The annual event, which offers student competitions, laboratory tours, robotics displays and research project discussions, had been scheduled for March 7 at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering.
The theme of this year’s event is “Engineering the Cinema.” A highlight will be the keynote address delivered by Jason Lopes, lead systems engineer for San Fernando, Calif.-based Legacy Effects, a special effects company that has worked on some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of all time.
Lopes, who will speak at 2 p.m. in the Swain Student Activities Center, has been using 3D printing technologies for a number of years to produce stunning special effects. Among his projects are “Avatar,” “Alice in Wonderland” and the “Iron Man” trilogy.
The goal of Engineering Expo is to introduce students to opportunities in the engineering field. The event, sponsored by the Speed School Student Council, is free and open to the public.
“Engineering plays a vital role in making life work,” said Katy Ashby, vice president of the Speed School Student Council. “Whether it’s roads, bridges or the use of the university’s Rapid Prototyping Center to print a 3D model heart to save a child’s life, engineering is vital to our success.”
Also at Engineering Expo: Elementary, middle and high school students will participate in a competition to test pre-built balsa-wood bridges. Speed School students will show off racing vehicles that they have built. And, tours will be conducted of research and teaching labs on the Belknap Campus.
Parking is available behind the J.B. Speed Building on Eastern Parkway.
For more information, contact Ashby at 270-871-2321 or vp@speedcouncil.org or check www.engineering-expo.com.
