Girls in Science and Engineering Day (GSED)

The 2019 University of Alabama at Birmingham UAB Girls in Science and Engineering Day (GSED) event took place at the UAB campus on May 20, 2019, and was a huge success! Eighty-three 6th to 8th grade girls attended the event, representing 32 different schools from north-central Alabama. The event also engaged 27 volunteers and 35 workshop volunteers who offered nine STEM workshops throughout the day.

The UAB GSED program aims at introducing young female middle school students to the world of engineering and sciences through hands-on activities and interactions with successful women in Engineering and Sciences. Girls also participated in a fun scavenger hunt, which challenged their creativity as they moved between workshops. Dr. Susan L. Bellis, a Professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) gave the keynote address during lunch. She introduced her research on cellular mechanisms that promote cancer, discussed her personal journey in STEM, and answered questions from the student participants.

The event was co-sponsored by UAB School of Engineering and STRIDE, and Dr. Virginia Sisiopiku (UAB) served as the event director. You can find pictures from the 2019 GSED event by clicking here.

Kids in Engineering Day (KIED)

On February 16 and 23, 2019, the UAB chapter of the Society of Women Engineers hosted the 2019 Kids in Engineering Day with the theme KIED 500! Kids in Engineering Day is a fun educational weekend for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students with an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education.

This year’s event focused on the relationships between various engineering disciplines, breaking them out of their respective silos and emphasizing the connections between them to these young students. Kids formed into teams and had hands-on experience with the five different disciplines of engineering offered at UAB — biomedical , civil, electrical, materials, and mechanical engineering — with one common goal: the successful creation and race of their own Race Car.

In addition to providing a day of fun, learning and teamwork for 4-6th graders, Kids in Engineering Day serves to demystify a complex subject and give young students the encouragement, mindset, and tools they need to pursue their interests in STEM or a career in a STEM-related field.