Photo by Sue Watson
From South Reporter
Date: June 9, 2011
Byhalia Middle and High School students taking physical science and chemistry got an hour each to play with robots. The traveling road show for engineering at the University of Memphis was provided by Thomas E. Banning, assistant professor of engineering technology. The STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program is geared toward recruiting outstanding students to the area universities and junior colleges including the University of Memphis, Banning said. He was joined by engineering student Derwin Cobb. Physical science instructor Sean McClish assists Antonio Johnson, a ninth grader, in his first lesson. Banning said the simple robots used in this road show are a small-scale model of the larger robots used in industries like the automotive industries in the state – Nissan and Toyota.