A growing number of engineering mechanics undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are choosing to add the aerospace option to their major. The EMA program prepares students for in-demand careers in the aerospace industry, where engineers can apply their skills to diverse challenges involving rockets, spacecraft, airplanes and more.
Amid this increased interest, Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Jennifer Franck created a new course for first-year engineering mechanics students to set them up for success in their engineering education. The course, EMA 200: Introduction to Mechanics and Aerospace, launched in fall 2024.
Jennifer Franck
“A big motivation for creating this course was to give engineering mechanics students a way to connect with each other and the engineering mechanics faculty in their first year, while also allowing them to work on aerospace-specific topics much earlier in their college career,” Franck says.
Building community among students in the course is especially important to Franck, because it supports her goal of creating an inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive and feel like they belong. “Studies have shown that women and students from underrepresented groups do better in engineering if they have a sense of belonging and feel welcomed,” Franck says. “With this course, I hope to have an impact in retaining and growing the number of women and underrepresented students in engineering.”
In the first half of the semester, the students learn the basics of key software, mathematical and design tools—such as the 3D solid modeling program SolidWorks—as well as some fabrication skills in the college’s Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab.
In weekly labs, the course features many hands-on learning experiences. One lab assignment challenged the students to work in teams to build small wind tunnels using a box fan and simple materials such as cardboard pieces and masking tape. The students were given a miniature wind turbine to test in their wind tunnels, and they needed to assemble a simple circuit to obtain voltage and current measurements. The activity set the stage for the students’ visit to the college’s wind tunnel.
“My favorite part of the course so far is all the hands-on activities we get to do in our labs that allow us to really apply what we’re learning and get a deeper understanding,” says student Jada Matson. “The course also gives a great overview of the topics that we’ll study over the next few years, which is helpful for thinking about future career paths in aerospace.”
In the second half of the semester, the students worked in teams on a class-wide project to design a tabletop wind tunnel. Each team was responsible for designing an individual component—and that required all of the teams to collaborate and communicate effectively to ensure each component integrated into the final system. Franck structured the project in this way to emulate the design process used in the aerospace industry.
To introduce students to the many different career options for aerospace engineers, Franck brings in regular guest speakers. One guest speaker in fall 2024 was Winston Jackson, a systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who shared his experiences, including working on NASA’s Europa Clipper space probe, which launched in October 2024.
“(Jackson) gave the class a really great overview of his career path and how he ended up with a prestigious job at JPL,” says student Arlo Gaskill. “It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to ask him questions and learn about steps we can take in our education and future careers.”
Featured image caption: From left: Students Avery Motylinski, Jada Matson, Bella Belgiorno, Arlo Gaskill and Matt Bauer work on their wind tunnel project. Credit: Joel Hallberg.