13th ProCSI summer camp hosts 20 high school students

The ProCSI (Promoting the Computational Science Initiative) camp took place the week of July 17^th on the UW-Madison campus.

ProCSI is a free, summer residential program that seeks to introduce the high school participants to various research topics and areas that are enabled by computer modeling and simulation. The six-day program is organized and run on a volunteer-basis by the members of the Simulation-Based Engineering Lab, based in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The students are shown how the fundamental concepts that they are just learning in high-school math, physics, and science classes are connected to advanced concepts in computer science and engineering. Programming includes hands-on workshops and tours of engineering laboratories where cutting-edge research takes place. ProCSI aims to motivate students by giving them a basic understanding of how computers are used today to enable tomorrow’s discoveries and innovations in science and engineering. See the 2022 program here.

In 2022, there were twenty 9th-11th grade student attendees from Wisconsin, Illinois, and California with various levels of background in STEM topics. Students were introduced to a variety of different research areas by visiting a diverse set of research labs throughout the week. These research areas included manufacturing, traffic safety, biomechanics, space science, mechatronics, robotics, autonomous controls, geological engineering, power electronics, and more. Many of the students showed interest in research topics, specific applications of computer science and engineering, and technologies that they weren’t aware of prior to being introduced to them during the camp. Students also enjoyed being immersed in the campus culture for the week and experiencing a university atmosphere. In the evenings, they had activities like sports nights and a bonfire that gave students a chance to unwind, build friendships, and get a taste for the what the UW campus offers beyond academics and research. 

Congratulations to Bernard A. and Frances M. Weideman Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dan Negrut, Allie Kissel, Christina Rivas, and Khailanii Slaton on organizing a successful 13^th ProCSI event! Additional thanks to the two camp counselors, Slaton and Chase Wilber.