Contact: Bob Ratliff
Terri Vaughn's research into some of history's most famous engineering disasters is earning a Mississippi State scholarship for her and a computer for her school.
The Starkville Academy ninth grader recently took first place in the university's College of Engineering Essay Contest. She receives a $1,000 scholarship from the college; the school, a new computer from Dell Computers Inc.
Inaugurated this year, the statewide contest is designed "to stress to high school students that, if you want to be an engineer, you need to master the use of computer technology and develop strong communication skills," said MSU engineering Dean Wayne Bennett.
In the competition, students are asked to discuss either the effects of engineering during the past 100 years or the potential impact of engineering during the next century. Entries must be submitted electronically and are judged by a panel of engineering faculty and administrators.
Examining causes of such disasters as the 1912 sinking of the passenger ship Titanic and the 1981 walkway collapse at the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel, Vaughn concluded that engineers must "remember not to stay within the limits, but to rise above them safely and carefully."
For more information on the essay contest, telephone (662) 325-2270.