Engaging Undergraduates and High School Students in Naval Science & Technology
Abstract
The proposed program engages mechanical engineering undergraduates at the University of Iowa in a certificate program focused on naval hydrodynamics, an area in which the University of Iowa has a long history of excellence in research. Courses will have significant project components, and these design, research, and benchmarking assignments will be provided by Navy laboratories and contractors around the country, who will also provide mentorship to the students. Projects will be conducted within the IIHR Fluids Workshop, a novel laboratory and community environment for undergraduate research and inquiry-based learning recently developed at the University of Iowa. The Fluids Workshop provides an engaging environment with quality facilities and instrumentation, and peer education to allow students to rapidly learn advanced measurement and analysis techniques, and make meaningful contributions to real engineering problems. The laboratory will be expanded and customized to Naval S&T needs, by adding an educational towing tank with capabilities to perform standard resistance, propulsion, seakeeping and maneuvering tests, and developing a free educational version of the naval hydrodynamics code REX appropriate for use by undergraduate researchers. In addition, the laboratory’s knowledge base will be expanded to include a student-authored wiki including instructions for implementation of measurement, computational, and analysis methods, as well as a repository for student projects and data. High school students will be attracted to and engaged in hands-on camps and competitions related to naval hydrodynamics. The recruitment of these students will be achieved through existing pipelines established between the University of Iowa and regional high schools, which include programs directed toward minorities and underrepresented groups. The program proposed here will generate knowledge and infrastructure that can be shared with other institutions to establish a network of institutions with complementary focus areas in support of Naval S&T workforce development.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141512448
Entities
People
- James Buchholz
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Iowa