PEI

UPEI summer program promoting girls in engineering research

UPEI's School of Sustainable Design Engineering has launched a summer program to promote interest in engineering research with girls in high school, according to a UPEI news release.

'Although I am very new to the program, I hope to design something cool and useful'

Amy Hsiao and the six girls in the inaugural ProGRES group. (Submitted by UPEI)

UPEI's School of Sustainable Design Engineering has launched a summer program to promote interest in engineering research with girls in high school, according to a UPEI news release. 

Amy Hsiao, an associate professor, was awarded a grant from UPEI's annual fund for the Promoting Girls in Research on Engineering and Sustainability (ProGRES) program.

"Students are concerned with living green, caring about our world, and making a difference," Hsiao said in the release. "The emphasis on bioresources, sustainable energy systems, mechatronics and robotics at the School of Sustainable Design Engineering are all appealing for young women."

Designing 'something cool'

Thirty-two girls applied for the six spots in the program's inaugural year

"I am currently doing general research on wind turbine blade failure and leading-edge erosion," student Katie Hughes said in the release.

"Although I am very new to the program, I hope to design something cool and useful and hopefully develop some basic design skills — I look forward to what the following weeks hold."

The program will come to an end with a final presentation Aug. 17.