As part of the Frisch School Engineering curriculum, guest lecturers are invited to speak with the engineering students about the latest advances in all areas of engineering and bio-medical technology. The 2014-15 Engineering Lecture Series at Frisch is off to a very exciting and powerful start. “We have received an incredible response from parents, alumni and friends of the Frisch School willing to share their expertise and passions to inspire our students,” said Rifkie Silverman who runs the engineering program at Frisch.
Recently, Steven J. Paley, a Frisch parent, lectured on the topics of inventing and the creative side of engineering. Paley is an inventor, entrepreneur, and teacher with over 25 years of experience in business and technology. Most recently, he founded Arise Technologies, which teaches robotics and engineering to special needs children. He was inspired to write his first book, The Art of Invention, as a guide to teaching creative thinking. “I see inventing as an art, as well as a disciplined science which requires a certain attitude and mindset,” said Mr. Paley. He spoke with students about how people come up with ideas, how they develop them, and how “Design Thinking” can be used to transform them into inventions.
This past Friday, Dr. Michael Stifelman, also a Frisch parent, was streamed in live to Frisch from an NYU Medical Center operating room where he was performing a surgical procedure. Dr. Stifelman is Chief of the Urology Service at Tisch Hospital and Director of Robotic Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. His clinical focus is on the use of robotic and laparoscopic surgical techniques to treat diseases of the genitourinary tract. Dr Stifelman briefly discussed how robotics was developed, the mechanics within the instrumentation, computer assisted technology the device offers, as well as some of the new imaging enhancement technology provided by the latest Xi system. Students were then given the opportunity to watch an actual live procedure being performed followed by a question and answer session.
These lectures are just a part of the very fast and dynamic growth of the Frisch Engineering program. Frisch recently welcomed a 3D printer to its Engineering lab provided by the Center for Initiatives in Jewish Education (CIJE), which supports this program. “We are introducing students to the exciting world of 3D printing and its applications to biological systems and design while showing the students its ability to change the way we manufacture,” said Mrs. Silverman. Benjamin Gross, head of technology at HAFTR, helped jump-start Frisch’s 3D printing program with Mrs. Silverman. For the 2014-15 school year, all second-year Engineering students will be using the 3D printer to design a part for their end-of-year projects. The Engineering students will also be collaborating with students at HAFTR and sharing ideas and designs.
The Frisch Engineering Lecture Series provides the students the opportunity to see the potentials of a career in Engineering. Future programs include Robotics, Animation, Bio-medical Research and Patent Law, as well as other topics in the Engineering arena. If you are interested in speaking at the Frisch Engineering Lecture Series, please contact Mrs. Silverman at [email protected].
