High-Tech Gurus Gather for Engineering Innovation Day

UHMC Engineering Technology student Lindsay Komai at work in the classroom. Courtesy photo.

By Sonia Isotov

Maui high-tech experts will gather for the inaugural Engineering Innovation Day at the University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC) campus on Thursday, April 18.

Students in the college’s engineering program will be showcasing technical innovations they have been working on throughout the year. Maui experts in engineering and electronics will then have the opportunity to view and provide comments and feedback to students on their projects.

Students from the Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology (ECET), an associate’s degree program, and Engineering Technology (ET), a 4-year bachelor of applied science degree program, will demonstrate their engineering projects from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the foyer of ʻIke Leʻa, the new science facility.

“We have worked hard to bring this event together,” said Spencer Eldred, a senior in the Engineering Technology program and chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) student group on Maui that is hosting the event.

“We have many innovative engineering projects being presented during the [EI] day.”

“By participating in out-of-classroom activities such as EID, students learn teamwork and project management — important skills for success in the workforce,” said Dr. Jung Won Park, UHMC faculty member, who is also the program coordinator for the ET program, in a media statement from the college.

“It is a delight to see students gain critical entrepreneurial and networking skills. When we host a conference we bring people from various backgrounds in one place, and the outcomes from such interactions are phenomenal. Jobs for students, collaborations [between academia and industry] are all possibilities,” added Dr. Anil Mehta, a UHMC faculty member in the ET program.

The EID is a free and open event for all members of the community. Following the student demonstrations, there will be a panel discussion from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and a social hour for participants to network with each other. Refreshments will be served.