Monthly Archives: February 2014

SCE Hosts Second Annual FIRST Tech Challenge Kansas City Qualifier

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2014 marked the second year for the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering to host the Kansas City Qualifier for the FIRST Tech Challenge.

This year, over 250 students from 25 teams participated in the qualifier, despite inclement weather and a delayed start. Of the 25 teams from Missouri, Kansas, Indiana and Arkansas, four will now move on to the Missouri State Championships, held March 1st in Rolla, MO.

The four teams advancing are:

  • Café Bot, an independent team from Webster Groves, MO
  • Astromechs, a community team from Kansas City, MO
  • S.W.A.T., Smithville High School from Smithville, MO
  • The Red Hot Techie Peppers, LEARN Science and Math Club from Kansas City, MO

Faculty, staff and students from the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering worked with the KC STEM Alliance to organize this year’s qualifier.

The FIRST Tech Challenge is a competition designed for students in middle and high school to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building and programming their robots.

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UMKC Robotics Team and Eta Kappa Nu Teach Middle School Students Electricity and Circuits

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Students from two UMKC School of Computing and Engineering organizations recently teamed up to teach electricity and circuits to nearly 400 middle school students at Osage Trails Middle School in Independence, MO.

The UMKC Robotics Team and Eta Kappa Nu, the electrical and computer engineering honor society, have taught these sessions for the past nine years. After introducing the students to the fundamental concepts of electricity, the UMKC group led the students in building what was for some their first circuit. In addition, the robotics team took robots from past competitions and an arm from their current design, demonstrating the capabilities and potential applications of engineering and computer science.

This event is organized by Debby Dilks, an adviser for both organizations, and manager of the Computer Science Electrical Engineering Department of SCE. The UMKC students attending included RT Leryoskajai, Tony Miles, Noah Rhee and Aaron Rush from Eta Kappa Nu and Eric Gonzalez and Sarah Withee from the robotics team.

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