SHPE’s STEM Challenge:
Hispanic / Latin@ Organization Contributes to a Nationwide Effort

Although America has not wavered
from its understanding of the power and
potential of mathematics and science, it has
failed to comprehend that in the highly
competitive, global economy of the 21st century,
mathematics and science are no longer pursuits
for the few. They are requirements for all.
— Business-Higher Education Forum 2005 Report

According to the Business-Higher Education Forum 2005 report, in 1999, the United States granted only approximately 61,000 bachelor-level engineering degrees, compared to more than 134,000 in the European Union, 103,000 in Japan, and more than 195,000 in China. These results indicate that only seven percent of the 868,000 bachelor-level engineering degrees granted worldwide were earned in the United States.

The report also states that in China, enrollments are expanding at a rate 10 times faster than that of the United States. Three-quarters of all baccalaureates in China earn degrees in mathematics, science, and engineering fields, compared to only about one-third of American students. When these numbers are compared to a report from the U.S. Department of Labor, stating that jobs requiring science, engineering, and technical training increased by 51 percent between 1998 and 2008 (four times faster than overall job growth), it seems clear that the United States cannot afford to overlook the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees as the foundation to the country’s continued leadership in innovation and economic prominence.

In autumn of 2007, the Ohio Board of Regents launched the Ohio Innovation Partnership, a program intended to enhance Ohio’s ability to compete in the STEM fields by providing over $250 million to support scholarship proposals for students in the STEM fields and STEM education, and to increase the number of faculty in critical STEM areas. In particular, and being faithful to its long-standing tradition of supporting initiatives that promote STEM education and research, Ohio State was the lead institution on these proposals. STEM has long been a strategic priority at Ohio State and it is one of the best examples of the trans-institutional Ohio State that President Gee envisions. Accordingly, it is important that organizations within the university community support this effort, in addition to the many other initiatives already being implemented that seek to encourage high-school students to pursue STEM degrees. Last quarter, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) envisioned a way to contribute to the STEM initiative by organizing an event that set the bar on what student organizations can do to help achieve the University’s goals.

On Oct. 18, Ohio State’s SHPE chapter hosted a STEM challenge for high school and first-year college students. This challenge was sponsored by Cummins, Honda of America Manufacturing, Honda R&D, the Student Activity Fee Program, and AHETEMS (Advancing Hispanic Excellence in Technology, Engineering, Math and Science), and included over 25 high-school students, more than 15 volunteers and company representatives. For SHPE President Jonathan Gomez, the purpose of this challenge was to increase the number of women and minorities involved with science- and math-related fields. “There is a strong lack of minority presence within the work force of engineering and SHPE wants to contribute with a grain of sand to change this reality,” he said.

The STEM Challenge consisted of three projects from different fields of engineering — Bridge Building, Redesign of a Solar Powered Car, and Model Rocket Launch. The teams, each consisting of three students and one professional engineer from a sponsoring company, managed their projects from task definition through design and construction to final test. A lively and friendly environment surrounded the STEM Challenge. Among laughs, food, and engineering drawings and tools, the representatives from Cummings, (Tanya Valencia, Jose Ocasio, and Norberto Nunes); from Honda, (Hugo Beltran and Steve Frances); and from Battelle, (Jorge Villares) “got their hands dirty” as they advised their teams on how to best approach each small project.

As they day drew to a close, the final competitions took place. For many of the high school students, the highlights of the day were the bridge building event and the model rocket launch. Gomez described the purpose of the each event: “With the bridge building, each group designed and built a bridge out of popsicle sticks with the objective to withstand the most weight before structural failure ensued.” He continued, “with the model rocket, each group designed a rocket out of a 2-liter plastic bottle. The bottle used water and air pressure to launch itself and the team with the rocket traveling the farthest distance won.”

Some of the high school students mentioned that they are one of a few at their school who are interested in engineering, and they hope to get more of their classmates that are undecided about their future careers interested in engineering.

When asked about his opinion on the event, Ohio State alumnus José Ocasio, a representative from Cummins, responded: “I am very happy to see this type of event organized for the first time; the kids enjoyed themselves and were genuinely interested in the projects. I firmly believe in the contribution of this event to the STEM initiative, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at OSU succeeded in the eyes of the sponsors.”

The STEM challenge was successful in providing students with real engineering project experience and the opportunity to work shoulder-to-shoulder with professional engineers in a fun environment. SHPE’s initiative allowed Ohio State and corporations to become engaged with high school students to promote interest in the sciences while supporting the country’s national goal to increase the number of domestic students enrolled in STEM programs. Gracias SHPE!