EPICS in IEEE is a great opportunity for Life members to interact with and impact university students. Michael Andrews, Life member, is a huge supporter of the program and a longtime member of the committee. “The EPICS in IEEE program helps students not only use their engineering skills for community service but helps develop professional skills and experiences that shape their future careers. As a Life member and a member of the EPICS in IEEE Committee, I have had the opportunity to help foster service learning and lend my expertise to help shape future engineers.”
Andrews encourages other Life members to get involved with EPICS in IEEE. “2022 is an exciting year for EPICS in IEEE as students resume hands-on learning experiences post-COVID. They are ready to explore these design experiences while making an impact in the community”. This can be seen through the successful launch of the Environmental Competition this spring. Thanks to a grant from the United Engineering Foundation (UEF), this competition has inspired teams of students to collaborate and engineer solutions to address local environmental concerns throughout the US. Andrews goes on to say that this competition is a great way for Life members to get involved by volunteering to mentor a student team.
The committee has approved and funded ten projects from eight different US-based Institutions. From a litter-collecting robot for a local lake to nitrogen-sensing drones for understanding air quality, these projects provide hands-on learning and community engagement experiences crucial for professional skills development for secondary and university students. Over a dozen volunteers are working with 10 universities and 132 university students on projects:
- “Hydration Station” by students of Arizona State University EPICS
- “Henry County Aquaponics in the Park” by students of Morehouse College
- “Spatial Extent Monitoring of Coast Sunny-Day Flooding” by students of North Carolina State University
- “Lake Litter Solutions” by students of Arizona State University EPICS
- “Urban Gardens for Sustainable Education and Agriculture” by students of Ohio State University EPICS
- “AZGFD- Aeration” by students of Arizona State University EPICS
- “Project DIANA” by students of Ohlone Community College
- “Reducing Chicagoland Ecological Footprints via Outdoor Recreation Centers and Personal Gardening” by students of Oakton Community College
- “Measuring Nitrogen Level in Carmans River by using a Conductive Polymer-Based Sensor” by students of New York Institute of Technology
- “Sustainable Localized Food and Educational Systems” by students of Rowan University
These teams have begun their work and the next step is for the EPICS in IEEE committee to provide mentors to the teams. The committee is looking for Life members to share both their technical and professional expertise with the student teams to help them successfully complete their projects and prepare them for their future careers. Interested Life members can sign up on the EPICS in IEEE Mentoring Interest Form.
In addition to the Environmental competition, the EPICS in IEEE committee has approved 16 projects outside the scope of the competition. It is with the help and financial support of organizations like the IEEE Life members that the committee is able to champion such a volume of projects and positively impact the next generation of engineers.
