KING'S FORK GRAD LEARNS ABOUT BEING A 'WOMENGINEER'

Ashley Cox knew she was getting into a male-dominated field when she decided to pursue engineering.

But a few months after being accepted to Old Dominion University, she was offered an opportunity to learn about being a "womengineer."For the past four weeks, the 2011 King's Fork High School salutatorian has learned about the engineering program and participated in hands-on activities through the university's Engineering Early Advantage Program.

The program, which ODU has offered for 11 years, is a paid internship for the female students to earn academic and professional exposure before they begin classes at ODU's college of engineering.

Cox and 14 other students reported Monday through Thursday for the program. On the last day of the program, Cox and her fellow EEAP participants gave presentations of what they learned to the people who are paying them.

Cox's time at EEAP was split between spending two weeks at ODU and two weeks at the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center.

While at VMASC, the students took part in hands-on engineering activities, such as designing and racing a pinewood derby racecar and rebuilding a computer.In addition to their projects at VMASC, the students also visited several businesses and companies in the engineering field, including NASA Langley and WR Systems in Norfolk. They also took a virtual tour of Lockheed Martin's Center for Innovation in Harbour View.

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