If you were tasked with designing a tabletop bridge model that could hold substantial weight and withstand a simulated earthquake, what lightweight, inexpensive, easily accessible materials would you choose?

Teams of student engineers crowded around tables in the collaboratorium in the STEM Building on March 12 for the winter term Engineering competition to present the bridges they had spent weeks perfecting.

The Challenge

Every term, Engineering professors Tina Barsotti and Carol Hsu pose a real-world problem to their students and instruct them to design and build an object that solves the problem. Teams of students work together. At the end of each term, teams present their prototype to their peers, explaining their process and materials used. Finally, teams test their designs.

The winter term challenge: Build a bridge that can withstand a simulated earthquake on a shake table without any deformation. A toy car must be able to cross the bridge. Apply as much weight as possible to the center of the bridge within a two-minute time limit. Spend no more than $50 on project materials. The bragging rights goes to the bridge that withstands the earthquake and can support the greatest weight with the least amount of mass.

The Engineering

Some teams built a bridge using large craft sticks or smaller Popsicle sticks. Another team used plastic two-liter soda bottles. One team used a 3D printer to create their bridge pieces from carbon fiber, PET-CF and TPU 3D printing filament. One team used balsa wood. Another used aluminum. Many teams included duct tape in their bridge construction. Not one bridge looked exactly like another.

First one team, then another tested their designs. Most bridges held up to the shaking simulating an earthquake, but not all held up when weights were suspended underneath the bridge. Team Vectors won the competition and the bragging rights with their truss bridge constructed of Popsicle sticks and hot glue.

Professor Hsu said, “The main reason they won was because the bridge was lightweight.”

To make the event even better, the students celebrated Pi Day early—with free pizza and dessert pies for all.

“We had two groups of special guests watching the competition,” said Professor Hsu. “Children from Child and Family Studies sat criss cross applesauce on the floor with a good view of the competition. Students from HeLa High School (Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School) watched part of the competition as they tour the STEM building.”

Professor Barsotti explained why she and Professor Hsu assign their students to solve a similar engineering problem every term: “We believe in fostering hands-on learning experiences that challenge students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and innovate solutions to real-world problems.” She added, “Through projects like these, students not only gain practical skills but also develop the confidence to tackle complex engineering challenges head on, setting them up for success in their future careers.”

Biology student Lemman Gurre sat at a high bistro-style table next to the wall of windows in the new MESA Center on the third floor of the STEM Building. From her third-floor vantage point, she could see the campus, a ribbon of the Columbia River, and Portland’s hills. In the quiet study space, she took notes as she read from her laptop screen.  

Since the MESA Center opened fall term, the space has been well used by students. Director of MESA Román Lara said students use the center to study, plug in their laptops to work, use the center’s printer, check out textbooks from the lending library, or stop in for a snack and quiet moment between classes. The inner room offers large whiteboards and tables for students to study alone or to work on group projects. 

• In the reception area, MESA ambassadors, Maisy Pantua Sibayan and Karina Hottinger connect with students, welcome them to the space, and schedule students to use the space. Both are current Clark students pursuing STEM studies.  
• In the bright lounge, comfortable upholstered furniture in chartreuse, orange, and aqua invites students to sit in the quiet space to work on their classwork, study, or take a break. Students also can grab a snack in the kitchenette which includes a microwave, toaster oven, refrigerator, coffee pot, and hot water for tea. 

What is MESA? 

MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) is a national program designed to increase the number of historically underrepresented populations to succeed in STEM fields. This includes African American, Native American, Latino/Hispanic, and Pacific Islander/Hawaiian and women community college students who transfer to universities and earn STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) bachelor’s degrees.  

At Clark, this includes a dedicated space for studying and creating community, as well as opportunities for mentorship, assistance with books and fees, conference participation, campus visits, and more. 

Clark College began its MESA program during the 2018-19 academic year. The program can serve up to 100 students and currently serves more than 80 students. Between 20 and 30 students are very active in the program. Others use the basic services, such as the textbook lending library. Learn more about Clark’s MESA program here. 

Campus and industry tours 

During fall term, Lara took a group of second-year Clark students to Seattle to attend a transfer student preview event at the University of Washington. Students learned about UW’s admission and application process, took a guided tour of the campus, and attended program-specific sessions, including a 3D printing demonstration. Some students had the opportunity to meet with academic advisors.  

Lara is planning to take MESA students to tour the campuses of Portland State University and Washington State University Vancouver during winter term.  

He also is planning industry tours for MESA students to visit local employers who hire STEM graduates. His wish list includes ABSCI, Boeing, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. 

He also promotes opportunities for undergraduate internships and research opportunities to MESA students and is always on the lookout for new opportunities. MESA students will be eligible to apply for undergraduate research opportunities at WSU Vancouver during the summer.  

Eligibility for MESA: 

• Belong to historically underrepresented populations in STEM, including Black/African American, Indigenous/Native American, Latino/Hispanic, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and women in STEM. 
• Be a first-generation college student whose parents did not receive a bachelor’s degree 
• Intend to earn a bachelor’s degree in a STEM major 
• Be a citizen or resident of the U.S., DACA eligible or undocumented 
• Come from an economically disadvantaged background 
• Do not hold currently hold a bachelor’s degree in any field 

Services MESA provides: 

• MESA Center in STEM Building Room 358 
• Academic advising and transfer planning 
• Academic excellence workshops 
• Textbook lending library 
• Internship, research, and scholarship opportunities 
• University campus and industry visits 
• Professional development workshops 

About Washington MESA 

The Washington MESA program is an educational pathway program administered by the University of Washington and established by the Washington State Legislature. Clark College is one of 12 community colleges in Washington that offers a MESA transfer prep program center for its students who plan to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor’s degree. Learn more here. 

Clark College students Max DuCom, Kohen Mahler, Zachary Zamora, and Elizabeth Zamora stood in front of their Engineering professors, peers, and a team of judges on December 5 in the Collaboratorium in the STEM Building. This was the team’s moment they had worked toward throughout Fall term. They had spent weeks designing and building their prototype. Now it was time to present their project to the group, answer questions posed by the judges, and test their prototypes.

Every term, Engineering professors Tina Barsotti and Carol Hsu pose a real-world problem to their students and instruct them to design and build an object that solves the problem. Teams of four students work together. At the end of each term, teams present their prototype to the group.

This Fall term’s design objective was to design and build a rocket payload prototype that includes scientific experiments and/or technology demonstrations for the Clark College rocket that will compete in the 2024 Spaceport America Cup competition in June in New Mexico.

A payload is cargo that the rocket is carrying. A payload can be a satellite, cameras, scientific instruments, food supplies, fuel or even people.

“The engineering department offers real-world challenges to our students,” said Engineering Professor Carol Hsu. “Then our students work together in teams to solve the problem using the engineering method — by defining the problem, brainstorming ideas, designing prototypes, testing and modifying to improve solutions.”

Trial and error

At the front of the room, Max, Kohen, Zachary, and Elizabeth were ready to begin. One student attached their project posterboard to the presentation wall. Another set their prototype on the table in front of them. Another introduced their project. Each chimed in, telling what specific tasks they worked on.

Their bill of materials included:

• Double-walled water bottle: $12.88
• Wooden top: $2.94
• Arduino UNO: $23.67 (An Arduino is a prototyping micro controller that can be programmed to do multiple tasks, such as turning on lights or motors to sensing temperature or movement.)
• Load cell: $5.99
• Battery pack: $2.99
• Total cost of project: $48.47

One student mentioned that their initial idea was to use a double-walled water bottle as their vessel, but they soon realized it was not the best choice. Instead, they settled on a plastic two-liter soda bottle. They cut the top off the bottle and started again.

A judge paused a question: “May we see the prototype?”

Students walked the prototype to the judges’ table. The judges examined it carefully, passing it from one to the next so all could see it up close.

Then more questions were posed, followed by a discussion about how to improve the prototype. When the judges were satisfied, Max, Kohen, Zachary, and Elizabeth gathered up the pieces of their project and made room for the next team to present their project.

All teams tested their payload prototypes via a drop test. To simulate a 25 feet-per-second impact speed, each team secured their payload in a fiberglass rocket tube and dropped it from a height of 10 feet. Most teams’ payload survived the drop test. A few teams needed minor repairs.

Professor Tina Barsotti added, “Our students are applying engineering principles to address real-life challenges, and this hands-on, practical experience contributes significantly to the strength of Clark’s Engineering program. This mirrors the authentic situations they will likely face in their professional careers.”

About Spaceport America Cup

The Clark Aerospace team launched its rocket, Little Penguin, at Spaceport America Cup competition in Las Cruces, New Mexico in June 2023. Spaceport is the world’s largest IREC (Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition) for student rocketry teams. It is held annually by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association at Spaceport America.

Rocket teams are evaluated based on the build of their rockets, payload systems, and the flight of the rocket.

Clark College rocket team at Spaceport 2023:

• Nearly 6,000 rocketeers on 158 teams hailing from 24 countries competed in 2023.
• Clark College was the only community college that competed.
• Clark’s rocket team built a rocket that was 12 feet tall and weighed 54 pounds.
• Clark competed in the 10,000-foot apogee with COTS (commercial-of-the-shell) solid rocket propulsion system category
• Clark’s rocket payload system measured temperature, humidity, and radiation in the inner space of the rocket during its ascendant.
• Clark’s rocket soared to about 9,000 feet. It was recovered successfully after the launch.
• Looking ahead: 2024 Spaceport Cup
• Clark’s rocket team plans to launch a rocket with a 4 kg payload (about 8.81 pounds) to 10,000 feet on a non-commercial propellant formulation.
• The rocket team has invited Clark engineering teams to be part of the Spaceport competition by contributing to the design by prototyping a payload system.

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

The Clark Aerospace team launched its rocket, Little Penguin, at Spaceport America Cup competition in Las Cruces, New Mexico in June. It is the world’s largest IREC (Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition) for student rocketry teams.  

Nearly 6,000 rocketeers on 158 teams hailing from 24 countries competed at Spaceport. Clark College was the only community college accepted to participate in the competition.  

Xiunu “Sophie” Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Physics and Director of Clark Aerospace Program, shared the team’s video with college staff in an email: “I’m excited to share a brief video that showcases the Clark Aerospace rocket team’s incredible journey to the 2023 Spaceport America Cup competition. This video provides a glimpse into our experience at the event and offers valuable insights into our participation.”  

• Watch the team’s video about their experience at Spaceport America Cup Competition here. 
• Read an earlier Clark 24/7 News story about the team’s rocket test launch in April here.  

Fall and winter: Building the rocket 

In October 2022, a team of six Clark students, an advisor, and a mentor was organized by the Clark Aerospace program to build a rocket for the 2023 Spaceport America Cup. 

Clark College Aerospace rocket team: 

• Students Tyler James Lawrence, Samuel Remus Banceu, Ethan Lloyd Walters, Vyacheslav Timofeyevich Lukiyanchuk, Osvaldo Monroy, and Vee Dunn 
• Mentor Jack Caynon, who guided and supported the team from beginning to end 
• Xiunu “Sophie” Lin, Ph.D., Professor of Physics and Director of the Clark Aerospace Program 

Rocket specs: 

• Name: “Little Penguin” 
• Length: 114 inches  
• Diameter: 5 inches 
• Weight: 39 pounds without a motor 

The team spent about six months building the rocket for the competition. After several flight test failures and rebuilds, eventually, they had a rocket ready for the competition. 

Spring: Test flight 

Every spring, the college’s Aerospace program travels to the scrappy sagebrush landscape of Brothers, Oregon, a premier launch site for high-altitude rocket projects, 40 miles east of Bend to launch their rockets in test flights. 

Clark Aerospace launched their rocket, dubbed “Little Penguin” on April 28 using an M1845 motor. According to the team’s simulations, the rocket with that motor could potentially reach a high point of about 16,000 feet (called “apogee” in rocket lingo).  

Little Penguin launched—and reached an apogee of about 12,000 feet, but the team quickly lost sight of it. Several hours later, the team located their rocket 11 miles from the launch site. It was banged up and hadn’t held up as well as they’d hoped. 

Dr. Lin said, “After the flight test at Brothers, we had to rebuild some parts of the rocket to make it stronger.” 

Spaceport America’s Cup 

Day 1 (June 18), Arrival:  

Clark Aerospace team flew to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and checked in at Spaceport. One Clark Aerospace student observed: “It was thrilling to finally meet so many young rocketeers who share the same passion and dream we have about space and technology.” 

Day 2, Project Presentation:  

Clark Aerospace showcased their rocket at Las Cruces Convention Center. The team’s rocket attracted much attention. Next, the team took their rocket through the flight safety review. Eventually, they were granted permission to fly the following day. 

The night before the launch, students worked in the garage of the Airbnb house to correct some minor issues identified during the flight safety review. Together, they prepared the rocket for the next day’s launch. 

Day 3, Scheduled Launch Day:  

Students worked on the rocket to earn the opportunity to launch the rocket on the first day and accumulate more points. They took the rocket to the flight readiness safety inspection, where the launch control officer reviewed their rocket. It passed the final safety check. They were cleared to take their rocket to the launch site.  

Unfortunately, strong winds picked up in the late afternoon. All launch events were suspended. Little Penguin would have to wait another day to fly. 

Day 4, Second Launch Day:  

The students awoke at 3 a.m. and lined up at the gate of the launch site at 6 a.m. Building their rocket in the early morning light, Clark Aerospace was in the first group of teams to set up the tent and work on their rockets. 

One student said, “We were trying all we could to earn an edge to compete with the four-year universities. There is not much difference between us and the students from four-year universities, as long as we are willing to work as hard, or even harder than them.” 

Just like the previous day, they lined up for the flight readiness safety inspection. They were given the green light to take their rocket to the vertical launch site, where they set up their rocket. Then they settled into the bleachers to watch Little Penguin fly. 

The launch site announcer said: “We’re looking at Clark College. This is a community college. It’s good to see community colleges participate. You don’t have to be a major Division 1 school. You just need students who have the passion and interest, a little bit of support from the community and the school. Clark Aerospace is launching from Pad B3. Skies are clear. LCO (launch control officer) is counting it down. Launching in 5-4-3-2-1!” 

The rocket lifted up. For this flight, the team had attached an M1419 motor. The rocket reached an apogee of 8,529 feet. Little Penguin was recovered about 200 feet away from the launchpad, a new record for the rocket team. 

Dr. Lin said, “Our program’s projects offer a valuable chance for students to voluntarily step up and take on responsibility, enabling them to delve deeper into their true potential and explore the possibilities of who they can become.” 

Spaceport America Cup by the numbers: 

• 5,913 rocketeers participating 
• 158 teams 
• 1,329 (22%) of participants were women  
• Students hailed from 24 countries on 6 continents  
  (Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Nepal, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States) 

Next challenge: Spaceport 2024 

The next challenge for Clark Aerospace: Building their project to compete in the next Spaceport America Cup competition in June 2024. The team plans to make their own motor, build a six-inch diameter rocket, and compete in the SRAD (Student Researched and Designed) 10,000-foot category.  

Interested in joining? 

Clark Aerospace is looking for interested Clark students to join them. No prior experience with rockets is required.  

Clark’s Aerospace Club actively participates in science, technology, engineering, and math-based experiential project/aerospace design competitions, and students also attend launch events, museums, and aerospace-related activities. 

To learn more: Email clarkaerospace1@gmail.com 

Local high school students and some first-year Clark College students were immersed in hands-on experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields during Clark’s STEM Pathways Camp on June 26 and 27 on the main campus. There was no cost for any students to participate in the camp, which was funded by Guided Pathways and Clark College Foundation.  

Each student had the opportunity to experience six different activities: 

• Bioplastics and Green Chemistry Design-Thinking 
• Compass, Pacing and Triangles (Surveying and Geomatics) 
• Thinking Embedded 
• Intelligent Transportation Design (Automotive Technology) 
• Native Bees (Biology) 
• 3D Printing (Engineering) 

Hands-on learning 

Students participated in hands-on STEM activities with college professors.  

In front of the STEM building, biology professors Steven Clark and Christine Gregor directed students as they conducted bee surveys in the Bee Garden. In groups of three, students walked a 200-foot transect and counted all the native bees and honeybees they could find. Above: holding a clipboard, Mel Lopez, who recently completed her first year at Clark College, teamed up with Isaiah Weatherspoon and Caleb Wrede. Both will be juniors at Mountain View High School in the fall. Peering into the wildflower blossoms, they looked closely for bees—and spotted a Bombus. Mel marked it on their tally sheet. 

Each group of STEM campers had two MESA mentors, current Clark students who are successfully pursuing a STEM degree and who can advise high school students about getting started on a college path. 

“The MESA mentors are an integral part of STEM camp,” said Professor Carol Hsu. “The high school students can look to the mentor as someone who is succeeding at college and has chosen a career path.” 

Dr. Steven Clark said, “Two of the strategies to attract and support MESA students are to enhance engagement and to help students have a realistic expectation of what college work is like. The Bee Survey did both. It’s a fun, engaging activity but it also is what is required of biology majors at Clark.  The STEM camp students did a great job with their sharp eyes and their enthusiasm to find even the tiniest native bees. One group found a leafcutter bee carrying a cut flower petal into her nest—a very impressive sighting. Another group caught a native bee that was so small that it squeezed through the tiny air hole to escape from our viewing jar! It was the size of a grain of cooked rice!” 

In addition to engaging in hands-on learning activities, the camp also provided students with free Clark College T-shirts plus breakfast, lunch and snacks.  

The STEM camp was created in collaboration with the college’s Guided Pathways initiative, led by Rhianna Johnson, director of Guided Pathways Partnerships. 

“Career exploration is a critical component of the Guided Pathways model,” said Johnson. “For students to begin a career pathway, they need opportunities to learn about the many options available and to gain exposure to industries that they may not be familiar with. Research shows that different demographics receive disparate levels of career guidance and exposure, based on a number of factors that can create equity gaps related to pursuing high wage, in-demand programs.” 

Clark faculty and staff spread the word about the camp via social media and by contacting nonprofits that work with youth, including Girls Inc. and iUrban Teen. Johnson already is making a plan to reach more students to attend next year’s camp. 

She added, “The STEM camp was invaluable for showing students what career opportunities are available in STEM fields. Planting that seed.” 

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Every term, Professors Tina Barsotti and Carol Hsu pose a real-life problem to their engineering students and instruct them to design and build an object that solves the problem.

The last step of the project: During a three-hour competition, teams of students present their built project and then test it in front of their peers and judges from the community. Teams of engineering students competed in the challenge on June 6.

The topic of the 2023 spring competition, International Space Station Challenge, was proposed by Clark engineering alum Sarah Morgan. For the past decade, she has worked for Boeing in Houston ensuring engineering systems are working on the International Space Station.

International Space Station challenge 

Sarah contacted her former professors with an idea for the competition that was based on a project her team was working on.

Problem to solve: On the International Space Station, a pressure ventilation valve is damaged. To keep astronauts safe, students must design and build a temporary protective cover.

Sarah met with Clark engineering students via Zoom to answer their questions about the project.

“Our students were really excited about this project and got a chance to talk with an engineer with real life experience with the International Space Station,” said Professor Hsu. “Students also gain invaluable experience working with teams to solve problems.”

The Challenge

Sarah presented the challenge to the engineering students: “On the International Space Station (ISS), keeping a module pressurized is very important, but it’s also important to keep the pressure inside the station from getting too high. With this need to balance pressure in a specific range, there are ventilation lines/valves that go from the inside of the Space Station to the outside and ‘pop off’ at certain pressures.”

• The immediate problem: “One such line/valve has been damaged and an exposed portion is in an area that puts it at risk of being kicked by crew. If kicked, the vent line could become a hole from the inside of the pressurized module to the vacuum of space.”
• Problem statement: How might we design a temporary ventilation valve cover that can be assembled and disassembled and be able to withstand a 12-pound kick force?
• Working toward a permanent solution: A design team is working on a permanent solution to protect the exposed portion of this line. However, the design project is expected to take several months to develop and build before it can be flown on a supply vehicle.
• Students create a proposed temporary solution: “In the meantime, to ensure the safety of the astronauts on the ISS, an immediate temporary protective cover is required.”

Design a Solution

Students chose their team names, which included Space Penguins, Drop Kick Dynamics, and the Three Astroneers, to name a few.

Teams got to work designing a proposed temporary solution. Students chose various materials to build their valve covers: cardboard, block foam, aluminum, and polylactic acid (PLA), a popular material used in desktop 3D printing. Designs ranged from a trampoline-inspired fabric cover to a 3D-printed dome.

At the competition, each team took a turn standing in front of their professors and peers to explain their solution. Then came the moment of truth—testing what they had built. Two engineering students conducted the test of striking the design with a long-handled metal sledgehammer set to impact at a certain degree. Which designs would fail? Which designs would remain intact and protect the valve?

Top Three Teams

Professor Hsu said, “Winning the engineering competition earns the team bragging rights!”

The top three teams, in no particular order:

Team: D-Something
Students: Zane Bohyer, Caelan Heimbuch, Todd Karlsen
Project: Padded Wrench Frame

Team: Aerospace and Friends
Students: Clark Hegewald, Tyler Lawrence, Jack McMahon, Osvaldo Monroy
Project: ViceGuardian ValveArmor

Team: Stariod Engineers
Students: David Bogdanov, David Albulov, Gregory Wanner
Project: Tin Can Cover

About Sarah Morgan

When Sarah was enrolled in the engineering program at Clark College, she was president of N.E.R.D. Girls (Not Even Remotely Dorky) and was involved in the Engineering Club. After she earned an Associate of Science, Engineering transfer degree at Clark in 2011, she earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at WSU Vancouver in 2013.

Immediately after Sarah graduated, she was hired by Boeing in Houston as a structural analysis engineer on the International Space Station’s structural integrity team. She has worked at Boeing for a decade. Since 2021, she has been the ISS mission evaluation room manager, leading and integrating engineering systems for operational success.

Read a story about Sarah Morgan in WSU’s Crimson and Grey Magazine here

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

The Mathematics Department is excited to announce the recipients of this year’s Sigma Scholarship. This scholarship was established in summer of 2020 to support and encourage students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields to pursue higher-level mathematics.  

Congratulations to our 2023 Sigma Scholarship recipients: 

Abou Bakar Berthe 

STEM field: Mining Engineering 

2023-24: Clark College 

Oliver Rosas 

STEM field: Civil Engineering 

2023-24: Clark College 

Spencer Henwood 

STEM field: Computer Science 

2023-24: Portland State University 

Isaac Osorio Beltran 

STEM field: Computer Science or Engineering 

2023-24: Clark College 

Post and photos contributed by Kayoko Barnhill

Engineering and Computer Science students preparing to graduate presented their projects in an expo in the STEM Collaboratorium on June 6.  

Engineering Professor Izad Khormaee explained that at the beginning of the academic year, students were assigned a task: to build and design a project that solves a real-world problem. Students proposed their project and designed it in Fall term, built it in Winter term, and improved on it in Spring term.   

Brandon Eastman (above) designed and built an electric-powered robot for use in production line automation. His project combines mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science. 

“It’s very simple,” Brandon said. “It is three motors equaling three degrees of freedom. Each motor is a wheel.”  

Brandon is earning his associate degree in electrical engineering and transferring to WSU Vancouver to pursue a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.  

Mellanie Martin (above) displayed the bioinformatics program she created that applies computer science principles to biological data.  

“This program takes a DNA strand and transcribes it to RNA,” she said. “Bioinformatics is a growing field. We have so much biological data, but we don’t know what to do with it.”  

Mellanie is transferring to WSU Vancouver to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science.  

Linnea Castro (above) a mother of three children, enrolled at Clark in her late 30s to pursue a career in computer science. She is transferring to WSU Vancouver to pursue her bachelor’s degree. She created a homework timer to encourage kids to focus for 25 minutes. 

“It’s fun to do a project that’s manifested around something you want to learn,” Linnea said.    

Outside on the terrace, Carlos Aragón (top of page) demonstrated his renewable energy project, Ram Power Energy, a wave-powered generator that transforms hydraulic energy into electrical energy. He hopes to use this technology to harvest the energy of the ocean waves to produce electricity and to extract hydrogen.  

Carlos is earning his associates in electrical engineering and is transferring to WSU Vancouver, where he plans to earn his bachelor’s degree while continuing to improve his project. Eventually, he believes this process could not only be used to generate energy but also to clean the oceans.   

“I’m excited to see how to use it,” he said. “I hope to inspire more students at Clark to research new sustainable and clean energy sources.” 

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

To equip their engineering students for success, professors Tina Barsotti and Carol Hsu encourage their students to create community by participating in campus and community outreach events, including STEM NERD Girls.  

These outreach events available in Engineering program provide opportunities for diverse learners to explore and achieve their educational goals by promoting social connectedness through peer support, volunteering, networking, professional interaction, and mentoring.  

“Building community fosters collaboration and connectedness,” said Professor Barsotti. “By providing these opportunities, the program encourages students to continue their paths in the STEM field. This helps us to retain students from systemically non-dominant groups.” 

Engineering graduates remain connected 

Four Engineering graduates who volunteered in outreach events also formed a study group when they were Clark students. Over the years, they have remained friends and continue to encourage each other as they transitioned to pursuing bachelor’s degrees, and now in the early years of their careers. They spoke on a panel at a Women in STEM tea on May 17 in the STEM Building. 

Megan Sarygin, Gabriella Miller, Shiori Baba, and Marie Roza heeded their professors’ advice when they were STEM students at Clark College. They volunteered in NERD Girls and contributed to other outreach and campus events. After they graduated from Clark, they transferred to various universities, but they continued their study group as they faced the rigors of advanced STEM classes and projects.  

Some years later, they still connect and remain friends. Now instead of seeking advice about college classes, they discuss the successes and challenges they are experiencing as young women working in male-dominated STEM fields. 

Megan Sarygin  

Profession: Field service engineer, Tokyo Electron US   

Education:  

• Clark College Running Start student; Associate of Science, mechanical engineering, 2019 
• Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, minor in business administration, Washington State University Vancouver, 2021 

Insights:  

“Developing your social skills is very important, just like your hard skills. Social skills are just as important as your classes, getting good grades, and studying. Make connections. Work in a group. Work on your communications skills.” 

“Ask for help. In a lab at WSU Vancouver, we were using a mill and a lathe to make small parts for a gyroscope. Using the lathe did not make sense to me. I was so far behind. The lab instructor was patient and opened up the lab on the weekend for extra work on the lathe. It was so nice to have it click in my brain.” 

Gabriella Miller

Profession: Associate mechanical design engineer, Curtiss-Wright Corporation 

Education:  

• Clark College, Associate of Arts, mechanical engineering, 2018 
• Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, Washington State University Vancouver, 2022 

Insights:  

“When we were growing up, it wasn’t expected that a girl would go into a STEM field.” 

“I wanted to work in a field where there are always questions to answer, opportunities to learn.” 

“I was drawn both to aerospace and neuroscience. I asked myself: Space or brains?” 

“Being able to make mistakes is sometimes harder for women. People can be more critical.” 

Shiori Baba

Profession: Project engineer classified as civil engineer, Bonneville Power Administration 

Education:  

• Bachelor of Science degree in geology/earth science, University of Washington, 2016  
• Clark College, supplemental prerequisite engineering classes to transfer to Portland State University 
• Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, Portland State University, 2021 

Insights:  

“Networking is a scary term, but who you know is important. You don’t know who will be your boss or what opportunities may come up because of word of mouth.” 

“My agency makes transmission lines and maintains substations. It’s been male dominated, but I’m seeing more female engineers now. BPA has been putting in efforts for more diversity within their workforce.” 

“It’s okay to make mistakes. Just make sure you learn from your mistakes.” 

Marie Roza

Profession: Senior emerging technology engineer, Skanska, the fifth-largest construction company in the world 

Education:  

• Clark College Running Start student and Associate of Science degree in civil engineering, 2019 
• Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, Portland State University, 2021 

Insights:  

“In engineering, there are so many options. You aren’t limited.” 

“Construction is very male dominated. Only about 13% are women. But within my company, we have an amazing focus on diversity and inclusion.” 

“Make your connections within your classes. It’s important to have a support system, especially as a woman in STEM. I could not have made it without these three.” 

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Penguins fly!

Or rather, one “Little Penguin” rocket flew on April 28, with the help of four Clark Aerospace students.

Every spring, the college’s Aerospace program travels to the scrappy sagebrush landscape of Brothers, Oregon, a premier launch site for high-altitude rocket projects, 40 miles east of Bend. Their mission: Launch the rockets they have built during the academic year.

Clark’s team arrived in two cars filled with rockets, tools, four students, and Xiunu “Sophie” Lin, physics professor and director of Clark’s Aerospace Program.

First, student Tyler Lawrence launched his rocket, and it was safely recovered. This achievement marked Tyler’s L1 High Power Rocket Certification.

Great outcome!

Next, the team launched their rocket, dubbed “Little Penguin,” which is 12 feet long, 5 inches in diameter and weighing about 45 pounds. According to the team’s simulations, the rocket with an M-1939 motor could potentially reach a high point of about 16,000 feet (called “apogee” in rocket lingo).

Little Penguin: All Systems Go!

Following a simple countdown, the team launched Little Penguin around 5 p.m. Wow, did that Little Penguin fly!

Professor Lin said, “It took off with tremendous power, producing a shock wave that could be felt 500 feet away from the launch site. The rocket soared straight into the blue sky with a beautiful straight line before disappearing.”

After a rocket is launched, it’s crucial for the team to follow its trajectory visually, so they later can find where it lands. When they lose sight of a rocket, the team uses a radio receiver to follow the signal of a radio tracker attached to the rocket’s nose cone.

But the signal they picked up was weak, indicating that the rocket must have drifted far from the launch site. The students, Professor Lin and the team’s mentor, Jack Caynon started driving, and stopping every few minutes to check the signals and direction before driving forward.

After driving for an hour or two, they eventually picked up a stronger signal. It came from a sagebrush-covered field behind a barbed wire fence. The sun had already set. The team crawled beneath the fence and walked uphill for a mile, where they found Little Penguin 11 miles northeast of the launch site.

Little Penguin broke Clark’s record

Keith Stansbury, the prior director of the college’s Aerospace program, said “an 11-mile recovery is a record for Clark. Eleven miles and we got it back! Phenomenal!”

“Recovering the rocket 11 miles from the launch site is almost a miracle,” said Professor Lin. “The recovery may not have been successful on our very first flight test, but we collected our first set of flight data to analyze and improve our rocket for future flights.”

The team examined the errant Little Penguin and discovered that an insufficient weld led to the bulkhead detaching from the fin cans, causing the rocket to drift in strong winds. The team plans to scrutinize the flight data to glean further insight.

Their next mission: competing at the SpacePort America Cup competition, the world’s largest intercollegiate rocket engineering conference and competition, held June 19-24 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

“Our students learned good lessons from this flight,” said Professor Lin. “The perseverance they showed during the search of the rocket was impressive and amazing. As a team, we are determined to fail as many times as necessary before we can succeed at the SpacePort America Cup competition.”

Watch the Rocket Launch.
Photos by Carla Caynon, courtesy of the Rocket Club.