FACULTY PROFILE Gabriela Dumitrescu

Gabriela Dumitrescu, affectionately known as Mrs. D. to her students, focuses on the E in STEM at St. Mary’s. Mrs. D. hopes that engineering classes will be able to “change their brain to create a new mind set.” Freshmen take Introduction to Engineering and Design I where they use a “systematic problem solving and strategy” — the Design Process and ONSHAPE a CAD (Computer Aided Design) software. Students in grades 10–12 take Introduction to Engineering and Design II where students use “reverse engineering” which is to “choose an object, analyze it, take it apart, look inside it to see how it works and then put it back together.” Some of the projects include using 3D printers to create coffee cups, Christmas ornaments, a remote holder, knobs on dressers, a sewing machine part and much more. Sophomores, juniors and seniors can take Architecture and Civil Engineering, a yearlong course, which focuses on future careers, the history of architecture and civil engineering and how to use ArchiCAD software. Last year, students created a 3D model using ArchiCAD and a 3D print of a two-bedroom house with furniture. This kind of layout uses “standard dimensions and functionality” which is commonly used by Habitat for Humanity to help them build homes. High School students can also take an APP Creator elective where they learn to program and design basic apps such as ones to create healthier diet and mental health apps to help others. Last year, students participated in the 2021 Cooper Hewitt National High School Design Challenge that focused on designing items for a “healthier world for all” by creating handless door opening devices and more efficient masks. This year, Mrs. D. is getting her students ready for their future by having them each create a portfolio that will help them “understand what to include, how to present their projects, what to choose and how it best reflects their ideas and work.” It is a major “challenge for them to be pushed to be more creative by thinking and analyzing data by having them look at the aesthetics and graphic design involved.” It is very important to Mrs. D. that her students learn “how to think, how to approach problem solving strategies, ethics, teamwork, team management and the availability of future careers. A person trained in engineering with an engineer mind set can achieve anything. Engineering training gives you the perspective of the smaller, but also of the bigger picture. Engineers don’t just sit in an office, they are in management, sales and are supervisors; they are Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and hopefully, many of our students will walk in the future in those big name footsteps.”

by Stacy Drector