CMHS Partners with UMaine College of Engineering!

Dr. Chet Rock, Associate Dean of the University of Maine’s College of Engineering, joined McAuley President MaryAnn Pour Previti, PhD, and math and physics teacher Jamie Schwellenbach, in an announcement of an official Partnering Agreement between the School and UMaine on Wednesday, May 13.

The partnership comes at a significant time, as Maine ranks 49th in the nation in the production of engineers.  It is also a field that remains less than 20 percent female.  The joint venture will encourage our young women to explore this male-dominated field as a possible career choice through the arrangement of annual tours, and through shared assignments and experiments.

Schwellenbach, who is also the School’s liaison to UMaine, explains, “For students with the interest, talent, and drive, this joint venture with UMaine Engineering will provide an unbelievable opportunity to collaborate on college-level projects and research from within our own classrooms, and to explore and experience an array of applications and career possibilities in the field of engineering.”

The announcement also coincided with the Fourth Annual Physics Egg Drop, an opportunity for the upperclasswomen to showcase their skills in designing a contraption that would prevent an egg from breaking.

“The excitement shown by the young women has convinced both faculties that we can change the perception of engineering and engage more students to consider engineering as a career,” the Partnering Agreement states,  “hence our decision to pursue a formal expanded program.”