Posted on 04/16/19
Baltimore, MD - Apr. 14, 2019 - This past Tuesday, a group of 11th and 12th grade students from Bais Yaakov of Baltimore and Bnos Yisroel and their teachers visited Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering as part of their CIJE advanced engineering course.
CIJE is a non-profit organization that promotes STEM education in Jewish day schools. CIJE has partnered with over 200 schools in 18 states across the country, impacting over 45,000 students annually. Several Baltimore/Silver Spring Schools currently participate in the CIJE STEM program, including Bais Yaakov, Bnos Yisroel, Talmudical Academy, Torah Institute and Yeshiva Greater Washington. Joseph Saltzman, CIJE's Maryland Program Manager, arranged the visit and accompanied the students.
The students began the visit with a tour of the Laboratory for Computational Sensing + Robotics (LCSR) labs from Professor Louis Whitcomb, and saw a project LCSR is working on with NASA. In LCSR's Mock Operating Room, Professor Whitcomb demonstrated the da Vinci Surgical Robotic System and let some of the students practice "surgery." Professor Whitcomb then showed the students his underwater robotics lab. He demonstrated his robotic submarine for deep submergence and let some students drive the robot.
Next, Niel Leon, Senior Manufacturing Engineer for WSE Manufacturing and Advanced Manufacturing Lab, took the students to the Mechanical Engineering Fluids Lab. He conducted an experiment with the wind tunnel, showing airflow over a model airplane wing. The students were able to visualize the airflow with smoke and lasers.
The students then met with Chana Honick, a Ph.D. researcher in the Johns Hopkins University Bragg Lab, and a graduate of Bais Yaakov of Baltimore High School. Chana gave the students a presentation on her college experience and the research in photochemistry she is currently doing.
The students concluded their visit with a tour of the Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Lab and Machine Shop, and saw the projects that the Mechanical Engineering seniors are working on. Mr. Leon also showed the students the advanced manufacturing equipment, including 3D printers and laser cutters.
"Touring the JHU engineering labs and hearing about the exciting work there was a great opportunity for our students, given what they are learning in high school," said Mr. Saltzman. "It was also a good opportunity for the students interested in pursuing engineering at college to learn about JHU. A number of students are considering applying to JHU."
Mr. Saltzman looks forward to taking students on similar trips in the future.
