ECU hosts first Engineering and Technology Day

GREENVILLE, NC  —   Nearly 250 middle and high school students from across the region will visit East Carolina University Feb. 23 to toss eggs and build bridges.

They’ll also be introduced to ECU’s engineering and technology programs and will tour the lab facilities and classrooms at the new Science and Technology Building.

The first-ever Engineering and Technology Day, hosted by ECU’s College of Technology and Computer Science, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Science and Technology Building on Tenth Street.

Gerald Micklow, a professor of engineering and program coordinator, said he hopes the students and their teachers will be introduced to ECU’s engineering and technology programs.

“A lot of high schools don’t know our engineering program exists,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll bring some awareness to all our programs and have fun at the same time.”

The program is part of National Engineering Week, and student volunteers from the Society of Automotive Engineers will assist with the competition. The middle and high school students have been asked to work in teams to build the bridges and create containers for the eggs. The competitions will run throughout the day.

“Basically, these competitions give them the first taste of engineering,” said Micklow. “If you can throw a raw egg 30 feet and have it hit a target without breaking, or you’re building a bridge from popsicles, that’s engineering.”