K-12 Outreach
GirlTREC 2019
GirlTREC focuses on hands-on activities related to transportation engineering from roads to rail to waterways and is designed to build courage and interest towards studying STEM fields and considering a career in the transportation industry. Our interactive programs are taught by faculty at the University of Arkansas’ civil and industrial engineering departments and include activities in bridge construction, social media data during disaster response, and traffic control systems.
Exposure to STEM—Diversity in Maritime Transportation
Students from Little Rock Central High School visited Murray Lock and Dam along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System for a Lock and Dam tour on April 2, 2019. The tour was guided by Eric Gillepsie, the Lock Master for the Murray Lock and Dam. Dr. Rick Coffman, from the University of Arkansas, and graduate student Anh Tran talked about the need for the lock and dam system and encouraged students to pursue careers in the STEM fields.
MarTREC hosted thirty-five fifth and sixth grade girls in July at our new GirlTREC summer camp. The camp focused on hands-on activities related to transportation engineering from roads to rail to waterways and was designed to build courage and interest towards studying STEM fields and considering a career in the transportation industry.
Several engineering students volunteered during spring break to help others "Dream BIG." These College of Engineering students led a hands-on water filter project for the 40 girls, who participated through the Volunteer Action Center's Alternative Spring Break. The participants were teenage girls from the Marvel-Elaine school district.
