Manufacturing Day at Polytechnic campus sparks student interest in STEM careers
Binil Starly, professor and the school director of the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (MSN) within the Ira. A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, explains manufacturing to high school students. Photo by Kaitlyn Beickel
Phoenix-area middle and high school students recently explored the world of manufacturing during an event at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus.
The result of a collaboration between Access ASU, ASU Career Services, Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Arizona Department of Education, Manufacturing Day took place on Halloween this year and featured high-tech robots, yet it was far from a scary experience for student attendees.
“You are out at the best campus for manufacturing right now because we have a brand-new, state-of-the-art manufacturing building,” said Martine Garcia, assistant director of strategic initiatives for ASU Career Services, to the gathered group of students. “You're going to see some cool things like robots and electric vehicles that are being built by our college students.”
“We're not just going to talk to you all day, you're going to get to play with things, you're going to get to build things,” he said. “You're going to get to touch some cool machinery. And, you're going to learn about different ASU programs, and beyond that, are going to ... discover what you can do with a manufacturing career.”
Enzo Muggler, a junior engineering robotics student at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, along with sophomore electrical engineering student Jeffrey Zheng, attended Manufacturing Day with their student organization to share their passion for robotics.
“We're tabling for a student organization, Rossum Rumblers Robotics. We compete in two competitions, we do combat robotics and we do VEX robotics,” Muggler said. “For the students interested in engineering, we talk about what we do and how VEX is a great program for learning about CAD, software and collaboration in general, which the companies here really like to see on your resume. Having hands-on experience is super important for the industry. We show students what engineering is capable of and what they can be capable of.”
The event also gave middle and high school students the chance to:
- Explore career pathways in manufacturing, engineering and technology.
- Meet industry professionals and learn how they got started in their careers.
- Get hands-on experience with demonstrations and activities that show how manufacturing combines science, design and problem-solving.
- Discover degree programs and pathways at ASU and Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering that can help them launch their future in this fast-growing field.
Austin Hazekamp, account manager for Foam Packaging Solutions, said it was rewarding to talk to the youth about the possibilities for their future careers, both at the Polytechnic Manufacturing Day and the West Valley campus event that took place the previous week.
“It was very cool being able to see the students' eyes light up with all the different ideas they have for how they want to make the manufacturing process," he said. "To be able to show them a path forward on that is very satisfying.”
Binil Starly, director and professor in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, took the student crowd on a tour of the newly opened ISTB12 building, where ASU students work on complex manufacturing projects and take interdisciplinary science courses.
“Everything around us is manufactured. Think about it,” Starly said. “Your chair, your jewelry, your earphones, your phone, your costumes, your watch, the carpet, the chandelier, everything is manufactured. There are engineers, there are technicians, there are all kinds of people that are involved in making everything that you see around us.”
Trish Bawn, interim dean of students for the Polytechnic campus, spoke with the students about why the campus in the East Valley is the ideal place to explore a manufacturing career.
“It's actually really prestigious to be attending a Polytechnic campus like ours because we have advanced degrees that are very highly technical and scientific,” Bawn said. “Those STEM degrees, that's here. Getting accepted and coming here to complete your degree is absolutely an accomplishment, and one everyone feels proud about. “
Echoing her sentiment, Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez, assistant vice provost for the Polytechnic campus, said that she hoped that the day’s programming inspired students toward a manufacturing career path.
When she asked the student audience what they wanted to do for their future careers, students shouted out careers like: technician, scientific engineer, robotics engineer and manufacturing engineer.
“Manufacturing is one of the top job opportunities in Arizona for the future; what you've experienced today is the future of Arizona,” Fonseca-Chávez told the crowd. “Keep thinking about the skills that you bring to the table. Keep thinking about ways to keep educating yourself in that way. What kind of early college prep programs can you apply to, what high school opportunities are there?
"There's lots of different pathways to get where you want to go; the Polytechnic campus is just one of those.”
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