College of Engineering students with their pumpkin-catapulting trebuchet.
Oct. 30, 2019 — The UTSA College of Engineering and the Student Success Center will host the annual Monster Mash Pumpkin Smash and STEM Fair on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Main Campus’ east campus parking lot. Admission is free and open to the public.
Every year UTSA student organizations build medieval trebuchets, which are catapulting devices, and compete in a pumpkin-launching contest to see who can sling their pumpkin the farthest. This has been a long-standing tradition within the college. and it gets very competitive.
“This family-friendly event has always been a fun opportunity to share some of UTSA and the College of Engineering with the community,” said Jill Ford, assistant dean and director of the College of Engineering’s Student Success Center.
⇒ Visit the College of Engineering's Student Success Center online.
“It is also a way to help make STEM more accessible to everyone,” she added. “Students have the chance to participate in campus life, activities, and events while demonstrating that their passion for engineering goes beyond just math and science. It provides students an opportunity to showcase what they have learned throughout their courses and apply that knowledge in a real-world setting.”
Winning teams in previous years have launched their pumpkins up to 700 feet. This year five College of Engineering and College of Sciences student organizations have been working to construct the perfect trebuchet that will launch them to the top of the competition.
Along with the trebuchet competition, the event also offers a kid-friendly STEM fair, featuring student organizations from both colleges. The fair will feature music, food trucks and interactive activities, including density potions, film canister rockets, fun with acid-based chemistry, paper bridge designing, wooden block Jenga, pumpkin piano.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th anniversary year and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Each fall and spring semester, students convene at the Main Campus at UTSA with booths, ideas and prototypes. A crowd of judges, local organizations, students, faculty and sponsors walk around and talk to the students about their projects and ask questions. Students get the real-life experience of "pitching" their project with hopes of getting funding or support to move to the next level.
UTSA Convocation Center, Main CampusJoin the doctoral candidates for the Doctoral Conferreal Ceremony and celebrate their accomplishments.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusCelebrate the graduates from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the graduates from the College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and College of Sciences.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
