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Engineering students learn by building and racing robots

What: Introduction to Engineering (EGR 120)
Three TCC engineering students work on building a robot.
Kirk Chenault, Ben Moody and
David Koontz make wiring and
coding changes on their robot.

Inside the classroom: Introduction to engineering presents the engineering profession, professional concepts, ethics and responsibility to students. Students also learn engineering problem-solving techniques using computer software. The program provides hands-on, team building activities, including building and racing robots.

Student voices: “My favorite part is the electrical wiring and coding to get our robot to move in the right direction. I also like programming the robot to do a victory dance after a successful run on the track.”  – Whitney McCarthy
 
“Sharing a common interest with classmates helps with learning. The workload for engineering is tough, and these activities definitely build skills.” – Jonathan Morgan

Three TCC engineering students start their robot on a wooden track.
Drew Rosie, Zack Schultz and
Whitney McCarty start their robot
on a second loop around the track.

Why this class is fabulous: “We now have the facilities to offer all engineering courses at the Chesapeake and Virginia Beach campuses. EGR 120 is a first-year course with activities that teach basic programming, team work, the design process and introduces engineering tools.” – Bill Simmons, professor of engineering.