The subjects of this year’s Scholars’ Day are diverse. Alternative Energy, The Impact of Religion in Haiti, Multi-rotor UAVs, Tongue Brushes, Exercise and Diabetes and Veterans on Death Row are just a few of the 53 presentation topics scheduled.
On Saturday, April 23, 10 am – 3 pm, 69 students sponsored by 21 MCC faculty members will celebrate the innovation, creativity and academic excellence that thrives here. Timothy Van Slyke is just one of the talented students taking part in MCC’s 8th Annual Scholars’ Day.
The summer before Timothy Van Slyke began at MCC, he tackled two Kahn Academy math courses just to make sure he was adequately prepared for the rigors of the engineering program. “I get a kick out of doing the math,” he says. “I just like to study interesting math stuff -- anything mathyish, really.”
He pulls a pneumatic pressure system from his black and yellow toolbox and begins to explain the technology with a kind of climbing-Mt.-Everest excitement. Van Slyke loves engineering and he’s obviously good at it. The MCC engineering student will be completing two distinct presentations this coming Scholars’ Day.
Sponsored by Professor John Wadach, the first, "Eco-Friendly Circuit Boards: Transitions in Engineering” involves the design and fabrication of printed circuit boards (PCBs). MCC is moving away from the use of chemical etching by substituting a more environmentally friendly alternative. Tim’s presentation will demonstrate how engineering students played an integral role in making this idea a faster, repeatable and low-waste reality.
The second presentation, “Soft Robotics: Biomimicry in Engineering," sponsored by Engineering faculty member, Christopher Kumar, explores the advancement of biomimicry as a viable solution to real-world problems. In 2013, a group of Harvard University students developed the Soft Robotics toolkit. The toolkit provides the necessary informational resources for STEM students to take advantage of the power of biomimetics. Tim’s presentation will be accompanied by a demonstration of a student-built soft robot.
Tim admits to tackling two major challenges in preparing for his Scholars’ Day presentations: learning to code and “making sure that nothing’s going to break.” He’ll be graduating in June with a degree in mechanical engineering and transferring to a four-year college somewhere around Boston to continue in electrical or computer engineering. “MCC has a great engineering program -- a lot of resources and really great professors,” said Tim. “I’ve learned a lot.”
Tim will present "Eco-Friendly Circuit Boards: Transitions in Engineering" and "Soft Robotics: Biomimicry in Engineering" at MCC's upcoming Scholars' Day.