Science and technology have made great strides in the past century, but some traditions remain the same. This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the Engineering Expo at the University of Kansas, an event dedicated to highlighting the current research and technology from all fields of engineering, mathematics and science.

The first Engineering Expo took place on March 31, 1911, as a holiday reserved for engineering students only. There was a parade of floats designed by each department of the school, beginning at Marvin Hall and ending on Massachusetts Street. Along with the parade, the original Expo included athletic competitions, a large dinner, and a dance at the end of the day for the students and their dates.

In 1922 the School of Engineering decided to open up the event to the whole campus and community. Through the years, the event has evolved into a two-day event on a Friday and Saturday reserved for students from surrounding elementary, junior high and high schools. More than a thousand students from grades K-12 attend each year, participating in competitions, attending demonstrations, and listening to presentations about the programs and research in the School of Engineering.

As Expo co-chair for the Engineering Student Council, Megan Ketchum, a junior from Ottawa, has been working all year on researching the history of the Engineering Expo in preparation for this week. Pulling files from the University Archives, Ketchum looked at old traditions from Expo through the years, including the crowning of an Engineering Queen and an old rivalry among the Schools of Engineering and Law that involved parade float vandalism in the 1960s. The old traditions will be highlighted in a timeline spanning Learned and Eaton Halls. The timeline will track not only the Engineering Expo, but the progress of science and technology through the years as well.

To commemorate the 100-year anniversary, the Engineering Student Council has scheduled a whole week of events leading up to the traditional Expo this Friday and Saturday. Coinciding with National Engineers Week, the “E-Week” on this campus is being promoted as a homecoming for the School of Engineering and their students. Every student organization in the school is involved in Expo, whether its making presentations on research or helping run the competitions. This year’s events are geared at the entire KU community.

“This is a really neat project because it’s so multidisciplinary. It involves every type of engineering as well as chemistry,” Black said, as well as being a timely experiment in sustainability.

Engineering Expo also involved the architecture, chemistry, mathematics and physics departments, as well as the branches of the armed services in the past. As part of this year’s E-Week festivities, all of those departments have been invited to participate again. The Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis is working with the chemistry department to sponsor a biodiesel fuel manufacturing competition for high school students. Roderick Black, Director of Laboratories for the Chemistry Department, said six teams will compete, making and burning the fuel in an engine before testing its quality and efficiency.

“The point of Expo is to open up our doors and show everyone what engineering is about and how our school works,” Ketchum said. “Our goal is getting people into the building and interested in our work.”

— Edited by Danielle Packer