At the beginning of each BYU fall semester, the annual STEM fair is held inside the Wilkinson Center, where companies and programs set up interactive booths to focus on one thing: the students. It is at this fair that students’ careers can truly take off, and people can find the job or dream internship they were looking for.
On Wednesday the 21st, a seemingly endless wave of students and employers alike streamed through the doors and hallways of the Wilkinson Center, each with a goal or particular interest for the event. The STEM fair was open-major, meaning that anyone with a desire or interest to join the field of STEM work could attend. For the students, this was a chance to network, find potential job opportunities and learn about programs they would have normally never found. Many of these connections occurred in booths set up by companies looking to find students for internships or jobs. Each company that was in attendance offered unique industry experience, which gave the students access to a wide range of knowledge and expertise.
The ECEn department also setup an informational booth, where those in attendance could talk to both students and faculty of the program. An electrical engineering project, developed by current ECE students, was also on display. The creation was built so that music could be played through electric arcs. Throughout the event, you could hear electric-sounding renditions of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘The Final Countdown.’ Students in all levels of schooling stopped by the ECE booth to learn more about the program. Many freshman students were in attendance, as well as those who had graduated with a degree in another field of study and were looking to join the department’s graduate program.
Dr. D.J. Lee, BYU professor and director of the ECE program’s Robotic Vision Laboratory, also was at the booth. He chatted with students interested in the program as well as those that were curious about what a career in the Electrical and Computer Engineering could look like. When speaking to him, he explained that he loves this field of study and work because, “You don’t just do it on paper. You build it. You see it. You’re not just writing code… you’re writing code to control a car, or a drone.” Those in attendance at the STEM fair were able to view a glimpse of the interactive and dynamic program that is Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Students with career-related questions can contact Tony Jewkes, Career Services Director for ECE and IT&C.