From the time Benjamin Franklin first conceived his famous stove, bifocals and countless other useful inventions, the U.S. has been hailed as the "land of opportunity," a nation steeped in innovation and entrepreneurship, which have sustained the economy in even the toughest of times. In recent years, as American industry has struggled to remain competitive amid growing challenges from abroad, entrepreneurship has gained new respect as an economic engine.

Join us for a variety of fun, inspiring and illuminating activities in celebration of National Engineers Week, which takes place February 19-25 this year. For full details, please consult the calendar appearing on our website at www.engr.uconn.edu.

During the fall 2011 semester, Howell Cheney Technical High School freshmen explored a number of exciting engineering concepts with Chemical Engineering doctoral student Neil Spinner, including an egg drop (profiled last month) and a bottle rocket experiment.

In January, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it will award $77 million in grants to 22 University Transportation Centers (UTCs) to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges. UConn will receive a portion of the funding, as a member of a university consortium awarded $3.5 million under the program.

The School of Engineering is pleased to announce, for the second consecutive year, the D.E. Crow Innovation Prize competition aimed at encouraging and rewarding creative ideas and entrepreneurship by UConn students. This “innovation stimulus” program is made possible through the generous support of Dr. David E. Crow, professor emeritus of Mechanical Engineering (ME).