Three Panther Valley juniors recently completed the Summer Engineering Institute at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

Taylor Davis of Lansford, Thad Karnish of Summit Hill, and Gianna Steber of Nesquehoning completed the two-week residential program hosted by hosted by Lehigh’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. The program is a chance for deserving kids to experience the challenge and thrill of science, technology, engineering and math in a cooperative, team-based environment.

Students were recommended by their teachers and nominated by their guidance counselor to this competitive program.

Fifty students from 40 school districts in the Lehigh Valley and beyond are chosen for each of the two two-week sessions based upon academics, talent and motivation. Accepted students received full scholarships to cover the cost of the program.

As part of SEI, participants were encouraged to work in teams to solve complex problems, both in the classroom and laboratory, using the sophisticated technology and facilities available at Lehigh University.

Topics included energy, health care, bioengineering, cybersecurity, transportation, infrastructure, environment sustainability, advanced manufacturing, personal electronics, 3D printing, nanotechnology as well as military technology

The program included courses taught by each of the university’s engineering departments: industrial and systems; materials science; civil and environmental, mechanical, mechanics, chemical and bimolecular; electrical and computer; and computer science.

Lehigh’s SEI began in 2014 as part of the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Engineering and Technology. The program was discontinued in 2016 when funding for the program was eliminated.

After a one-year hiatus, the program was restarted by Lehigh with the help of corporate sponsorships. This year’s donors included PPL Corporation, B. Braun Medical, AT&T and Highwood USA of Tamaqua.