Spare Parts
We are proud to announce that the common book for 2016 is Spare Parts by Joshua Davis.
In 2004, four Latino teenagers arrived at the Marine Advanced Technology Education Robotics Competition at the University of California, Santa Barbara. No one had ever suggested to Oscar, Cristian, Luis, or Lorenzo that they might amount to much, but two inspiring science teachers had convinced these impoverished, undocumented kids from the desert who had never even seen the ocean that they should try to build an underwater robot.
And build a robot they did. Their robot wasn't pretty, especially compared to those of the competition. They were going up against some of the best collegiate engineers in the country, including a team from MIT backed by a $10,000 grant from ExxonMobil. The Phoenix teenagers had scraped together less than $1,000 and built their robot out of scavenged parts. This was never a level competition and yet, against all odds . . . they won!
Lecture Series
We are looking for students, staff, and faculty interested in giving a lecture exploring the issues raised in Spare Parts. To apply please provide your name, presentation title, and a 50-word description of its content. Proposals for individual and panel presentations are welcome.
For priority consideration, submit your information by July 20.
