The Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) hosted an award-winning exhibit at this year’s Engineering Open House, the nation's largest student-run STEM fair. The event was held from April 10-11 and consisted of over 200 events and 35,000 visitors. The theme for this year’s Engineering Open House was Forging the Future.
The exhibit, Fueling the Future: From Chemistry to Cars, was inspired by this year’s theme and proved to be a popular attraction for visitors of all ages. On Day 1, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) representatives made an appearance and shared insights into how hydrogen fuel cells help to power their bus fleet, which the team said helped bring the exhibit to life.
Several hands-on activities were also included in the exhibit, such as LED circuit mazes, interactive redox reaction demonstrations, and a hydrogen full model. These activities and demonstrations connected directly to real-world technologies, all while being accessible for younger students and immersive for adult visitors.
Based on the success of their exhibit, GSAC received awards in two of the three categories that they submitted for: the Environmental and Sustainability Efforts Award and the Forging the Future Theme Award.
For GSAC members, the two-day event required a significant amount of time, planning, and collaboration. After seeing volunteers and visitors enjoy the exhibit, the team had already felt like they had achieved their goal.
Harita Vasamsetti, Symposium and Outreach Co-Chair, said one of the most enjoyable parts of the exhibit was interacting with visitors and watching their curiosity soar.
“It was particularly rewarding to watch students and adults make connections between the demonstrations and real-world applications – especially when the idea of using water to generate energy clicked and sparked genuine “Aha!” moments across all ages,” she said.
Vasamsetti said that the exhibit was a true team effort, and highlighted the contributions of Mert Kose, Outreach Co‑Chair and Master’s Representative, who coordinated MTD’s participation, and Megan Pierce and Natalie Crowner, who helped develop the interactive activities and supported the exhibit setup.