Pre-freshmen introduced to engineering hands-on fun

During the week of August 19, 32 members of MIT's Class of 2006 participated in the first-ever Course 1 freshmen pre-orientation program, "Discover Civil and Environmental Engineering" (DCEE). The program combined a design project, field trips, campus lab tours, and discussions with faculty members to introduce freshmen to civil and environmental engineering, as well as to our CEE Department.

The freshmen split up into five work groups, each designing its own windmill to model those that are being installed off the coast of Nantucket Island (south of Cape Cod). The groups researched the possible environmental effects, used PVC piping and other materials to build their models, and finished off the week by giving presentations about what they learned. Groups were evaluated based on cost efficiency, structural stability, amount of power generated, and environmental analysis.

Another main activity of DCEE was the visit to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. At WHOI, the freshmen learned about a few of the current research projects, and briefly shipped out on a research vessel to observe some of the area's sea life. Other activities throughout the week included a Charles River dinner cruise, a field trip to the Big Dig, and a Red Sox game complete with Prof. Ole Madsen's famous "Fluid Dynamics of Throwing a Baseball" pre-game lecture. The week concluded with food and fun at MIT's Endicott House.

Two weeks after the program ended, the DCEE participants and mentors met up again for a small reunion at Revere Beach. The windmills were placed in the ocean to see how they would stand up to the waves and wind. Almost all of the windmills remained standing and generated even more electricity than when tested in the lab. The windmills attracted a few curious beach-goers and passers-by, including a reporter from the Revere Journal who took pictures and interviewed several participants and organizers of DCEE.

Thanks to the initial efforts of Kate Thompson '02 (who helped start the Course 2 [Mechanical Engineering] pre-orientation program last year) and with funding from the D'Arbeloff Foundation, DCEE got off the ground early in the spring '02 term. Planning continued throughout the spring and summer by a group of Course 1 students led by overall coordinator Linda Liang '03. After a successful first run, DCEE will become a part of the CEE Student Association. During the next year CEESA plans to evaluate and improve the entire program based on feedback from both the participants and organizers.