H.A.N.S.O.N.S. - Helping All New Students Obtain Necessary Skills

The H.A.N.S.O.N.S. endowment will be used to fund student capstone design and individual undergraduate research projects, along with various other student hands-on research activities. These projects provide a practical application of the engineering design theories and principles students learn throughout the program.

The inclusion of hands-on projects in students’ learning creates a tactile reinforcement, cementing their lessons into an experience that is designed to increase the information they retain. Research shows that students listening intently but in a passive lecture format seem to retain about 20 percent of the given information. When students are given an opportunity to practice and apply the lessons learned, we can see that percentage grow to 75 percent.

Additionally, a hands-on approach to teaching mechanical engineering offers students exposure to the materials and equipment commonly found within industry, providing real-world experience and generating a better understanding of professional interactions among manufacturing and fabrication professionals within the workplace.   

To build upon the value of gaining long term lessons through hands-on experience, please remember that when you help build this endowment through your generous donations, you are in fact making a long term difference by improving our ability to teach our future generations of Texas Tech Mechanical Engineers and ensuring the successful future of our profession.