March 20 Event Designed To Inspire Future Engineers

Troy, N.Y. — On Saturday, March 20, more than 100 11th grade girls from the Capital Region; Rochester, N.Y.; Massachusetts; Rhode Island; and Vermont will take part in "Design Your Future Day" (DYFD). The event, hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, engages participants in activities to inform and excite them about career opportunities in engineering, science, architecture, and technology. The eighth annual program will kick off with a welcome address by Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson at 10 a.m., and will conclude at 3 p.m.

"Young women are now the demographic majority in our country, but they comprise only a small portion of our nation's scientists and engineers. We are working to change that," said Barbara Ruel, director of Rensselaer's Women in Engineering programs and coordinator of the day's events. "Design Your Future Day gives young women the opportunity to explore intellectually stimulating and exciting careers in math, science, technology, and engineering, and introduces them to an environment that encourages innovation and discovery."

The program will include eighteen workshops on a range of topics including: how blimps operate, new materials used for innovation applications such as space vehicle construction, and how electronic circuits function. At lunch, a panel of five successful Rensselaer alumnae will discuss how they chose their career paths in technology, and how their college experiences prepared them to be leaders in their fields.

The workshops will be led by Rensselaer faculty, staff, and students. Rensselaer undergraduate and graduate women engineering students will assist in the day's events.

"Design Your Future Day" is part of Rensselaer's larger effort to engage young people in science and engineering studies and professions. Other "pipeline" programs include Black Family Technology Awareness Day, which interests area young people and their families in pursuing occupations in the fields of science and engineering; Exploring Engineering Day, where Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts participate in activities aimed at sparking their interest in science, technology, and engineering; and Rensselaer's Molecularium project with the Junior Museum in Troy and the National Science Foundation, which excites children about the smallest forms of matter.

Contact: Caroline Jenkins
Phone: (518) 276-6531
E-mail: N/A