Women in Engineering Program Classes

WEP has initiated and offers several First Year Seminars. All feature peer instructors, hands-on activities and the opportunity to network with other students and faculty. WEP classes are underwritten by funding from the Penn State General Education Project Fund, the Chrysler Corporation Fund, and Corning Incorporated Foundation (through WEP C³).

Fall 2006 Seminars:

Dancing Lego™ Robots & Design (M E 102S, Sect. 201, 1 cred., #655360)
(TR 9:45-11AM, 10/24 through 12/14 in 314 Hammond Building)
Create dancing robots! Learn about engineering design, prototyping and field-testing through hands-on experiences with mechanical robots. Students will design "smart" Lego™ robots, and program robots to dance. In this six-week class, students will explore existing hands-on robotics kits, and create an original smart robot design. Course will run the second 6 weeks of the fall semester.

Toy FUNdamentals (M E 101S, Sect. 101, 1 cred., #655357)
(TR 9:45-11AM, 9/12 through 10/19 in 314 Hammond Building)
Toy FUN-damentals is a hands-on class that explores engineering design and prototyping through toy products. This six-week class explores toy marketing and design through toy dissection, original design, prototyping and field-testing. Ultimately, students will create and field-test an original toy design. Course will run the first 6 weeks of the fall semester.

Engineering Entrepreneurship (C E 100S, Sect. 002, 1 cred., #641881)
(T 2:30-3:20PM, 9/5 through 12/12 in 314 Hammond Building)
Develop products and plans to become an engineering entrepreneur. Emphasis will be placed on "Ecopreneuring" which is development of products for improving the environment.

Questions? Want to enroll?
Call the WEP office at 814-863-1080 or email Cheryl Knobloch.

Previous Seminars:

Engineering Communications - Learning to communicate in a clear, concise, and engaging way about technical subjects is one of the most important and challenging tasks that you will face in your development as an engineer. Effective communication is vital to the successful functioning of any company, classroom, small group, or committee meeting; it provides for the active exchange of information and knowledge; and it increases the depth of understanding and the capacity for learning in both the speakers and the listeners. Despite its central role, however, it is a skill that is rarely explicitly practiced or developed in traditional engineering and science programs. This new course, designed specifically for engineers, will provide the necessary tools for you to become a skilled speaker and listener (Note: speaking and listening are the two, equally important and difficult, components of effective communication).

WEP Enigmatic Computers - Enigmatic Computers offers women engineering students the opportunity to learn computer hardware and software in a hands-on class. Students learn various computer applications used in engineering course work and experience an environment where they can experiment with computers and computer hardware, meet other Penn State women engineering students, and have fun!

WEP Enigmatic Engines - In Exploring the Enigmatic Engine students work in teams of two or three to disassemble and reassemble a three-horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine, developing a first-hand understanding of basic mechanics along the way. The 1/2-credit course, offered to first- and second-year engineering students, is taught by upper-level peer instructors who also offer information on their majors and course experiences at the Learning Factory .

WEP Enigmatic Circuits - In Exploring the Enigmatic Circuit students work in teams of two to build and reassemble a simple infrared transmitter and receiver circuit developing a first-hand understanding of basic electrical systems along the way. The 1/2 credit course, offered to first- and second-year engineering students, is taught by upper level peer instructors who also offer information on their majors and course experiences.

Developing and Selling Your Creative Ideas - Engineering and Communications students work together to develop ideas and the materials to convince others that the ideas are good ones! Class includes sessions on engineering design and graphic design, demographic research, and presentations.