Engineering II class teaches students to identify problems, find solutions

Johann Verheem ’26 said the best part of the Applications of Engineering II class is applying what he’s learned at Culver Academies to solve real-world problems.

“It’s probably my favorite class because we get to apply these math and science skills to solve problems,” he said. “It teaches you a lot about not just engineering, but the process of being an engineer.”

The one-term hands-on class taught by senior instructor David Lawrence teaches students to use their knowledge of science, mathematics and engineering to identify and solve problems. That includes a capstone project where students must interview at least three stakeholders on campus to identify problems in the campus community and come up with an engineering solution for one of those problems.

Cynthia (Yaxin) Deng ’26 said she decided to take the class because she likes science, but she thinks engineering is more practical.

“I’ve never done engineering. Do I actually like it?” she said.

She’s learned that she does.

“I think it’s fun,” she said. “I like the reward after you get something done. You’re working on it and then at the end it works, it does what it’s supposed to. You’re like, ‘Oh, my God, I did that.’ Then you show it off to your classmates. You get a sense of accomplishment.”

Verheem said he likes that students learn a lot on their own by looking up information on the internet, although Lawrence is always there to help.

“He says I’m giving you this, this and that. But for now, look on the internet. What do you need to build whatever you need to build? So you start looking up stuff and start experimenting with the wires and the devices,” he said. “Eventually something starts to work. And then it starts to break.”

Verheem said even though he plans to major in mechanical engineering in college, he wasn’t sure he was going to like the class. But it’s reinforced the idea engineering is right for him.

“There’s just something different about being in class and accomplishing something with your hands. I also like having a goal,” he said.

During the first two weeks students, working in teams of three, learn to reverse engineer a toy, with each student taking a section of the toy. They then learn to 3D model those sections. Then they use Fusion software to design a way to assemble the parts into the toy.

After that, they use the skills learned to use Arduino, an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software that has numerous sensors built for it. Students are assigned an input sensor and an output sensor and need to devise a way to connect them together to accomplish a task.

“The idea of the assignment is to help students understand how to program Arduino to take in data and then using that data to control something,” Lawrence said.

One student used a temperature sensor that opens a window when it gets too warm, he said.

Verheem recalled working on a motion detector that made a sound when it sensed motion. He said he had a lot of frustrating problems. It worked one day, the next day it didn’t.

“In that situation a lot of patience is required to stick with it and figure out what changed,” he said.

Students use what they learned from Arduino, the 3D modeling skills and their understanding of the engineering process to the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Project where they find a problem they can solve on campus. It’s based on a similar program initiated at Purdue University. Students are encouraged to talk to faculty, staff, coaches and others and find problems that the engineering design process can solve.

Students spend more than four weeks working on that problem.

“They have to communicate with people in the community, they have to document that communication and then they have to show them their brainstorming ideas and get feedback,” Lawrence said. “Then they have to show them the first prototype and get feedback, then show them the second prototype and get feedback. Hopefully by that time they have something that is functional and you can get good data from.”

Lawrence said most students don’t get past the prototype stage. But Diego Jimenez ’25 last year created a device that helps monitor the temperature and humidity levels in a room in the Naval Building where sailing equipment is stored.

Lawrence said one thing he hopes students taking Engineering II either plan to major in engineering in college or something directly related to an engineering major.

The class is required for anyone wanting to take Engineering Honors Seminar, which is designed to be a college sophomore level research class.

Verheem said he would recommend the class to others.

“Because it’s about problem solving and that’s a skill you can’t learn just by doing equations,” he said.