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DATA for New York

Critical infrastructure systems impact our daily lives, from the time we brush our teeth in the morning until we switch off all the lights at night. We often interact with these systems without giving them much thought. At the same time, many components of these systems are aging and outdated, no longer meeting the needs of the communities they serve. One major challenge in maintaining these systems is identifying damages and prioritizing maintenance and repairs.  

Crowd sourcing is a data collection method that relies on public citizens to provide data and is a powerful tool in collecting real-time information about urban and environmental conditions. In this class, we will discuss the power of crowdsourcing data to better understand and maintain NYC infrastructures. We will also investigate ways to analyze civil systems (from structures to networks) and to visualize data for monitoring these systems. Students will learn basic tools for data collection and visualization; fundamentals of structural and system analysis; and discuss infrastructure resilience in the context of NYC.  

Students will be exposed to:

-Fundamentals of civil engineering (beginning with structural analysis) 

-Group work and collaboration 

-Engineering research techniques

-Data collection and visualization (including Excel and basic Python) 

-Design and problem-solving 

Instructors: Cynthia Lee, Cooper Union Civil Engineering Faculty, and Cooper Union student teaching assistants

Participants: Students in 10th or 11th grade in the 2022-2023 school year. 

Session information: This six-week program offer one session starting Monday, July 10, 2023. Classes meet Monday - Thursday, 9 am to 3 pm.

Prerequisites: none

Teaching method: In person.  The instructor and teaching assistants will lead students through daily scheduled lectures, discussions, field trips, guest speakers and project work. 

Materials: All materials are included. Students can opt to bring a personal computer.

Cost: $3995

Apply now: https://connect.cooper.edu/apply/
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Credits: 0.00

Course Code: STEM 22-3

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.