SMU engineering first year students discovered through community service and real life engineering projects how the field has a positive impact on their communities this weekend.

Sponsored by the engineering school, “Engineering in the City,” took more than 100 first year students to the North Texas Food Bank in South Dallas where they helped the food distribution process.

“We are planting seeds in the students’ minds as to how they can solve their community’s problems through the use of their engineering degrees,” Kathy Hubbard, Director of the Office of Engineering Leadership, said.

“We want to inspire these bright young men and women to be more proactive in solving the world’s problems such as flooding, water shortages, energy issues,and hunger,” Hubbard said.

While at the food bank, the students participated in a medley of “projects” to help with the sorting and distribution of goods.

They participated in a salvage program in which they recovered usable food from charitable donations at grocery stores. In addition the students contributed to the “Food for Kids” program where they sorted food and put together backpacks for children who have little to no food during weekend home life.

“I could tell that all the first years were really getting into it- they were all really focused and they all worked together to get the job done,” graduate engineering student Louise Hai said.

At the food bank over 2,500 man hours were put in to produce nearly 400 meals for the hungry families of Dallas.

After the morning session at the food bank the engineers returned to campus for a round of presenters, speaking on the necessity of engineering in the real world.

Among the speakers was Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, who focused on the future plans for the city of Dallas and the major role that engineers will play in making that goal a reality.

The students also heard from Rebecca Douger, a member of the Trinity River Trust, speaking on the Trinity River Project and giving the students a taste of a real world-engineering project.

This was the first event sponsored by the new Center for Engineering Leadership Office, and according to Hubard, there are plans to continue this type of program again in the spring.

According to Tammy Richards, Associate Dean of the Engineering School, the hope is to continue the humanitarian, civic-minded programs to produce more well rounded engineering students.

“This event marked the launch of our newest initiative aimed at producing engineers with specific leadership qualities,” Richards said. “We want the SMU School of Engineering to be the preeminent school for producing technically sound engineers and civic minded individuals. Our students are groomed to proactively tackle whatever challenges our society will face in the future.”