer underrepresented students the opportunity to see themselves working in fields such as robotics, chemistry, computer science, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and more.
Planning for future events is already underway.