COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Jan. 13, 2008 - A Texas A&M
University class that melds innovative engineering principles with
community service has received a $5,000 grant from The Association
of Former Students, which will help it build on the initial success
it demonstrated during its inaugural launch last spring.
EPICS, which stands for Engineering Projects in Community
Service, is a program in which teams of undergraduates earn
academic credit with multiyear, multidisciplinary projects that
solve engineering and technology-based problems for community
service and education organizations.
"I am pleased to inform you that the Board of The Association of
Former Students has approved your request for funding for the
Engineering Projects in Community Services," said Texas A&M
Interim Vice Provost Luis Cifuentes in a letter to Vice Chancellor
and Dean of Engineering G. Kemble Bennett. "This funding is
provided to the university though the generous contributions of
former students and friends of Texas A&M."
The course, which is open to all engineering students, is
instructed by Lale Yurttas of the Artie McFerrin Department of
Chemical Engineering.
Though it's only been offered at Texas A&M for one semester,
EPICS has existed since 1995 when it was developed at Purdue
University. Through the years, it has gained popularity throughout
the country, and today it can be found at 15 universities,
attracting thousands of students.
Last spring, Aggie students enrolled in the course applied their
engineering knowledge to two community service projects, Habitat
for Humanity and Texas A&M University Recycling.
Working with Habitat for Humanity, the students explored ways to
make a house affordable and "green," Their investigation took them
out of the classroom and onsite where they helped construct the
home they designed.
Another team of students worked to enhance recycling efforts at
Texas A&M, exploring ways to increase the amount of paper and
cardboard recycled and attempting to improve the efficiency of the
process and the project as a whole.
For more information on the EPICS program at Texas A&M, see
the latest edition of the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical
Engineering magazine at http://www.che.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/newsletter.pdf.
Also, contact Lale Yurttas at (979) 847-9316 or via email: yurttas@chemail.tamu.edu.