Engineering Inc - September/October 2017 - 44

WOOLPERT

engages in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics
competitions.
Through FIRST, which
was founded by inventor and
entrepreneur Dean Kamen,
kids team up to build and
program industrial-sized robots
that compete in field games.
The students must follow strict
rules and use limited resources,
and in addition to building
their robots, they must raise
funds, design their team brand
and hone their teamwork
The Woolpert cycling team takes part in the annual Young's Ice Cream Charity Bike Tour, raising money for multiple charities
skills-all under a six-week
including the Alzheimer's Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Woolpert was named one of the top
fundraising teams in 2016.
time limit.
"It teaches kids a tremenwhat we do, and this goes far beyond working on projects. At
dous amount," says Mackie. "It allows kids to work through a
Woolpert, we want to make our world a better place, and when
real-life engineering project. It's pretty cool."
we can give back to the community while working shoulderThe program fits with other Woolpert efforts to support STEM
to-shoulder with our clients, that just makes us very fortunate
education. The firm's employees also provide students at a regional
people."
STEM school with feedback on their portfolios and speak at
schools about a variety of STEM topics, and Woolpert sponsors a
SUPPORTING STEM
number of scholarships. But the company needed to find a way to
And Woolpert's community involvement extends to mentoring
support the robotics team without providing technical expertise.
future engineers-with one small caveat.
Ultimately, in addition to providing financial support, Woolp"We don't build robots," says Thomas Mackie, geospatial and
ert opted to help the kids with marketing and technical writing-
aviation practice leader and vice president at Woolpert.
skills that help them garner additional sponsorships for their team.
The firm does, however, support BONDS (Bringing Opportu"We wanted to participate however we could best help," Mackie
nities Near Dayton Students) Robotics, a Dayton-area group that
says. "We also have a lot of relationships in the area, and we help

Responding to Disaster

WOOLPERT

In 2015, when the largest rainfall event ever
to hit the midlands of South Carolina put
much of the region underwater, Woolpert
responded with a unique form of assistance.
As soon as the storm clouds cleared,
the company sent an airplane up to capture
aerial images of the damage in order to
assist local officials with their response.
The plane then continued to Woolpert's
Dayton headquarters, where employees
processed the images and prepared them
for public viewing online. The firm donated
its services.
"We did this to help," says Brian Bates,
a Woolpert project director. "We had an
airplane. It was needed. Nobody else was
Woolpert collected high-resolution aerial imagery immediately following the catastrophic flooding that hit
going to be able to provide this. We're part South Carolina in October 2015 and presented it alongside its previously collected imagery via website and app
to assist local government officials and the public in disaster relief efforts.
of the community, and we acted just like a
neighbor would act."

ENGINEERING INC.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017

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