Hundreds of boisterous competitors and distinctive robots will come together at the Gordon Field House on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology for the Finger Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics competition. Nearly 50 high school teams from across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Ontario, Canada  participate in the regional contest held each March at the Gordon Field House and Activities Center.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international sporting and technology competition, with events taking place in all 50 states and around the world. Winners from regional competitions meet in Atlanta in April for the championship. "Today, with the challenges of strengthening our fragile global economy, combating the effect of climate change, replacing fossil-fueled energy production, and addressing worldwide public health concerns, companies continue to value innovation, especially now, and FIRST is inspiring the innovators of tomorrow," says Ron Borden, director of the Finger Lakes Regional FIRST competition.

The Mechanical Engineering Department is home to two Regional Woodie Flowers award recipients for outstanding team mentorship -- Ms. Kate Liepold, a Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, and Dr. Edward Hensel, Professor and Department Head of M.E.

Mechanical Engineering is pleased to support the RIT Collegiate FIRST student chapter, advised by Ms. Liepold. The chapter supports the regional event each year, provides technical classes for local teams, and assists with mentors new high school teams getting started in the area.

On their very first trip to France, several RIT engineering students traveled to Rennes, Rochester's first Sister City, and experienced the historic region most known for William the Conqueror and D-Day at Omaha Beach. They were welcomed by city leaders of Rennes and then began a four-week study abroad program at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, a public engineering school in the city. The students participated in a series of engineering and liberal arts classes at the college. They also lived in the dorms and traveled with members of the college through the Brittany and Normandy regions during their stay.

"I was most looking forward to exploring the country and broadening my ability to speak French," says Patrick Villaume, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student. "Hands down, my personal excursion to LeMans for the 24-hour race was a great trip. It did help that it was on my birthday.

"Some of the other areas we enjoyed while on our trip were visiting the World War II Memorial at Caen the day after President Obama was there for the anniversary, visiting St. Malo on the coast of Brittany to observe the typical coast, visiting the ancient Monastery at Mont Saint Michel, and the island tour of L' Isle de Groix by bicycle," says Villaume.

"This was my first trip to Europe, not to mention my first trip overseas," says Samantha Huynh, a third-year mechanical engineering student. "I was looking forward to new people and experiences. I had heard so much about students learning more about themselves in these trips and I was looking forward to a similar self-discovery. I was interested in the European style of study, having heard so much about the differences. I couldn't wait to try my hand at their trade!"

"The RIT/INSA student exchange program was developed about 10-years ago and is targeted at fourth- and fifth-year engineering and computer science students," says Margaret Anderson, assistant dean for student services in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. "The college developed the INSA Summer Program to give first- or second-year students an opportunity to experience life at INSA while beginning to study the French language."

"The Rennes community was very open and welcoming to anyone willing to speak their language and ready to have a good time in their beautiful city," says Villaume. Rennes is the capital of Brittany in northwest France, about 200 miles from Paris. It was the first of Rochester's 11 Sister Cities, the relationship formalized in 1958 by then Rochester mayor Peter Barry.

"I would tell people doing the same trip to immerse yourself in the culture, language and everything to benefit fully from the trip at hand," Villaume added. "I learned so much, and saw so much just by being willing to listen and interact with everyone and everything that I saw."

Students Clubs and Competition Teams
Mechanical Engineering

Our students are engaged. They are active, and we need to challenge them and offer them opportunities to come together, to apply their skills in a highly effective, and ethical manner, and to coordinate their actions with other members of the team. Our competition teams and co-curricular clubs are designed to provide our students with that opportunity, with the added twist of giving our students the chance to apply the technical skills learned in the classroom and laboratory to an open ended design problem.

First Year Students
Mechanical Engineering

Over one quarter of our entering class participated in high school music programs before coming to RIT, while 70% of them have taken AP exams, and two thirds have participated in sports. Our first year students have volunteered to bring peace to Cyprus, work in their local hospitals, or support the special olympics.  Many of them want to design cars, or become inventors, while some have already set their sights set on getting a Masters in Engineering, or an MBA.