Throughout the year, The Grainger College of Engineering hosts Engineering Undeclared (EU) Tech Talks to provide undeclared students hands-on, major-specific opportunities to explore different pathways in engineering. This fall, two civil and environmental engineering professors participated in the program, giving students a glimpse into what the department has to offer.
Associate professor Roman Makhnenko introduced students to the topic of Renewable Energy. Students explored climate change mitigation concepts and used educational kits containing solar panels, wind turbines, hydrogen fuel cells, a biofuel station, and a renewable energy car. They collected different measurements using these materials, created presentations to share with their fellow students and discussed their results at the end of the session.
Assistant professor Houtan Jebelli led a second CEE themed session for the students titled “Crafting the Future with Robotics”, where students explored how robotics and innovation are applied within civil and construction engineering.
The EU Tech Talks were developed based on feedback received from EU students, who wanted more opportunities to learn about the unique offerings of each engineering major before deciding which to pursue. The talks specifically highlighted the breadth of each department, and examples of real-world engineering work they engage in.
If CEE faculty or students are interested in participating in future Tech Talk opportunities, please contact CEE Student Outreach Specialist Maryam Ghadiri at mghadiri@illinois.edu