Starkville High School students in the Engineering and Mechatronics Career and Technical (CTE) pathway had an opportunity to learn how engineering plays a part in the construction industry through a partnership with the Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Mississippi State University. Dr. Jun Wang, a C&EE faculty member, and her graduate student team visited Millsaps CTC at SHS to give a presentation and demonstration to the E & M Fundamentals class. The learning experience allowed students to try their hands at some of the equipment and applications used by engineers as they work on construction projects.
"This lesson showcased how civil and environmental engineering degrees align with real-world job tasks that do not seem to be related to engineering," said Tina Cockrell, SHS Engineering instructor. "It also highlighted how versatile the field of engineering is and why those jobs are predicted to be available for many years to come."
In the hands-on activities led by Dr. Wang and her team, students learned how engineering concepts and applications are vital in planning, constructing, and repairing infrastructure. Specifically, the students learned about Cured-in-Place (CIPP) Pipe Lining equipment, horizontal directional drilling, underground loaders, vacuum excavators, calculating loads on an underground pipe, and using the Manning Flow Equation to calculate the velocity of pipes with varying materials of construction. These concepts and processes are integral parts of many construction projects.
Although many real world tasks in the work environment do not seem to relate to engineering on the surface, students learned how a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering can prepare them for job opportunities in unexpected fields.
"Special thanks to Dr. Jun Wang, MSU Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and her graduate student team for selecting Millsaps and agreeing to bring this lesson and hands-on activity to our CTE students," Cockrell said.
Millsaps Career and Technical Center offers thirteen 2-year career-based pathways for SHS 10th- through 12th-graders. The pathways include hands-on project-based learning experiences that give students a real-world understanding of what jobs are like in their fields of study. In addition, students have the opportunity to earn national certifications related to each pathway, and can even participate in work-based learning internships that offer real job experience while in high school.
Through partnerships like this with Mississippi State University, SHS students can learn directly from experienced professors and practitioners in their chosen pathway, as well as benefit from strategic career exploration that aligns with their individual interests.
