Fairfield University Engineers to Walk on Water, Nov. 19

Fairfield University Engineers to Walk on Water, Nov. 19

Fairfield's newest cohort of up-and-coming engineers as they face their first 'sink or swim' engineering challenge on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m.

Media Contact: Robby Piazzaroli, rpiazzaroli@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 x2597

Come to the RecPlex on Saturday, November 19 at 1:30 p.m to cheer on Fairfield's newest cohort of up-and-coming engineers as they face their first 'sink or swim' engineering challenge: to race across the pool on buoyant hand-made contraptions designed and built using skills honed in their "Fundamentals of Engineering" class. The competition will be judged by School of Engineering professors: John Drazan, PhD, Elif Kongar, PhD, Isaac Macwan, PhD, and Gigi Belfadel, PhD.

Since 2012, the annual Walk on Water competition has been a rite of passage for undergraduate engineers at Fairfield University. On November 19, 16 groups of 80 classmates each will go beyond textbook learning to put knowledge into action for this team-based project. Given a budget of $200 for materials, teams are encouraged to use spare, repurposed, and recyclable parts.

Prior to the competition, the student teams will present their design processes and will be graded on design goals, creativity, performance, and problem-solving approaches, among other factors.

Spectators are encouraged to attend the competition, with the pool bleachers open to the University community and the general public. Come and root for the team of your choice – when it comes to the ingenuity and innovative work of Fairfield’s engineering students, seeing is believing!

Posted On: November 7, 2022

Volume: 54 Number: 42

Fairfield University is a modern, Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.