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"Nerdvana."
That's the word high school senior Charles Angelastro
affectionately used to describe Operation Catapult, Rose- Hulman's
groundbreaking educational program that has charted the course of
engineers, scientists, and mathematicians for the past 46
years.
"This was an incredible experience," says the Newburg,
California, teenager. "My mother thought it would be good for me;
however, I was skeptical. Instead, I wanted to spend more time this
summer with my friends back home. I ended up spending a great time
here making dozens of new friends with whom I have so much in
common."
He wasn't alone in having a great
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time, as this summer's two, 2½-week adventures may have been our
best ever. A record 310 students from 36 states and five countries
participated in hands-on engineering projects and enjoyed an early
slice of the college life.
Started by visionary educators Herman Moench and Al Schmidt,
Operation Catapult provides high-school students their first
experiences in applied engineering and science. They discover such
topics as biofuels distillation and alcohol fuel gels, examine
aerodynamics through wind- and water-tunnel testing, explore rapid
prototyping technology, and create computer games and
micro-controlled vehicles. They have also designed Frisbeethrowing
devices, M&M sorting machines, |
portable showers, trebuchets, railrunners, and model
hovercrafts.
"We throw students into engineering and give them a push in
the right direction," says Mechanical Engineering Professor Patsy
Brackin, Ph.D., who has been directing the program since 2005. "We
want students to learn about the method of scientific discovery and
have lots of fun along that journey."
One of this summer's biggest discoveries had 10 students
creating a first-of-its-kind soy-based ink, plastic, and delivery
system for the Indiana Soybean Alliance. The ink formula was
perfected by three young men; a trio of young women developed a
method for making biodegradable soy-based plastic; and a |