Outreach Activities

Summer Internship Program

The Undergraduate Research Program encourages women and minorities to enter careers in engineering, resulting in a more diverse workforce for both academia and industry. Students in the Research Internship Program participate in research under the guidance of a CEAT graduate student mentor and a faculty member working on CEAT research projects funded by the FAA and OMP. Their research results will be outlined in a report at the conclusion of the program. Through hands-on instruction and collaboration, students become familiar with research methodologies. The Industry Internship Program is conducted in partnership with OMP companies. CEAT serves the administrative role by promoting the program, corresponding with students, recruiting students to apply for the program, and coordinating with contacts at engineering companies affiliated with OMP to arrange for placement of the students.

Technology Transfer for Engineering Professionals

CEAT has been successful at providing technology transfer to the profession through its Brown Bag Seminar Series, Workshops and other programs. The Brown Bag Seminars are given by faculty from UIUC or guest speakers from outside UIUC. The seminars are advertised to OMP engineering staff, and provide an effective forum for discussion of new technology and innovative solutions to current problems. Technology Transfer Workshops hosted by CEAT are held at UIUC and consist of a one - two day event to present and discuss an area of research related to projects at CEAT. The workshops identify a topic and participates are invited to attend for a small group of experts for discussion about the technical approaches and barriers encountered in the area of research.

Undergraduate Level Outreach

Several events are sponsored throughout the year for the undergraduate level students. Some of these include a professional development fair for juniors and seniors looking for job placement after graduation or specific programs for underrepresented student groups to become involved with the Civil Engineering Department through special events or internships.

High-School and Middle-School Level Outreach

The CEAT Outreach Program hosts a number of high school and middle school age students through organized programs which promote engineering and civil engineering to students of this age. Some of these programs include the Mc4West Institute, the College of Engineering GAMES camp, and the Science and Engineering Discovery Program at UIUC. During these events, students from underrepresented groups in engineering participate in hands-on learning activities involving civil engineering concepts.