EVENTS AND EXTRACURRICULAR
05-03-2018 | AM HOSTS SOLAR CAR RACES/TOUR
Applied Materials hosted the annual solar car races event. Students in the Design and Development (D&D) engineering course must adhere to strict guidelines to create a solar race car. They then have an opportunity to test their design skills in a racing competition.
This year, prior to the race, students were given a tour inside one of the clean room facilities, where they learned about how the equipment used to create silicon microchips was maintained. This rare glimpse showed yet another engineering occupation in Austin that is not normally seen, or even well known, by the general public. Increased awareness in these types of fields are beneficial for students who plan on staying in this area after graduation and have interests in STEM careers.
After lunch, students raced their cars for first, second, and third places. Once again, Del Valle took home the grand trophy ... congratulations to all our participants! Thank you to Applied Materials for encouraging the professional growth of our students!
This year, prior to the race, students were given a tour inside one of the clean room facilities, where they learned about how the equipment used to create silicon microchips was maintained. This rare glimpse showed yet another engineering occupation in Austin that is not normally seen, or even well known, by the general public. Increased awareness in these types of fields are beneficial for students who plan on staying in this area after graduation and have interests in STEM careers.
After lunch, students raced their cars for first, second, and third places. Once again, Del Valle took home the grand trophy ... congratulations to all our participants! Thank you to Applied Materials for encouraging the professional growth of our students!
05-01-2018 | DE/CS STUDENTS VISIT TACC
Digital Engineering and Computer Science students visited the Texas Advanced Computer Center (TACC) at the University of Texas J.J. Pickle Research Campus, home of the Stampede2 supercomputer, known to be the largest one in the United States. The supercomputer serves thousands of researchers across the nation in various observations to help answer questions in subjects like geological evolution, gravitational waves, and anticancer therapy.
After a nice lunch in one of the university's cafeterias, students went to the Visualization Laboratory (VisLab) in the Peter O'Donnell Building (POB), a state of the art facility used for the exploration of human perception and large-scale visual analysis through interactive display applications. Students were given an extremely close-up view of the fairly new Frost Bank Tower in downtown Austin. They then gathered around a screen to defeat an asteroid field heading for earth (see video below) ... thank you for saving the planet!
Tours like these help students understand the importance of their chosen fields and shines light on how their occupations can impact life overall. Computer Science and Information Technology goes beyond by assisting other careers like medical research, science exploration, and mathematics in important discoveries than can change our world.
To learn more about TACC, please visit: https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/.
After a nice lunch in one of the university's cafeterias, students went to the Visualization Laboratory (VisLab) in the Peter O'Donnell Building (POB), a state of the art facility used for the exploration of human perception and large-scale visual analysis through interactive display applications. Students were given an extremely close-up view of the fairly new Frost Bank Tower in downtown Austin. They then gathered around a screen to defeat an asteroid field heading for earth (see video below) ... thank you for saving the planet!
Tours like these help students understand the importance of their chosen fields and shines light on how their occupations can impact life overall. Computer Science and Information Technology goes beyond by assisting other careers like medical research, science exploration, and mathematics in important discoveries than can change our world.
To learn more about TACC, please visit: https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/.
04-17-2018 | CEA/DE STUDENTS LEARN SOLAR ENERGY
Civil Engineering and Digital Electronics learned about solar energy at the Webberville Solar Farm in Manor. The nearby farm is open to the public during the week and the visit includes a view of the farm from a tower.
The farm boasts 380 acres and is owned by the city of Austin. The site is under a 25 year Power Purchase agreement with a goal of 30% renewable energy. It provides enough energy to power 5000 homes.
After the visit, students projected cost versus savings to determine if solar energy would be worth the investment in the private sector. Although the front cost appeared to be high, the overall savings after a decade proved to be beneficial. The results, however, were subjective, because most people do not have the amount of money up front required to proceed with the project.
The Webberville project is a major undertaking. We extend many thanks for allowing our students to witness such an enormous effort put toward environmental conservation.
To learn more about the Webberville Farm, please visit: webbervillesolar.com/
The farm boasts 380 acres and is owned by the city of Austin. The site is under a 25 year Power Purchase agreement with a goal of 30% renewable energy. It provides enough energy to power 5000 homes.
After the visit, students projected cost versus savings to determine if solar energy would be worth the investment in the private sector. Although the front cost appeared to be high, the overall savings after a decade proved to be beneficial. The results, however, were subjective, because most people do not have the amount of money up front required to proceed with the project.
The Webberville project is a major undertaking. We extend many thanks for allowing our students to witness such an enormous effort put toward environmental conservation.
To learn more about the Webberville Farm, please visit: webbervillesolar.com/
11-30-2017 | CEA STUDENTS TOUR NEW FACILITY
Civil Engineering and Architecture students visited the new athletic facility at the high school. Melissa Caldwell, the Project Manager for Del Valle ISD Construction and Planning, lead the tour and explained the many details involved in the design of the building.
The complex boasts 115,500 square feet of space, and includes a state-of-the-art weight room, an indoor practice field, hot and cold plunge pools, and a "floating" viewing balcony. The project was part of a 134 million dollar bond that was approved in November 2017.
Many thanks to Ms. Caldwell for taking time out of her day to spend time with our students and sharing her story. The visit raised many questions about Architecture and sparked an increased interest in the field.
For more information about this project, please visit:
http://construction-planning.dvisd.net/projects/athletic-facility/
For other upcoming projects for the district, please visit:
http://construction-planning.dvisd.net/projects/
The complex boasts 115,500 square feet of space, and includes a state-of-the-art weight room, an indoor practice field, hot and cold plunge pools, and a "floating" viewing balcony. The project was part of a 134 million dollar bond that was approved in November 2017.
Many thanks to Ms. Caldwell for taking time out of her day to spend time with our students and sharing her story. The visit raised many questions about Architecture and sparked an increased interest in the field.
For more information about this project, please visit:
http://construction-planning.dvisd.net/projects/athletic-facility/
For other upcoming projects for the district, please visit:
http://construction-planning.dvisd.net/projects/
11-17-2017 | SHPE ATTENDS UT SHADOW DAY
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) club attended shadow day at the University of Texas. This annual event is hosted by the UT-SHPE with the hopes that high school students will continue their interest in engineering fields after graduation.
Students participated in various activities including a tour of the Cockrell School of Engineering, a fun design challenge, and a coding class. During lunch, attendees had an opportunity to ask questions and have discussions about college life.
A huge thank you is extended to Hugo Martinez and Karly Olivares for coordinating the event, and the many UT-SHPE members who made this experience possible. The visit was a great learning opportunity for our students!
Students participated in various activities including a tour of the Cockrell School of Engineering, a fun design challenge, and a coding class. During lunch, attendees had an opportunity to ask questions and have discussions about college life.
A huge thank you is extended to Hugo Martinez and Karly Olivares for coordinating the event, and the many UT-SHPE members who made this experience possible. The visit was a great learning opportunity for our students!
10-02-2017 | SHPE HELPS WITH GARDEN IRRIGATION
Members of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) club were invited to assist the garden club in the design and creation of an irrigation system. The garden provides vegetables for the culinary classes at the school, and currently did not have any sophisticated systems in place to water the plants. This hands-on experience gave future engineers an opportunity to learn about agricultural engineering, which improves farming technologies and helps the environment.
A huge thank you goes out to Mr. Wheeler, who asked the club to join in this endeavor. They were able to complete most of the project in one afternoon.
A huge thank you goes out to Mr. Wheeler, who asked the club to join in this endeavor. They were able to complete most of the project in one afternoon.