Jacksonville District Celebrates Engineer Career Day 2015

By Jean M Pavlov (USACE)March 13, 2015

Winning Team - Overall Winners for Engineering Career Day 2015
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Winners of Engineering Career Day Overall event and James R. Garland Award for Engineering Excellence is Bishop Kenny High School, Team A. From left are Lt. Col Mark Himes, Deputy Director, Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jeff ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Englewood Students working on ramp project.
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (L to R) VP Piang and Nouh Ahmed from Englewood High School, Team D work hard on their surprise project for Engineering Career Day 2015. The students were asked to build a structure with the provided materials that would support a roadway for a car ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Students work to remove simulated debris into empty resevoir.
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Eagles View Academy, Team B, work quickly to remove as much simulated debris and place it into an empty reservoir. The group had some technical problems when they realized that the claw device was constructed too low to clear the reservoir container... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Future woman engineers work on car ramp project.
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Engineering Week is committed to increase the understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. For the past 13 years, the Engineering Division has held Engineering Career day for area students in an effort to raise public awareness of engineers' positive contributions to quality of life. There is a confidence that by providing a day to promote recognition among parents, teachers and students of the importance of dedication to math, science, engineering and technology, this will motivate youth to pursue engineering careers.

This year, more than 100 high school students and teachers from 11 public and private schools in northeast Florida attended the annual Engineering Career Day event, hosted by the U.S. Army District on Feb. 27. This day-long event was co-sponsored with the Society of American Engineers (SAME) Jacksonville Post.

"Every year is so different, so unique," said Laureen Borochaner, chief of engineering for the District. "But this year I'd say we had the broadest spectrum of ideas I've ever seen." "We hope to provide these students an appreciation for the STEM fields," said Borochaner. "We also hope they get an appreciation for the work we do at the Army Corps of Engineers. The take-home project they worked on is not dissimilar to what they would do if they worked at the Corps of Engineers."

"…… Leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today ----- especially in science, technology, engineering and math."

-President Barak Obama, September 16, 2010

William Wigner, Jr., PE, who serves as Chief of the Quality Management Branch and Deputy Chief of the Engineering Division was the honored speaker at the event. The theme of this year's Engineering Career Day was "Clearing a Path to your future". Wigner presentation illustrated proper engineering of reservoirs in order to capture and store this valuable commodity and provide a supply of clean water. The theme, carried out in Wigners' speech, related to the students take home project and also to the path of STEM futures with colleges and engineering and science related businesses that were present at the event.

Career Day 2015's take home problem involved developing a method of debris removal. The students had to create a machine capable of removing simulated debris from a reservoir and depositing the debris in a separate container. The debris used for this problem was breakfast cereal.

The students surprise problem this year required students to design a structure with provided materials that would support a roadway for a toy car to travel and be accelerated as it leaves the structure and travels across a horizontal surface.

Bishop Kenny High School entered three teams, and team A won first place in the Take Home Challenge and Overall. Lt. Col. Mark Himes, Deputy Commander, Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers presented Bishop Kenny, Team A, with the Stanley Cup of Engineering, the James L. Garland Award for Engineering Excellence. This award includes plaques representing all past winners and will make Bishop Kenny High School its' home for the year to come.

The judges for this year came from universities and engineering firms across the state. They were Dawn Blackledge, PG, Division Manager of Aerostar SES, LLC; Chris Brown, PHD, PE, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, University of North Florida; Steve Duba, PE, Chief, Construction Division; Tom Fallin, President, G.M. Engineering, Inc.; Jack McCarthy, P.E. Chief Engineer and Capital Improvements Business Line Coordinator for Naval Engineering Command, Southeast; Bill Price President, CSI GEO, Inc.; and Chang-Yu Wu, PhD, PE, Chairman, Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida.

Steve Duba, a long time supporter and original organizer of the Engineer Day event, spoke to the crowd, telling them that he has two children now in engineering. "These hours you spend today are some of the most valuable you spend in your preparation for college," he said.

Winners for the Engineering Career Day Event were:

Overall winners:

1st Place and winners of The James L. Garland Award for Engineering Excellence: Bishop Kenny High School, Team A.

Alan Conrad, James Christian, Thad Daguilh and Jeff DelaCruz. Instructor: Vicki Schmidt

2nd Place: Christ Church Academy, Team C.

Connor Adams, Meredith Smith, Paige Phillips and Aaron Anderson. Instructor: Anne Miller.

3rd Place: Eagles View Academy, Team A.

Hayley Porter, Katelyn Atchley, Autumn Herrera and Alex Withrow. Instructor: Susan Dixon.

Winners in Individual Team Events were:

Surprise Problem --

1st Place: Frank H. Peterson Academies, Team A.

Carlos Arteaga, John Bannerman, Evan Goodrich and Andre Kelly. Instructor: Russ Henderlite.

2nd Place: Providence High School, Team A.

Liesa Sprungmann, Danielle Gattoni, Prem Patel and Issac Scott. Instructor: Laura McGill.

3rd Place: Providence High School, Team B.

Katie Messer, Hannah Gicalone, Emma Stotlemyer and Grace Stotlemyer. Instructor: Laura McGill.

Take Home Challenge -

1st Place: Bishop Kenny High School, Team A.

2nd Place: Bishop Kenny High School, Team C.

Tyler Kolby, Chris Prattos and Jacob Williams. Instructor: Vicki Schmidt.

3rd Place: Eagles View Academy, Team A.

Schools participating this year were Bishop Kenny High School; Christ's Church Academy; Eagles View Academy; Englewood High School; Fletcher High School; Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology; Providence; St. Johns County Career Academies Program and Yulee High School.

Universities that participated in this year's Engineering Career Day and provided information to students about their STEM college classes are: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach; Florida A&M University/Florida State University, Tallahassee; Florida State College of Jacksonville; University of Florida, Gainesville and University of North Florida, Jacksonville.

Exhibitors that participated in this year's Engineering Career Day and provided information to students about employment in STEM careers are: Amec Foster Wheeler; ARCADIS US, Inc.; CSI Geo, Inc.; Gannett Fleming; Hanson Professional Services, Inc.; Haskell; LG2 Environmental Solutions, Inc.; MacDonald-Bedford, LLC.; Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVDAC) Southeast; FAM; RS&H; Society of American Military Engineers; Taylor Engineering, Inc. and US Army Corps of Engineers.

"This is an opportunity to engage younger crowds, high school level students, and get them interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said Lt. Col. Mark Himes. "Events like today will build an energy that will grow and develop and potentially lead them, as they continue their education, to become this nation's future scientists and engineers.

The Engineering Career Day Team consisted of Matt Lesser (Team Chair), Laureen Borochaner (Master of Ceremonies), Viktoria Bogina, Crystal Markley, Tim Gysan, Murika Davis, Enid Gerena, Gerald Deloach (take home project), Joe LeVasseur (surprise project), Geoff Klug, Amanda Lavigne, Amro Habib, Tiphanie Jinks, Sophia Bryant, Jean Pavlov, Clay McCoy, Dan Blades, Joe Wallis, Paul Shrem, Yvette Ellis, Theresa Hudson and Melissa Reynolds.