Sensor Sensation
An engineer and slam poet uses multimedia to excite students about engineering and smart cities.
By Jennifer Pocock
Nehemiah J. Mabry is a structural engineer, educator, and entrepreneur with a creative streak that runs deep through all of his projects. He also has a performer’s gift, taking home this year’s grand prize in the National Academy of Engineering’s Engineering for You (E4U) video contest with an on-screen recitation of his slam poem “Future Cities with Intelligent Infrastructure.”
Making our cities more sustainable
Is not unattainable.
For instance:
Since things can sense things,
Why aren’t we consenting
To put sensors in things,
And thus preventing
Destruction?
Construct and renew.
Wouldn’t it be cool if our buildings and bridges
Had nervous systems like we do?
“I’ve always had eclectic interests,” says Mabry, a lifelong Southerner who holds a Ph.D. in structural engineering and mechanics from North Carolina State University; a B.S. and M.S. in civil engineering from University of Alabama, Huntsville; and a B.S. in applied mathematics from Oakwood University in Huntsville.
All through his schooling, Mabry never wavered from his ambition to be an engineer. At the same time, however, he nurtured his love for performing by singing in choirs, playing bass guitar, and directing improv and drama groups. He’s also been a slam poet since middle school.
“I decided to try as best as possible to blend my two worlds, because for me, I always looked at engineering through a lens of creativity and art, and vice-versa.” Mabry wants to use this creativity to connect with students, encouraging them—especially women and underrepresented minorities—not to give up on the subject.
When Intel, along with Facebook, MTV, and Google announced the “Engineering: Stay With It,” campaign in 2012 to combat high attrition rates, he knew that he wanted to contribute. “I decided to put together a video—not your traditional interview-style video, but more of a story about why I chose engineering and what I’m doing to stay with it. It got some national attention,” he said. “That validated the idea that my unique perspective had value to it and it could serve as an inspiration to others.”
His poetry contains mathematical and engineering wordplay throughout, combining technical know-how with emotional appeals to tired students. The first video, “Future Engineers: Stay With It,” generated thousands of views on MTV.
To sustain your plane, listen, you can’t just blame Physics.
The game is yours if you remain and stay with it.
So, if your current travels seem highly resistant,
Remember the power behind is greater than the path before—so soar and go get it!
That project helped him launch STEMedia, a multimedia company that produces podcasts, K-12 STEM workshops, creative lectures, and events, such as two STEM poetry competitions held at NC State in partnership with the National Society for Black Engineers and the university’s Minority Engineering Programs Office. The firm maintains a strong social media presence, with nearly 10,000 Instagram followers. “We’re building an audience…and it’s starting to get a little more notice now,” Mabry says. NAE’s $25,000 grand prize and additional $5,000 “people’s choice” winnings will go to the company.
Mabry rehearses his performances and produces videos while working full time as a bridge design engineer at Simpson Engineers and Associates in Cary, N.C., a firm specializing in transportation projects. He began there part time as a graduate student while researching his dissertation topic, fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites for bridges, as well as structural health monitoring and evaluation. He’s passionate about the repair and rehabilitation of the nation’s infrastructure and excited to put his research to practical use.
“Bridge sensors are important. Knowing that we have a growing need to restore our urban infrastructure, we can’t feasibly tear everything down and build it over again,” he says. “You have to combine replacement with repair, and you have to be smart about your repair methods, as well as making sure that you have the necessary tools to get that information—to know how well repairs will hold up in the long term.”
Mabry plans to continue highlighting sensors, infrastructure, and engineering on YouTube and social media in hopes of grabbing the fleeting interest of young people. His website quotes some staggering statistics: “Ninety-six percent of 13-24 year-olds consume online video via social media sites on an average of 11 hours per week,” and “six out of the top 10 influencers for 13-18 year-olds are YouTube stars.” With that kind of influence, perhaps Mabry is onto something.
Jennifer Pocock is assistant editor of Prism.