Aerospace Professor Anouck Girard was among the recipients of the College of Engineering’s 2019 incentives program awards. Her innovative outreach efforts have reached hundreds of k-12 students through cooperation with engineering summer camps, Project Lead the Way, and other youth engineering programs.
In cooperation with CLASP, Professor Girard a has invented a program for high schoolers to build rovers and race them through a maze. To reach younger students, Prof. Girard has combined her research into autonomous vehicles with her love of Harry Potter to create a Quidditch-inspired quadcopter game. Clad in her wizard’s robes, Professor Girard teaches students to pilot their own quadcopters in energetic matches that closely resemble the beloved series. In addition to “quadcopter-quidditch,” Professor Girard has developed a Wizarding World themed mathematics curriculum.
The incentives program is part of the Michigan Engineering strategic vision to reward and recognize creative, innovative, and daring faculty. Says Michael Wellman, associate dean for Academic Affairs, “The recipients of the 2019 faculty incentives have gone above and beyond in demonstrating Michigan Engineering values through their research, teaching, and service.”
