Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2006

Contact: Lisa Merkl
713.743.8192 (office)
713.605.1757 (pager)
lkmerkl@uh.edu

HOUSTON, May 17, 2006 – The University of Houston is addressing the shortage of engineers facing the United States by tackling a related problem – the lack of women in engineering.

Now in its fourth year, GRADE (Girls Reaching and Demonstrating Excellence) Camp is hoping to change that. A summer camp for high school girls entering grades nine through 12, this year’s four, one-week sessions will be offered June 19-23, June 26-30, July 10-14 and July 17-21. Applications are accepted until each camp is full, with openings still remaining in all four sessions. Each weeklong camp costs $200, and camp scholarship applications are available for students with financial needs. GRADE Camp is offered through the UH Cullen College of Engineering (CCoE).

Compared to the population as a whole, the percentage of female professional engineers is very small. Currently, females make up only 20 percent of engineering undergraduates, and women hold less than a quarter of jobs in all technical fields. According to its organizers, GRADE Camp is making a difference.

“To date, 223 girls have gone through GRADE Camp,” said Jenny Ruchhoeft, the educational grants manager for CCoE, who also manages the GRADE Camp program. “We’ve been able to follow up with 40 former GRADE Camp participants who are now college-age, and 65 percent currently are pursuing a science, technology, engineering or mathematics major.”

Additionally, 10 previous GRADE Campers who are current seniors will be coming to UH majoring in engineering, with six having earned university and engineering scholarships. All 10 of these girls also will get a special GRADE Camp scholarship upon starting at UH, which is an automatic one-time $1,000 scholarship reserved for any current or previous campers who enroll in an engineering, natural sciences or mathematics major their freshman year at UH.

While the crux of the camp involves design, programming and construction of an autonomous LEGO® Mindstorms robot, participants benefit from UH faculty members teaching underlying engineering theory in the mornings and then apply that knowledge during afternoon labs. Campers also have the opportunity to interact with female engineering students and to speak candidly with female engineers working in the Houston area. This year’s mentors come from companies such as ExxonMobil, Texas Instruments, Hewlett Packard, Boeing, BP, Fluor Daniel, Schlumberger, NASA, INTEC, Lockheed Martin, ABS, Baker Oil Tools and Shell.

By the end of the week, the girls have a working, autonomous robot that can navigate a maze and gain a solid understanding of their robots’ inner-workings and fundamental mechanics, including programming, sensor measurement and feedback, collision avoidance and maze navigation. On the last day of the camp, the girls present their week’s work to parents and teachers.

“It’s really amazing to see the girls not only do so well with their robots, but also see the joy they have when their robot makes its way through the maze regardless of the originating location,” Ruchhoeft said.

For more information, including camp scholarship opportunities for those with financial needs, call
713-743- 5939, e-mail grade@egr.uh.edu or visit the camp Web site at http://www.egr.uh.edu/grade.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

About the Cullen College of Engineering
UH Cullen College of Engineering has produced five U.S. astronauts, ten members of the National Academy of Engineering, and degree programs that have ranked in the top ten nationally. With more than 2,600 students, the college offers accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical and computer, industrial, and mechanical engineering. It also offers specialized programs in aerospace, materials, petroleum engineering and telecommunications.

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