Engineers Week was held February 21–27 this year. Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) more than six decades ago, the weeklong celebration is dedicated to increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers. As part of EWeek 2021, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) put on a special “Energy and U” show online.
“This is a way for kids to learn about energy and the different forms of energy, including the first law of thermodynamics,” Dr. Karen Lozano told UTRGV.
Lozano, who is the Julia Beecherl endowed professor in mechanical engineering and director of the UTRGV Nanotechnology Center of Excellence, said the initial idea was a full-blown production, but UTRGV developed a digital show instead to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.
The show is designed to help the community know what energy is and why science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are important.
“The virtual option is a really nice production,” Lozano said in the statement. “This is taught in a way that kids will never forget. No matter what age they are, I don’t think they’d ever forget the experience.”
According to UTRGV, the “Energy and U” show was originally developed at the University of Minnesota in 2007. Funding from National Science Foundation through informal science programs has facilitated the migration of the show to South Texas. The premiere week of the “Energy & U” show had more than 9,000 guests registered, according to UTRGV.
“We are very happy that there are so many people interested in the shows,” Lozano said. “Since these shows took months of planning and work. I am happy that we have so many young minds who are interested and could potentially help solve energy problems in the future.”
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