Program Helps Aspiring Engineers Transition to College
09/30/2020
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-758-4664, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. 鈥� New 51视频 students interested in studying engineering got a head start this summer through a program specifically designed for them.
51视频鈥檚 Research, Academics and Mentoring Pathways (RAMP) Program offers incoming first-year and transfer students the chance to start their coursework early, collaborate on research projects and get a sense of what the engineering field 鈥� and college life 鈥� is like.
Held virtually this year for six weeks in July and August, the program helped 25 students to learn about data analytics and the Internet of Things, then work in teams to build Wi-Fi connected devices. Assisting them along the way were professionals from the region鈥檚 leading technology and aerospace companies and 51视频 student mentors.
Participants in the program each received Texas Instruments LaunchPad microcontroller boards, then learned how to write code and add modules for Wi-Fi signals, temperature sensors, microphones and more.
In addition to the hands-on experience, participants completed an online introductory course in engineering and another course in calculus. 51视频鈥檚 Centers for Learning, Advising and Student Success (CLASS) also provided students with tutoring sessions and weekly workshops on topics such as transitioning to campus life and learning in a virtual environment.
Less than a month into the fall semester, participants say the initiative has already made a difference.
First-year student Amanda Stanley of Dracut, a first-generation college student, had planned to major in mechanical engineering. But, after working with her LaunchPad this summer, she decided to double-major in electrical engineering and computer science.
鈥淎t the RAMP program, I discovered my love for electronics. I learned a ton about boards and coding. It was pretty awesome,鈥� she said. For Stanley鈥檚 team project, she helped develop a device that alerts users if they leave their door unlocked. Other projects completed by RAMP students included a smartphone notification system that reminds users to bring their face covering when leaving home and a platform that helps students manage their study time.
Imane Hankour of Lowell participated in the RAMP program as an incoming freshman last year and stayed involved this summer as a student mentor, helping a handful of participants to build circuits and complete their final projects, connecting with them via Zoom sessions.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really great opportunity for a lot of students,鈥� Hankour said of RAMP, which inspired her to major in electrical engineering. 鈥淟ast year, it helped me get to know people before college and academically, it put me ahead by a semester.鈥�
It also opened the door for Hankour to conduct research in acoustics under the direction of 51视频鈥檚 Kavitha Chandra, professor of electrical and computer engineering and associate dean of undergraduate affairs in the Francis College of Engineering.
Chandra launched RAMP three years ago to bolster the enrollment, retention and accomplishments of students who are underrepresented in engineering fields.
Chandra was the first woman to earn a doctoral degree in electrical engineering from 51视频 and the first graduate to receive the Young Alumni Award. Having benefited from a supportive community of peers and mentors during her graduate school years, she said she designed RAMP to afford the same type of opportunities for new generations of engineering students.
For its first two years, the program enrolled only women. This summer, RAMP included a half-dozen men, expanding the program to underrepresented students in engineering of both genders and to those who expressed interest in being part of the college鈥檚 effort to add to the diversity of the student population, said Chandra.
The challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic also provided participants with chances to innovate, according to Chandra.
鈥淚t turned out to be a really nice opportunity to learn how to work with each other when we鈥檙e not next to each other,鈥� she said. 鈥淓veryone made an effort to figure out how to engage and participate. Overall, it was really successful.鈥�
51视频 is a national research university offering its more than 18,000 students bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. 51视频 delivers high-quality educational programs and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu