The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) hosted two groups of campers June 23 and 30 from Texas A&M University’s Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s Camp BUILD. TTI Senior Research Engineer Melisa Finley and Associate Research Engineer Debbie Albert organized the sessions with support from Texas A&M students and volunteers.
Campers watched a live crash test at the TTI Proving Ground, as well as toured the Institute’s Environmental and Emissions Research Facility, Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory and Visibility Research Laboratory. They also attended a presentation about TTI’s Teens in the Driver Seat® Program and ended the day creating their own “puff mobiles” using Lifesaver candies, straws, paper and paper clips.
Camp BUILD is a week-long summer program designed for high school juniors and seniors. Students are given the opportunity to explore the civil and environmental engineering program at Texas A&M and experience Aggie culture.
“I always enjoy watching the excitement and passion in students’ faces when they learn something new about transportation,” says Albert. “I hope that by exposing students to the breadth of work we do at TTI, they feel more inclined to explore opportunities that get them involved in STEM activities and transportation safety.”
TTI’s participation in Camp BUILD is supported by the Safety through Disruption University Transportation Center, a national center funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the state of Texas.