Extreme Engineer: Tessa Cooper
Extreme Engineer Quote
"Take lots of math and science classes while in high school...get involved with programs that are offered in your local area"
|
What she does
Tessa Cooper is currently a graduate student in Computer Science at Ohio University where she works to design virtual environments and synthetic worlds for use in educational facilities through the STEAM (Science and Technology Enrichment for Appalachian Middle-schoolers) program. Tessa's work with STEAM is truly a unique collaboration of computer scientists, artists and educators working together under a unified vision of the future — one that encourages students and teachers of all ages to utilize technology.
To see Tessa's latest game, go to: http://vital.cs.ohiou.edu/nutritiongame.html
Making a Difference
Tessa's feels that her work with STEAM helps kids in grades six through eight engage in more effective learning by helping to develop higher-order thinking skills. It's through project STEAM that Tessa develops lesson plans and interacts with students in a classroom environment. The STEAM project aims to broaden graduate education for engineering students at Ohio University while also improving learning in science courses for middle school students at surrounding schools.
Why Engineering?
Engineering was the farthest thing from Tessa's mind "I always thought I would be a journalist" Cooper said, "but my dad (an engineer) was convinced that I would be interested in programming." While in college she decided to take a programming class and knew right away that she wanted to change her major. "Everything around us has been touched by engineering" Tessa said, and really loves that there are so many possibilities to choose from in the field. Cooper also likes the travel she gets to do occasionally to showcase her many interactive achievements.
Advice
"Take lots of math and science classes while in high school" Tessa advises. She also recommends getting involved with programs that are offered in your local area. There are often programs and competitions held at colleges or universities or engineering companies may sponsor events during Engineers Week.
Hobbies/Free Time
Tessa has many hobbies to include snowboarding, playing the guitar and reading lots of good science fiction books. But most of her free time is now spent on her thesis that is a project to help improve the lives of people with type I diabetes through the development of interactive programs.
Education
Tessa is a 2007 graduate of Ohio University's Russ College of Engineering and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in computer sciences. Pre-college, Tessa attended Gahanna High School in Columbus, Ohio.
|
