TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama College of Engineering will host 14 students from the Alabama School of Math and Science for an internship program Jan. 24-28. The program gives high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to work with faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students associated with UA’s Electromechanical Systems Lab.

During the week, students will participate in a program through the Large Scale Electro-Mechanical Systems Center of Excellence, sponsored by Alabama EPSCoR, where they will attend classes and work in teams to complete a design project for a small electromechanical system. The students present the results of their projects to be judged by UA faculty at the end of their internship. Past projects included dynamic measurement of grip force for a baseball bat, automated weather data collection and computerized shoe size measurement.

Dr. Jeffrey Jackson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, Dr. Tim Haskew, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Dr. Joey Parker, associate professor of mechanical engineering, will assist the students throughout the week.

“I have enjoyed working with the ASMS students,” said Parker. “They are very bright and highly motivated. They exhibit a great deal of creativity and considerable technical knowledge that is applied to their projects.”

The students participating in this event were chosen by Alabama School of Math and Science faculty members Drs. Garvin Wattuhewa and Don Wheeler. The 14 students involved in the research projects are:

• Dan Mitchell from Harvest
• Alex Peterson from Foley
• Bobby Edwards from Cullman
• Matt McCawley from Mobile
• Hannah Moore from Fort Payne
• Jimmy Tacey from Jackson
• Luke Durant from Tuscaloosa
• Tim Lovorn from Mobile
• Adam Royal from Albertville
• Kristal Webb from Grant
• Ranbel Sun from Tuscaloosa
• Reed Tomlimson from Florence
• Amber Cooper from Summerdale
• Dylan Vest from Foley

In 1837, The University of Alabama became the first university in the state to offer engineering classes and was one of the first five in the nation to do so. Today, the College of Engineering has about 1,800 students and more than 95 faculty. It has been fully accredited since accreditation standards were implemented in the 1930s.