By Wayne Risher - The Commercial Appeal -

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 -

Dyesean Johnson and Kristopher Moss learned a thing or two about bringing a paving project in on time and under budget Monday.

They also came closer to discovering what they want to do with the rest of their lives during a camp designed to explore transportation-related engineering careers.

The rising seniors at the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering are attending the University of Memphis' inaugural Transportation Engineering Careers program this week. It's the male counterpart to Girls Experiencing Engineering, sponsored by the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis for eight years.

The girls program has grown in popularity each year, drawing 150 high school and middle school girls this summer. It gives girls a chance to explore engineering careers, where women are historically underrepresented.

Stephanie Ivey, assistant professor, A2H Fellow and a program coordinator, said the success created demand for a boys program.

"I got a lot of calls: 'I see your program for girls. What do you offer for boys?'" she said

Organizers decided a boys program would reach a group that's even more underrepresented: minority males.

The new program was made possible by support from the Canadian National Railway and UofM's Intermodal Freight Transportation Institute.

"Transportation engineering is very important because Memphis is such a huge transportation hub," Ivey said.

"It has been really motivational for the girls," said Sheri Grear, algebra teacher at Bartlett High School. "It helps them get a step ahead, and that's why I think it's good for the guys, too. It helps them to see someone of their own sex and own race who does that job."

Back in the classroom, Dyesean and Kristopher and their team, the Polos, mixed a batch of "chocolate asphalt" from molten chocolate, oats and rice puffs. The slabs will be load-tested this morning to see how many BBs they can hold.

Students had to follow a budget and finish the exercise by noon.

Team Polo eyeballed its mix of cocoa and grain and decided it needed more heft.

"We've got to go buy some more crispies," said Kristopher, 18.

As the deadline bore down, Dyesean, 17, calmly worked the mix into a slab using a ruler and a roller made of PVC pipe.

Dyesean found the program relevant because "you've got to have cars to run on the roads. I want to learn how to build motors that produce more speed but are more eco-friendly and use less gas."

Kristopher also made a connection.

"I'm in between doing an engineering career or going into forensic science, and I might end up doing forensic engineering because it covers both things I'm interested in. I could find out why a bridge failed. That's something I could see myself doing."

-- Wayne Risher: 529-2874