E-Expo: Energizing the Future

By Holly Hinson

This year, Speed School Student Council was challenged to engage the creative side of their brains as much as the analytical side to create a virtual version of the popular annual E-Expo event. Held on Saturday, March 6, from 10 am to 1 pm, E-Expo (Engineering Exposition) is a long-standing tradition that dates back to the 1970’s. Sponsored by the Speed School Student Council (SSSC), this year’s theme was energy (Energizing the Future), joining previous years’ themes that included topics like 3D printing, automotive and transportation.

The event is designed to expose local K-12 students to STEM fields, to showcase student competitions and research, and to promote the University of Louisville, the J.B. Speed School of Engineering (SSoE), and the Speed School Student Council, to the local community.

Despite the limitations imposed by safety precautions due to the pandemic, E-Expo: Energizing the Future had many informative and interesting presentations to offer. The keynote was presented by engineers from CMTA Energy Solutions. Other activities were presented by Louisville Automation and Robotics Research Institute (LARRI), Engineering Starts at Home, as well as student labs and panels. Two of the popular competitions, Windmill and Rube Goldberg, were still able to be held remotely.

“The 2021 Engineering Exposition had huge competition involvement, despite being held virtually this year,” said Keeley Slade, Student Council Student Success Chair, who organized this year’s E-Expo. “We had more than 30 competition submissions, and seeing the elementary school kids speak about their entries at such a high level makes our team excited about these future engineers.”