Future Engineers Near and Far

Team Tidewater Members Jim Novak and Holly Anne Hillard spoke Tuesday to a group of young students at Kids Engineering Unplugged 2011. Both Novak and Hillard are civil engineering students at Old Dominion University.

Jim Novak and Holly Anne Hillard discuss the Solar Decathlon 2011.
Between them is a poster displaying the Unit 6 design.

Part of Engineering Unplugged, an annual conference sponsored by the Old Dominion University Business Gateway, Kids Engineering Unplugged was created as a way to involve both engineers and their kids and to teach them about the excitement of environmental engineering.

Novak and Hillard commented on their experiences at ODU, describing a day in the life of an engineering student and how they became involved in the Solar Decathlon 2011. They answered questions about the house, the Unit 6, explaining that much of its design is aimed toward affordability.

Hillard described the Unit 6's greywater system (of which she is the lead designer).

"I don't know why more homes don't use greywater systems," said Hillard. "They're relatively inexpensive and aren't that hard to install."

After their presentation, the kids split up into groups and were challenged to clean up a simulation of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Using a kit that included 3 balloons, 3 rubber bands, plastic baggies filled with soil and frosted mini-wheats, 2 sponges, some cotton balls, tooth picks, and a paper towel square, the task was to isolate the oil and to return the water back to the bucket. Each team was then judged on the water's clarity.

Novak and Hillard also got to participate, trying out their problem-solving skills and competing against the other groups of kids and their parents.

Jim Novak and Holly Anne Hillard with Engineering Unplugged Kids of 2011