NYIT Introduces Girls to Engineering

More than 200 middle and high school girls channeled their inner engineers and programmers at Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day on Feb. 25 at NYIT's Manhattan and Old Westbury campuses.

"We need to make young women aware of the wonderful and exciting opportunities they can find in the STEM fields," said Nada Anid, Ph.D., dean of NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences. "We are happy to see more and more attendees at this event each year as women gain a greater understanding of what engineering is all about."

Each year, the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences celebrates National Engineering Week by hosting activities for girls ages 12 to 18 to pique their interest in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math. Read on to learn about the discussions and demos that captured the girls' attention.

Alumna and Faculty Researchers Share Expertise at NYIT-Manhattan

Photo: A girl tries a driving simulator designed by an NYIT faculty member.

Laurie Cantileno (B.S. '85), solutions delivery executive for Cisco Systems, explained the field of engineering and showcased innovations created by women in the STEM fields.

Cantileno was joined by Jonathan Voris, Ph.D., and Paolo Gasti, Ph.D., assistant professors of computer science. Voris let students go behind the wheel of his driving simulator used for research on secure and private sensing for driver authentication and transportation safety (read more in NYIT Magazine). Gasti showed how a humanoid NAO robot interacts with people and its environment.

In addition, NYIT club chapters shared projects and organized hands-on activities. Students Working to Advance Technology created a coding station, while the National Society of Black Engineers helped girls to make simple circuits with littleBits, easy-to-use electronic building blocks. Xiaoyue Che, president of NYIT-Manhattan's chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, demonstrated her homemade earthquake-detecting device.

Student Clubs Showcase Engineering Marvels at NYIT-Old Westbury

Photo: A girl and Dean Nada Anid interact with a NAO robot.

Girls immersed in a number of activities designed by NYIT students to show STEM in action. Like the Manhattan campus, Old Westbury is also home to club chapters that represent different engineering fields.

Participants flew drones, thanks to NYIT's American Society of Mechanical Engineers; operated a remote-controlled car through an obstacle course made by the Society of Automotive Engineers; and toured the workspace of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). During the workspace tour, the girls took turns maneuvering robots made by NYIT students and aiming them through a makeshift game of hoops.

Photo: A girl pedals to power a blender.

In addition to these highlights, the girls marveled as one of their classmates pedaled on a stationary bike to power a blender, yet another feat that shows the potential of engineering.