A group in the College of Engineering is helping to provide opportunities and support to the next generation of engineers.
Systers: Women in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science began at UT in 2013 as a way to encourage women to enter those fields.
Now, the group is turning its attention to high school students in Knox County with its Little Systers event, carried out with the help of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ East Tennessee group and CURENT (the multimillion-dollar power grid research center at UT).
The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on October 24 in UT’s Min H. Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building.
“Little Systers is a way for us to reach out to young women in high school and show them the kind of opportunities that exist in electrical engineering and computer science,” said Divyani Rao, outreach officer for Systers. “Systers thinks that outreach events like this are very important, as many high school women will not consider EECS majors without being informed of the possibilities.”
Rao said that her group will offer demonstrations and events to help high school students learn about UT and opportunities in the field.
Presentations will include a robotics demonstration, an interactive supercomputer trailer from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, power system demonstrations with CURENT, solar panel demonstrations, and a brief lesson in coding.
There are sixty-five spots available, with registration for the free tickets taking place online at the group’s page.
Lunch will be provided for participants.
“We’re proud of what we have accomplished so far between mentoring and outreach to students, said Rao. “It’s important to us and to society to help ensure that talented students have access to resources and opportunities, regardless of gender.”
—
CONTACT:
David Goddard (865-974-0683, david.goddard@utk.edu)