CSE at the Minnesota State Fair

A variety of College of Science and Engineering exhibits will showcase the relevance of science, engineering, and mathematics to people’s everyday lives at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair. The University of Minnesota exhibit on Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street will feature students and faculty in a wide range of fields. College of Science and Engineering faculty and students will also be featured during STEM Day at the Fair in Dan Patch Park, the Eco Experience Building, and the U of M's Driven to Discover research building.

• She is MechE (SME)
  9 a.m.–9 p.m.
  U of M Crossroads Exhibit Building—Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street
  
  Design high performance paper airplanes with the women in the mechanical engineering student group She is MechE (SME). This interactive exhibit will include folding demonstrations, conversations about fluid flow, and the option of competing with your airplane for prizes! Meet SME board members and learn about their initiatives to support women in mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota.
   
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE), University of Minnesota Chapter 
  9 a.m.–9 p.m.
  U of M Crossroads Exhibit Building—Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street
  
  Enjoy fun, hands-on activities to explore science and engineering with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), a student organization at the University of Minnesota. Experiment with a robotic prosthetic hand and snap circuits!
   
• IEEE Women in Engineering, University of Minnesota Student Chapter 
  9 a.m.–9 p.m.
  U of M Crossroads Exhibit Building—Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street 
  
  Play specialized video games that women from the University of Minnesota Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have programmed. The group will have a variety of student-made games that can be played on phone apps and through wired circuit boards. 
   
• Alpha Chi Sigma-Professionals in the Chemical Sciences, University of Minnesota Student Chapter
  3-9 p.m.
  U of M Crossroads Exhibit Building—Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street
  
  The world of chemistry surrounds us every day! Stop by to participate in interactive, hands-on experiments exploring how chemistry plays a vital role in our daily lives. See beautiful color changes, vanishing Styrofoam, and more while discovering the science behind each demonstration. There's something to learn for everyone!
   
• "Why did the chicken cross the RCI?" 
  9 a.m.–2 p.m. and 2:30 –9 p.m.
  Driven to Discover Building—Cooper and Cosgrove Streets
  
  This project proposes developing clear and reproducible methods for engaging community members regarding upcoming road treatments for greater stakeholder support. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions—basic education, video education, testimonial, or driving simulation to learn about restricted crossing u-turn intersections and provide feedback.
   
• "Guided Navigation in Virtual Reality"
  2:30–9 p.m.
  Driven to Discover Building—Cooper and Cosgrove Streets
  
  We are exploring how two people using virtual reality communicate when one person has to guide another person through a virtual environment.

• Center for Sustainable Polymers 
  9 a.m.–9 p.m.
  Eco Experience Building—Randall Avenue and Cosgrove Street
  
  Learn about bioplastics at this interactive exhibit. Plastic products are a major part of everyday life but are plagued with problems including their petroleum-based origins and end-of-life pollution. This new exhibit at the Eco Experience building showcases the work of the Center for Sustainable Polymers by illustrating the differences between traditional plastics and bio-based plastics. The multi-faceted exhibit includes displays highlighting the latest research and hands-on activities for fair visitors.