A senior design team from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering recently traded the classroom for an elementary school visit, sharing their engineering experiences with fourth-grade students at Mansfield Elementary School.
The team, which is working on a USDA-funded senior design project through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA Award No. 2024-70003-41449), visited the school to discuss life as engineering students at UConn and introduce young learners to the impact engineers can have on their communities. The team was led by Assistant Professor Alexandra Hain, and the grant was led by Associate Professor Timothy Vadas,
During the visit, the students led an engaging discussion about college life, civil and environmental engineering, and the real-world challenges their senior design project seeks to address. Their project focuses on optimizing food hub operations to help ensure fresh, locally grown produce can efficiently reach communities, including those that may face barriers to food access.
The fourth-grade students were eager to participate, asking thoughtful questions about engineering, higher education, and the technologies used in the project. The conversation provided an opportunity for the younger students to see how engineering solutions can directly support local agriculture and community well-being.
The visit concluded with an outdoor drone demonstration, giving students a hands-on look at one of the technologies the senior design team is exploring as part of their project. The demonstration highlighted how emerging technologies can be used to collect data, improve decision-making, and enhance the efficiency of agricultural and transportation systems.
Experiences like this provide valuable opportunities for UConn students to communicate their work beyond the university while inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers and engineers. By connecting classroom learning with community engagement, the project demonstrates the broader impact that engineering can have on addressing societal challenges.
The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering is proud of the team's efforts to share their knowledge and showcase how engineering can help strengthen local food systems and improve access to fresh, healthy food.
