I.T. Week

There are many traditions to be found in the Insitute of Technology -- from celebrating 'Pi Day' (3.14) to celebrating the end of that first year of engineering, mathematics and science courses -- IT students are ready to show their pride for the Institute of Technology!

That's where IT Week comes in. This is one week celebrating all things IT! This year's IT Week is an especially important one -- this is the last IT Week that the college, students, faculty and staff will celebrate, as the college name will change on July 1, 2010 to the College of Science and Engineering.

Check out the Insitute of Technology Student Board website, as well as the Plumb Bob website, to learn all about this week's celebration of IT!

Dani

"Water for Mulobere"

 you have visited campus recently, more than likely you saw this video during your admissions information session.  The video features Brian Bell, a civil engineering student in the Institute of Technology, who worked with Engineers without Borders (EWB) to research ways to alleviate trash problems in developing countried like Haiti.

Institute of Technology student Brian Bell of Engineers Without Borders

Every time I see this video clip, I have to remind myself that these are University of Minnesota students, studying engineering and the sciences, who are developing these innovative ways to solve global problems.  Just think, this could be your future -- using what you are learning in the Institute of Technology to have a positive impact on the world!

The project in Haiti isn't the only real-world issue that our students are working on. In fact, a new documentary film produced by the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment features science and engineering students who are part of the University's student chapter of Engineers Without Borders that traveled to Uganda to install a solar-powered water pump at the Hope Integrated Academy.  This film will premiere this Tuesday, April 27th at Coffman Memorial Union Theater on the U of M campus. Check it out: "Water for Mulobere".

"Water for Mulobere" trailer

-Dani

Driven to Discover

Today while I was browsing through the University of Minnesota's Driven to Discover webpage, I came a across a question that instantly caught my attention: "Why is math called the 'queen of sciences'?"  Having graduated from the Institute of Technology with a degree in mathematics, this shouldn't be much of a surprise.

The answer to this question came from assistant mathematics professor, Marta Lewicka, pictured above. (You can find out more about her here, along with 31 other professors in the Institute of Technology who are passionate about mathematics, science and engineering.)

Here's her answer to the question:

"In mathematics, we formulate conjectures and discover principles attesting to the world's order, beauty, and harmony. What is specific to math is that we achieve this through rigorous deduction! One who practices math will know to distinguish between objective statements and guesses or assumptions.  Therefore, mathematics may provide the firm ground to our empirical understanding of the physical phenomena."

Beautifully said, Professor Lewicka-- math is elegant and powerful!

Dani