Introducing Students from the Academy for Mathematics and Sciences to Engineering

In recent years, the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Arkansas has been involved with the Academy for Mathematics and Sciences Program.The Academy for Mathematics and Sciences Program provides opportunities for high school students to be successful in the pre-college setting and ultimately higher education.Eligible students include high school students from low-income families or families in which neither parent holds a college degree.The overall objective of this program is to increase enrollment for students in higher education institutions.This program involves a six week summer program in which the students are engaged in "hands on" activities in the areas of math, laboratory sciences, composition and literature.The Department of Civil Engineering assists in the laboratory science portion of the program.Since the Department's involvement, students have become involved in innovative ongoing research.Research the students perform is practical and experimental and includes topics such as field permeability of asphalt, in situ permeability of concrete, and theoretical specific gravity of asphalt mixtures.At the end of the six week program, the group of students are required to present there research to parents, teachers, and friends.This program is useful in recruiting students into the engineering field.One student currently at the sophomore level in civil engineering is a former academy student and encourages others to participate.Upon speaking to several