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Clik here to view.Introducing Amy Elliot.

From a two-person recumbent bicycle and a one-person car, Amy Elliott has moved on to designing and building a pancake-making machine to feed hundreds of people; a portable shelter that can withstand fire, high winds and powerful waves; and a robot capable of competing in three Olympic events.

All on national TV.

She’s also working on her doctoral degree and has been invited to give a TED Talk, one of a series of talks focused on “ideas worth spreading.”

Since graduating from Tennessee Tech University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Amy has taken her field by storm. She gives some of the credit for her success to the hands-on experiences and STEM Education she had at TTU.

“It was indispensible. There’s no class you can sit in that compares to the hands-on experiences,” said Amy, who came in second on the Discovery Channel’s recent reality show, “The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius.”

“That was what set me apart on the show. A lot of engineers don’t have the hands-on experience.”

In addition to classes, students at Tennessee Tech have the chance to join dozens of different clubs, organizations and teams and get the kinds of experiences that set them apart from their peers.

Amy was involved with the TTU Baja SAE and moonbuggy teams, which design and build a one-person car and a two-person bicycle, respectively, and compete against hundreds of universities around the world; the Society for Women Engineers; and Engineering a Future, an outreach program that introduces young girls to science, technology, engineering and math.

Every student on campus has the same opportunities and gets personal attention, advice and encouragement from faculty mentors.

Through its more than 40 undergraduate programs and hundreds of student activities, Tennessee Tech prepares students to be leaders in their fields, wherever their career choices lead.

Among nearly 10,000 undergraduate students, approximately one-third are studying STEM fields. TTU’s 252-acre campus in Cookeville has dozens of high-tech labs for hands-on learning.

A leader in the state in STEM disciplines, TTU students land paid internships at top companies and facilities throughout the South, including Volkswagen and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

They make a difference in the lives of Tennesseans by introducing the community to meaningful science and engineering. TTU students design assistive devices for people with disabilities. They work with faculty on research to protect the environment, simplify medical testing procedures, or improve the materials the nation uses to create roads, bridges and buildings.

They come here to become champions in their fields, no matter the academic discipline.

Come with them. Find out more or schedule a campus visit at www.tntech.edu.

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