Career day aims to interest girls in STEM-related professions

Girls in grades one through six will discover STEM, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics, career opportunities at The University of Akron’s 11th annual Kids Career Day, 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Student Union, 303 Carroll St.

As part of the event, some participants will learn how asphalt is formulated and they will make chocolate asphalt. Others will learn about thermoplastics or make their own mini hovercrafts. Women engineers, mathematicians, chemists, physicists and geologists will lead the morning’s activities and discussions. In addition, “mathemagician” Dr. Arthur Benjamin will perform his combination magic-math tricks. Benjamin, who earned his Ph.D. in mathematical sciences at Johns Hopkins University, is a professional magician who has appeared on several international television and radio programs.

“Girls need to see that science, engineering, mathematics and technology comprise a large part of the world around them. New discoveries happen every day that result in the improvement of the human condition. That is what makes this day so fun and exciting,” says Heidi Cressman, director of UA’s Women in Engineering Program (WIEP). “We want students to walk away knowing that the possibilities are endless for women who choose careers in these fields.”

Students interested in attending Kids Career Day must be accompanied by an adult supervisor. Registration, which ends Jan. 15, 2010 and costs $6, can be completed online at www.wiep.uakron.edu. Or, prospective participants can obtain registration forms at Stark and Summit county libraries, by calling 330-972-7701 or by making a request to hec9@uakron.edu.

The event is sponsored by Lockheed Martin Akron, the Girl Scouts of North East Ohio and UA’s Women in Engineering Program. The UA College of Engineering’s current 2,042 undergraduate enrollment represents a 54.9 percent increase in enrollment between fall 2004 and fall 2009, making it the fourth fastest growing college of engineering in the country (among the 150 largest; source: American Society for Engineering Education) and the fastest growing in the state.

Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.