TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama College of Engineering will host two weeklong Student Introduction to Engineering programs this summer for rising high school juniors and seniors who have an interest in science, mathematics and engineering.

SITE program registration applications are due May 13, and participants are selected on a first-come, first-served basis. The first session is scheduled for July 10-15, and the second will be July 17-22. About 40 students will be selected to participate in each session.

SITE students live in residence halls, tour a plant to see engineers at work, and engage in teaming exercises. They attend mini-courses in mathematics, engineering, computer science and English, and they participate in panel discussions involving professional engineers, engineering students, Cooperative Education administrators and other University staff. At the end of the session, they take part in a design competition.

In addition to being exposed to various perspectives of engineering, the students get a glimpse of life outside of the classroom. They enjoy activities such as pizza parties and bowling and have free time to explore the opportunities the campus has to offer.

A completed application, along with a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher or counselor, is due May 13. For additional registration information, contact Miranda Carlisle, UA’s multicultural engineering program coordinator, at 205/348-4267, mcarlisle@coe.eng.ua.edu; or Bethany Forrest, coordinator of student recruitment, at 205/348-2547, bforrest@coe.eng.ua.edu.

In 1837, UA became the first university in the state to offer engineering classes and was one of the first five in the nation to do so. Today, the College of Engineering, with about 1,900 students and more than 90 faculty, is one of the three oldest continuously operating engineering programs in the country and has been fully accredited since accreditation standards were implemented in the 1930s.