Education Outreach News

Program Spurs Student Interest in Engineering

To help develop a strong pipeline of students who are interested in becoming in engineering majors -- and who have the skills and abilities to succeed in this rigorous program -- Dr. Seshadri Mohan in 2008 founded the Engineering Scholars Program (ESP) at UALR. Dr. Mohan defined the program and successfully procured grants from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority to launch ESP.

The objective of ESP is to increase the number of students entering engineering programs in Arkansas through exposure to hands-on engineering projects, plant trips, and interaction with industry engineers. In addition, the two-week residential summer program includes counseling and advising sessions to assist students in preparing for college. In summer 2009, the second year of the program, 16 high school students spent two weeks at UALR studying with professors.

The exposure to engineering and counseling and advising sessions helps high school students make informed choices on appropriate course work during their high school years for pursuing future careers in engineering.

UALR Scientists Reach Out to High Schoolers

High school students from 11 schools across Arkansas presented research projects in high-level math and science disciplines, the results of their participation in UALR’s High School Research Program.
The program pairs high schoolers with a UALR scientist for one-on-one mentoring in a focused research environment. The mentoring guides the academic high achieving students in selecting the high school courses needed to pursue future careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
In addition, the program provides informal peer mentoring by engaging students in faculty research projects. That allows high schoolers to establish early contact with college students and professors in specific areas of their interest, said Vernard Henley, director of education outreach and diversity in UALR’s Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology.
The three-week residential experience comes at no cost to the participants.