Jets - The Pre-Engineering Times

The University of Kentucky prides itself on being the state's flagship institution, with a student population representing every county in Kentucky, in addition to every state in the country and 117 countries abroad. With some 17 academic and professional colleges on the UK campus, the College of Engineering does its part to stand out, beginning with a comprehensive, year-round outreach program. The University of Kentucky came on as a TEAMS host in 2007 and quickly became one of the most successful first year hosts in the competition's history, hosting 28 teams from 23 different high schools.

Meet the Host

With support from the College of Engineering Dean, Tom Lester, college administration members Dr. Deb Besser and James Ballard took on the challenge and assumed host responsibilities. Having prior experience coordinating other outreach initiatives, Deb and James stepped in, not knowing quite what to expect with TEAMS, but very happy with their first year efforts.

For the 2008 competition, James took the lead and continued the aggressive recruiting campaign, with final registration numbers showing a total of 37 teams, nearly a 10 team increase from the inaugural year. Having two TEAMS competitions under his belt now, James has learned a thing or two about how to execute a successful event. The first he says is "location. Location. Location. From the building to the specific room(s), make sure it's easy to find and the room or multiple rooms are large enough for the comfort of the participants. If at all possible, have your event near amenities such as restrooms and food." In addition to location, James says communication is key, "you can never over-communicate." He keeps in touch with the participating high school coaches throughout the competition season, providing regular emails to both new and experienced coaches with helpful hints and information, and continues the dialogue throughout the rest of the year, building momentum for the next year's event. "It's a great networking tool," he says.

The Competition

Held in the Grand Ballroom at the University's Student Center, the location, James says, is ideal. "It's on a major intersection on campus, there is ample parking all around the building, and it's a very large room that can hold almost double the people we bring. There is definitely more room to grow for the coming years." While both last year and this year's competition was affected by inclement weather, UK still had over 200 students and 50 coaches participate on the UK campus. This year, Kentucky streamlined the competition to mainly take place in the morning, whereas the 2007 event was more of an all-day affair. "We have used two different schedules each year, each had it's advantage," James explains, adding "the great thing is that you can tailor the schedule to whatever is best for you and the competitors at the competition."

The Benefits

"Seeing the students excited and diligent at the competition is awesome. To see the Grand Ballroom full of students excited about engineering means we're doing something right."