Letter from JETS

It's the end of the school year, and this is the last issue of the Pre-Engineering Times until the Fall. This issue of the PE Times features agricultural engineering—a diverse field providing not only advances in farming and agriculture but also analysis to protect natural resources, develop power systems to support agriculture, and environmental controls. Our Extreme Engineer of the Month, Jessica Olson, has worked directly with farming and agricultural issues as well as natural resource conservation. She has particularly enjoyed her work protecting streams and Lake Superior from non-point sources of pollution.

Engineering Pathways for this month looks at water quality and how it affects the health and vitality of plant and animal life. The Hot Topic looks at new uses for dairy by-products.

May is an exciting time of year for JETS. In addition to recognizing the national winners from among 1,212 teams from 643 high schools (see Coaches Corner), we are also pleased to announce the winners of the JETS & Power Engineering scholarships—with four students each winning a $5,000 scholarship.

As the school year comes to a close, the JETS UNITE program is gearing up with the first of 9 programs beginning in early June. See the Coaches Corner for details. We also have exciting news about JETS Clubs—and exciting new activities planned for next school year.

The new JETS Assess is off to a strong start with lots of schools and individuals ordering the assessment tool. This summer would be a great time to participate in Assess, take stock of your strengths and areas for additional study, and prepare for the next school year.

We hope everyone has a fun-filled and rewarding summer. If you’re attending an engineering camp or a UNITE program this summer, we would love to hear about it. Feel free to drop us a note about your experience.

We look forward to providing more interesting insights into the world of engineering in the Fall!