by Alvernia University
Alvernia University’s John R. Post School of Engineering hosted engineering programming for students interested in science, technology, art, mathematics, and engineering from eight local high schools for the second year in a row in alignment with National Engineers Week from Feb. 18-24, 2024.
“Hosting the Engineering Week is a critical piece of our goal to provide engineering outreach to students in Berks County and beyond,” said Chair of the John R. Post School of Engineering Joseph M. Mahoney, Ph.D. “We want to expose students in the area to the possibility of being an engineer when they go to college and as a career. The combined efforts of our industry partners and different departments at the university came together to put on a fun and educational event. We look forward to extending our reach next year and creating an even bigger and better Engineering Week.”
Programming began on Monday with Alvernia engineering students Mahoney and Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, David Shoup, Ph.D. creating science kits for K-12 students in partnership with The S.P.A.R.K.S Foundation.
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, FirstEnergy Corp. sponsored the Engineering Jam, a competition to showcase the engineering creative design process, foster critical thinking, and apply science to solve a problem. Over 100 students attended and were tasked with creating a ‘Lunar Lander’ (a more advanced egg drop) device that would later go through a series of tests to discover whose creation best met the judging criteria after completing each test. Local representatives from FirstEnergy volunteered at the event alongside Alvernia engineering students, faculty, and staff to monitor the teams as they were building their devices.
“As part of the Reading community, we wanted to connect with our customers and future coworkers by sponsoring the Engineering Jam,” said FirstEnergy Operations Manager Ray Johnson III. “Our connection is further strengthened by the presence of many FirstEnergy volunteers who are either Alvernia graduates or are creating their comeback at the University. By collaborating with the university, we engage with Alvernia engineering students and connect with local high school students. This event provides us with a valuable opportunity to interact with them, answer their questions, and showcase our commitment to problem-solving, a skill we employ daily.”
In addition to assisting teams with their design processes, Alvernia engineering students also listened to the teams’ pitches for their inventions before the tests began. After the pitches, they facilitated the testing station to analyze whether each team’s device could float and how it could withstand wind as it dropped.
“The 2024 Engineering Jam here at Alvernia was such a great event for high school students to let their creative sides take action in finding a solution to the problem they were given,” said Mechanical Engineering Student Evan Thomas. “The event allowed the students to have fun and enjoy themselves, but it also required technical attention when creating their space landers, which is what the Engineering Jam is about.”
After the tests were complete, the high school students went on guided tours of Alvernia’s Tom and Helen Flynn PLEX and surrounding areas of the campus before returning to enjoy lunch ahead of the awards. Three teams from Daniel Boone, Muhlenberg, and Exeter High Schools tied for third place. Berks Catholic and Oley Valley High School faced off in one last thrilling tie-breaker test where the teams dropped their devices from the PLEX balcony to see which would land closest to the target below. Ultimately, Berks Catholic took second, and Oley Valley took home the first-place trophy.
At Alvernia, students in the John R. Post School of Engineering are being trained to be fundamentally sound and application-ready. Students can choose to major in electrical, industrial, or mechanical engineering. For more information about Alvernia’s engineering programs, click here.
Alvernia University is a Catholic comprehensive university with a liberal arts foundation founded by the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters in 1958. The university serves over 3,000 students in Reading, Pottsville, and Philadelphia with a unique blend of rigorous liberal arts education, strong technical training in many high-demand majors, ever-expanding experiential learning opportunities through study abroad and internship experiences, and community engagement through its Franciscan-based community service model.
