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The 2023 — 2024 Future City Competition Theme
Electrify Your Future

Design a 100% electrically powered city with energy generated from sources that keep your citizens and the environment healthy and safe.

Schedule
Details will be added as they emerge

Melissa Laffen, PMP M.S. Technology Management, University of Maryland B.S. Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University		Melissa Laffen is an engineer and certified project management professional with 22 years of experience leading and performing engineering and economic analyses of conventional and alternative transportation technologies and fuel systems, including hydrogen and fuel cells, electric vehicles, and biofuels. She has led multidisciplinary teams in complex R&D support projects/programs and development of technical models and analyses. Ms. Laffen provides ongoing technical support to (1) the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO), (2) the 21st Century Truck Partnership for the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), and (3) Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Advanced Combustion and Fuels Research Program in support of DOE’s VTO.
Lindsey Walaski M.S. Sustainable Engineering, Villanova University B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Union College		Lindsey Walaski fosters the "Leave it Better than you found it" philosophy in her career, which is dedicated to sustainability and improving the building environment. She is an Energy and Sustainability Manager at JLL, managing a sustainability program to reduce the environmental footprint of building operations. She is also a co-chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee and a Board Member for Green Building United to advance sustainability and resilient buildings in our region.

In 2018 the Future City team started doing an Engineering Fair in October to provide a broader experience and give the students an opportunity to directly interact with engineers and experience something like an event that an engineering society would host. The Engineering Fair provides the students with a taste of what engineering is. The Engineering Fair consists of a Moving Parts Workshop (the model cities have at least one moving part), Exhibition Hall (10 to 15 of our sponsors and a few Engineering Departments from nearby universities) and a speaker who addresses the Engineering Challenge for the upcoming competition. We expect that about 10 schools and 80 to 100 students will attend the Engineering Fair.

Speakers at the Engineering Fair are drawn from industry and academia. They come from wide range of backgrounds and are well known in their field. All of them understand how to communicate with middle school students and realize the importance of lighting the fire curiosity in young people.

The Moving Parts Workshop shows the students that they can build a prototype of a moving part for their city in about an hour. This builds confidence and helps the team members learning how to work together.

The Exhibition Hall is full of fun and surprises. Most important is student conversations with to engineers who treat them as peers. There is also a fair amount of corporate bling that makes it way into student goody bags.

Moving Parts Project Instructions and
Sources for Parts

This will be updated for 2023 projects after the Engineering Fair

Thank you SAP America Inc.
For Hosting Us

2023 Exhibitors
List will be updated as exhibitors are identified

• SAP America
• Project Management Institute - Delware Valley Chapter
• Urban Engineers, Inc.
• Vicinty Energy
• Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)
• Gilbane Building Company
• ISPE Delaware Valley Chapter

Resources to help design a 100% electrically powered city with energy generated from sources that keep your citizens and the environment healthy and safe.
Coming Soon

Questions or additional information about registration for the Future City Engineering Fair
Contact Ken Golkin: kgolkin@futurcityphilly.org

Questions or additional information about registration for the Future City Completion?
Contact Mary Moyer darevmoyer@verizon.net

Past Engineering Fairs

Sponsor the Future City Competition