Fairfield University Student Engineers Walk On Water | Press Releases

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (November 18, 2016) — The fifth annual School of Engineering (SOE) Walk On Water (WOW) competition will take place at the Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Recreation Complex (RecPlex) pool on Saturday, November 19, at 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Teams of students, mostly first-years and sophomores, put their “Fundamentals of Engineering” course skills to the test with this kinetic, project-based design work that has them build a contraption that must “walk on water” or rather, align with engineering principles to get them efficiently across the pool in record time.

This year, there are 15 teams, five qualifying rounds, two or three semi-finals rounds and one final round before the winning device can prevail.

“It’s one of those events that’s a real kick-off to Fairfield engineering,” said SOE Associate Dean Ryan Munden, PhD, who teaches the course and explained that the WOW competition is a project that all Fairfield engineering students go through within their first two years of study. “It’s been kind of dramatic. It’s very high stakes because the students are doing it for a grade.”

Following the competition, all students will present their design process to the entire class and will be graded on their design goals, creativity, performance, and problem solving approaches, among other things.

The pool bleachers are open again this year to the University community and the general public to root for their team. Don’t miss this chance to see the innovative work of Fairfield SOE students.

See photos and watch videos from last year’s competition. For more information please visit, Fairfield.edu/engineering