by Erin Turner | Jul 17, 2015 | News Slider
Robots slid through the classrooms of James D. Hughes Center this week under the direction of young campers, ages 8-11, who carefully piloted the controllers. The youngsters were a part of Lipscomb’s Junior BisonBot Camp — now in its ninth year. The robot experience began as a small camp and has grown into a program that now includes several weeks of robotics camps for different age groups, sponsored by the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering and Nissan. Robotics camp co-director Ginger Reasonover — whose son Bryan hatched the idea for the camp — has been watching young engineers build robots since the camp began in 2006. The camp started out as Bryan’s Eagle project for scouting. The year before Bryan had been a part of BEST Robotics, a middle and high school robotics competition. “He said ‘you know, it’d be really cool if kids knew a little bit about electronics and motors and gears before they came to BEST,’ so he put on — with the blessing and help of [Lipscomb’s] Engineering College — the first robot camp,” Reasonover said. The first year the camp was called BERP, standing for “Bryan’s Engineering Robotic Project.” “It was such a success and there was such a need that the university picked it up and then the year after that Nissan came along as a sponsor,” Reasonover said. And Reasonover isn’t the only person to continue with the camp as it has developed. Counselor David Jack started as a camper and now serves as a counselor. “The first year that I was here it was not nearly as elaborate, but we had a...
by Emily Snell | Feb 23, 2012 | News Slider
The engineering department will serve free popcorn and drinks to any Lipscomb students who attend a showing of “Wall-E” Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Ezell 301. After the movie, there will be a panel discussion with Dr. Lee Camp and Dr. Steve Nordstrom about “engineering gone wrong.” The movie and discussion are just one aspect of this year’s Engineering Week, which is themed “God: The Ultimate Engineer.” Kirsten Heikkinen, student chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, said Engineering Week, or E-week, is a nationwide effort to recognize engineers and their work. “It really just gets what we do out there, broadcasts what we do and brings interest into the field,” said Heikkinen, a senior double majoring in mechanical engineering and applied math. “A lot of professionals participate, lots of schools, and we also do a lot of things with grade school kids too.” Heikkinen said the organizers of Lipscomb’s E-week decided to show “Wall-E” in order to facilitate discussion about how to use technology responsibly. “Technology is a part of all our lives, it’s not just engineers,” she said. “We want to discuss how you should use technology in an ethical manner. ‘Wall-E’ kind of shows how, if you don’t use technology responsibly, it could have a huge effect on how we live. We just want to get that message out there.” Levi Hobbs, vice chair for Lipscomb’s chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, agreed, saying the movie provides a comical illustration of what happens when people don’t use technology appropriately. “With our theme about God as the ultimate engineer, it’s really important...
