STEM FUTURES

ECU provides glimpse into potential college degrees

High school students listen to a presentation about concrete given by the ECU Construction Management department during STEM Day. Pictured at the top of the page, ECU Construction Management instructor Bryan Wheeler fist bumps a high school student after he successfully maneuvered a steel beam using a remote-controlled crane during ECU’s STEM Day. (Photos by Jay Clark)

High school students from across North Carolina visited East Carolina University on Feb. 1 to learn more about studying and working in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math.
 
This year’s annual High School STEM Day drew approximately 400 students from 20 different high schools, according to Dr. Mary Farwell, biology professor and an organizer of STEM Day. She said the event gives students a glimpse into what they can learn through a college degree in a STEM field.

 
“Students don’t really understand that in the STEM majors, they can really walk into a job when they graduate,” Farwell said at last year’s event. “A lot of other (programs) can’t say that.”
 
The high schoolers moved in groups Friday through a schedule that highlights disciplines including biology, chemistry, computer science, construction management, engineering, geography, geological sciences, physics and technology systems. They examined rocks and radioactive items, learned how robots work and used geometry software to plan pizza deliveries.