Is there a better way to start a week dedicated to engineering than with Bill Nye the Science Guy? This year’s Engineers’ Week (E-Week) planning committee doesn’t think so.
But the group is quick to add that his show, which will be held Friday, September 21, is just one of the many great activities that will go on from September 18–29 as part of the annual celebration.
E-Week, which is organized by students in the College of Engineering, provides students the opportunity to interact with peers, faculty, and company representatives; educate the public about engineering; and provide service to the community.
The group coordinating the week of activities also wants to promote unity within the College of Engineering when it comes to clubs, departments, and events under this year’s theme “Better Together: Cyclone Engineers.”
“We believe that each organization is an important part of Iowa State, and Engineers’ Week is a perfect example of the great things that can happen as a result of close collaboration between people with diverse backgrounds,” said Shaun VanWeelden, one of three publicity co-chairs for E-Week and sophomore in software engineering.
New to this year’s celebration is an “Honor the Alumni” event that offers breakfast and tours of the College of Engineering for visiting alumni. Additionally, there will be daily intramural and departmental challenges, as well as lunches on campus. Other important events include:
- Engineers’ Week Kickoff—Friday, September 21, starting at 5:30 p.m. Features a tailgate before the Bill Nye the Science Guy performance, which starts at 7:00 p.m. at Stephen’s Auditorium.
- Engineering Career Fair—Tuesday, September 25, noon–6:00 p.m., Hilton Coliseum and Scheman Building. Includes more than 280 employers on campus looking to hire engineering students.
- Charity Ball (open to any student, not just engineers)—Saturday, September 29, 8:00 p.m.–midnight, Howe Hall Atrium. All proceeds for the event go to Minds of Tomorrow.
Coordinating E-Week requires a great deal of effort and planning, which is why students started preparations last spring and continued over the summer.
“With such a large event, communication and organization are absolutely crucial. At first, it was challenging to get an efficient system down, but now that we have all been working together so long, it seems to come easier each day,” VanWeelden said. “Our advisor, Roger Bentley, and our two E-Week Co-Chairs, Martese Hoffman and Nick Schurr, have been great role models and have really guided and helped us a lot as we continue working out the final details.”
The group adds that they are looking forward to seeing all the hard work pay off, which they will get to truly enjoy after E-Week wraps up.
A full schedule of events is available on the E-Week website.