Introducing High School Students to the Intersection of Engineering and Society

This summer, 28 high school students spent six weeks living, taking courses, and conducting research at Columbia University as part of Columbia Engineering’s ENG (Engineering the Next Generation) program. In addition to completing coursework, each student in ENG joined a Columbia Engineering lab, where they contributed to ongoing research and received mentorship from a faculty member. All participants in this program are compensated for their time.

“Not only is it important for students to pursue their passion in STEM, we want them to know there are multiple career paths they can continue on if they commit their energy,” said Kris Breton, director of outreach programs at Columbia Engineering. “ENG provides valuable work experience for students who are looking for summer jobs and to build their resumes!”

This year, several NSF research centers and institutes at Columbia Engineering hosted ENG students.

Exploring the intersection of technology and trust

The 14 ENG students who were hosted by the Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3) and the Trust Collaboratory dove head-first into the complex — and vital — work of collaborating with members of the local community and with university researchers to build trustworthy, accountable technologies that improve New York City streets for all. 

With CS3’s “My Streetscape Summer Research Institute,” the students began their day learning principles and methods of social science to better understand how technology and society are connected. These lessons were led by faculty in the Columbia University department of sociology, and the New York-based students were joined via Zoom by a cohort based at another CS3 site in West Palm Beach, 

In the afternoon, the ENG students split into three teams that were charged with conducting research projects under the guidance of Sharon Di, associate professor of civil engineering and engineering mechanics; Anthony Vanky, assistant professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation; Zoran Kostić, professor of professional practice in electrical engineering; and Jason Hallstrom, director of Florida Atlantic University's Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering.

The students also conducted fieldwork around Harlem, where they spoke with local residents and pedestrians as part of a community-first research process.

Ishrat Sajjad, a rising senior at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, said ENG “has improved my project management and design skills, which will be extremely valuable in my future work in civil engineering and construction management.”

“It has also increased my awareness of the rich cultural legacy of Harlem and the significance of creating engineering solutions within its historical context,” she said.

Increasing access to NeuroAI

The NSF AI Institute for Artificial and Natural Intelligence (ARNI) hosted two high school students as part of this year’s ENG program in collaboration with the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens.

Working closely with museum staff and Ali Hirsa, professor of professional practice in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Columbia Engineering, these students contributed to new exhibits that will present visitors with cutting-edge research on the common principles shared by artificial intelligence and natural intelligence. 

In addition to spending time with the larger ENG cohort and instructors, these students met with ARNI faculty and students to better understand the groundbreaking field of NeuroAI and get a complete picture of what it’s like to work and conduct research at a national research center. 

Participant Mia Torres said “the hands-on aspect of the program has been really enriching, and I'm eager to implement it in my academic career going forward.”