CURIE Summer camp inspires dozens of up-and-coming engineers

The Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering Program (WYSE) at The Grainger College of Engineering hosted nearly

600 seventh-to-twelfth-grade students from 29 states and eight countries at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this summer. These programs included Catalyzing Ur Interest In Chemical Engineering (CURIE), coordinated by chemical and biomolecular engineering associate professor Diwakar Shukla. 

 

The CURIE cohort comprises 24 students each year from all corners of the country to learn about engineering education and research at Illinois. This year’s program ran from July 24 to July 30. 

 

CURIE introduces these rising sophomore, junior, and senior high school students to basic chemical engineering principles and broader engineering and STEM fields. 

 

“The classroom activities introduce chemical and biomolecular engineering concepts,” Shukla said. “These include reaction engineering, separations, and biomolecular structure and function. Students learn about these fundamental principles in the morning slots via hands-on experimental activities. They learn about current research on these topics during sessions led by ChBE faculty in the afternoon. This structure allows students to appreciate the current research pursued in the department and its impact.”

 

Faculty presenters included professors Li-Qing Chen, Ying Diao, Mary Kraft, Simon Rogers,  Alex Mironenko, and Charles Schroeder.

 

The CURIE program is a part of WYSE IDEA camps — mission-driven camp sessions led by departments aiming to Increase Diversity, Equity, & Access in STEM majors and careers. 

 

Bridging the gap between accessibility and historically underrepresented communities is a cornerstone of IDEA camps. They provide a safe environment to build a community of peers and mentors who empower one another to be confident in their exploration of STEM, and CURIE lives up to this standard. 

 

“The most important trait they all share is the curiosity to learn about the fundamentals and the current applications of chemical and biomolecular engineering,” Shukla said. “I find that the students are curious to learn about the current work while discovering how engineering shapes the future world.” 

 

Students experience the wonders of chemical engineering firsthand at CURIE through engaging activities. These include using silly putty to understand the physics of fluids, playing computer games to understand human protein function, and learning how engineers make large amounts of chemicals used in everyday products. 

 

Campers also go on field trips — online or in-person, depending on the prevailing COVID situation — to further understand concepts within chemical engineering and witness how these topics apply to the real world.

 

This year’s cohort visited local chemical plants such as Lyondellbasell Plant in Tuscola, IL, and Abbott Power Plant in Champaign, IL. Learning about the day-to-day life of engineers working on-site in chemical plants was one of the many highlights of the CURIE camp.  

 

These projects are made possible by faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students who lead them. Investing back into the next generation of chemical and biomolecular engineers promotes a promising future for the world. 

 

“By the end of the camp, the students are already talking about what type of courses they can take and credit transfers,” Shukla said. “They are asking very detailed questions about the program. Some of them have made up their mind that they will apply to an engineering school.” 

 

The CURIE camp concluded with a ceremony inviting friends and family to share a recap of the program and a shared vision for the future of chemical and biomolecular engineering as a discipline that will play a significant role in future industries and in solving complex global challenges such as climate change.

 

Empowering students with the knowledge and access to learning is critical for goals like these to become a reality.

Get involved

The week-long IDEA camps invite campers to commute to campus for lab activities or to take up lodging at one of the campus dormitories. Costs differ for either option, but partial and full scholarships are available for students who qualify.

“TrailBlazer Scholarships” are available to students who meet one or more of the following criteria: 

• The applicant is a member of a group that is under-represented in the field of their chosen camp, such as women or gender non-binary individuals; students with a disability; and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities. 
• The applicant will be the first among their immediate family members to earn a degree from a 4-year college or university.
• The applicant demonstrates leadership and civic responsibility through community impact work or entrepreneurship.
• The applicant demonstrates financial need based on household income and the number of members in the household.

Anyone interested in participating next summer can learn more and sign up for updates at go.chbe.illinois.edu/CURIEcamp.