Olympic Rower Melanie Kok to Kick-Off Engineering & Science Competition

Almost 1,000 students from nearly 50 Ontario high schools will test their engineering and science knowledge and abilities at the 20th Annual Engineering and Science Olympics on Thursday, October 15 at McMaster University.

Canadian rower Melanie Kok, bronze medalist at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, will help kick the day off with a welcome at 9:00 a.m. Melanie is a graduate student in the MiNDS neuroscience program at McMaster.

A new event this year is Build Your Own Robot. Other competitions include: egg high jump, physics paper triathlon, chemical forensics, civil Canada arm, photonic puzzles, a mechanical transporter competition, and mathematical mental gymnastics.

The students will be competing for more than $20,000 in McMaster tuition entrance prizes awarded to teams winning the day’s competitions.

When: Thursday, October 15, 2009

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Welcome ceremony at 9:00. Awards announced at 3:45 p.m.

Where: Main tent outside of John Hodgins Engineering Building

Various locations for competitions (maps available at main tent).

Students will also be able to learn more about engineering and science through an Open House featuring departmental displays and demonstrations organized through Let’s Talk Science, VidaLAB, W.C. McCallion Planetarium, and McMaster Museum of Art. Engineering student Kyla Fisher will speak about her summer work experience in Ghana with Engineering Without Borders.

High school teachers will also be put to the challenge in a lunch-hour competition where they can win up to $1,500 in tuition prizes for their students.

More information at: http://olympics.eng.mcmaster.ca