Feb. 18, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Hewes
College of Engineering
(805) 756-6402

Cal Poly to Celebrate National Engineers Week Feb. 20-26

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Cal Poly engineering students will seek to fire the
imaginations of area youngsters, campus groups will host an Engineering
Club Fair at Farmer’s Market in downtown San Luis Obispo, and a wide
variety of activities on campus will all serve to highlight National
Engineers Week, Feb. 20-26.

Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers,
National Engineers Week is celebrated annually by thousands of
engineers, engineering students, teachers, and leaders in government and
business.

“The event gives us a chance to recognize the enormous contribution
engineers have made to our quality of life and to inspire a new
generation of boys and girls to consider careers in engineering,
technology, math and science,” said Cal Poly student Andrea
McGrath-Massie, chair of the university’s Engineering Student Council,
which is sponsoring local events throughout the week.

Continuing an annual tradition, those events include an outreach to
local fourth-graders by Cal Poly's Society of Women Engineers (SWE). The
club will take hands-on engineering and science programs to local fourth
grade classrooms throughout the week.

“This has been a wonderful event every year for both our SWE volunteers
and the elementary school students,” says Helene Finger, director of the
Women’s Engineering Program at Cal Poly. “Our mission is to open the
doors of the profession to young people, especially girls, who remain
underrepresented in engineering and technical fields.

“With our SWE members serving as real life role models, the program
definitely helps plant a seed about career and college opportunities.
Hopefully, we’ll have a long-term impact by enabling these girls and
boys to envision themselves as engineers and computer scientists,” she
said.

The community will have the chance to enjoy interactive engineering
design activities at an Engineering Club Fair at San Luis Obispo’s
Farmer’s Market on Thursday, Feb. 24. Displays will also include
student-built engineering projects, such as the legendary “Concrete
Canoe.”

Additional activities during the week include:

• Tuesday, Feb. 22
  Off Campus: SWE Fourth Grade Outreach
  1:15-2:30 p.m., Old Mission School, Jan Mello, teacher
  1:15-2:30 p.m., Pacheco Elementary School, Spanish component
  On Campus:
  11 a.m., Softball: Students vs. Professors, Cal Poly Sports Complex.
  9:30 a.m. 3 p.m., Info Booth at Dexter Lawn
  
• Wednesday, Feb. 23
  Off Campus: SWE Fourth Grade Outreach
  9:15-10:30 a.m. – Hawthorne Elementary School, Juli Dye teacher
  9:15-10:15 a.m. – Monarch Grove Elementary School, Rachel Schmaeling, teacher
  1:15-2:30 a.m. – Pacheco Elementary School, Susan Fassiotto, teacher
  On Campus:
  9 a.m.-10:30 a.m., retired faculty and staff forum and tour, Advanced Technology Laboratory
  11 a.m., Olympic Bowl Club Competition
  9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Info Booth, Dexter Lawn
  6-9 p.m., MEP Awards Banquet & Corporate Social, Advanced Technology Laboratory
  
• Thursday, Feb. 24
  Off Campus: SWE Fourth Grade Outreach
  10:15-11:30 a.m., C.L. Smith Elementary School, Lynnly Sainsbury,
  teacher
  7 p.m., Farmers’ Market, Downtown San Luis Obispo
  On Campus:
  10 a.m.-3 p.m., Career Symposium, Rec Center
  11 a.m., Pie Your Professor, Dexter Lawn. A chance for students to pie their favorite or least favorite instructors.
  9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Info Booth on Dexter Lawn
  
• Friday, Feb. 25
  Off Campus:
  6-10 p.m., SWE Evening With Industry, Embassy Suites, San Luis Obispo
  On Campus:
  11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Scholarship Luncheon Advanced Technology Laboratory
  9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Info Booth on Dexter Lawn

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