From Gainesville to Xalapa, Mexico: Engineering Connections Through Hands-On Learning

This summer, Assistant Professor Fernando Merida had the opportunity to take a piece of the University of Florida’s hands-on engineering classroom to Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, as an instructor for Clubes de Ciencia México (CdeCMx).

CdeCMx brings together students and instructors for intensive, one-week STEM experiences centered on collaboration, experimentation, and discovery. Participants represent a remarkably broad range of backgrounds, from high-school juniors and seniors to college students from freshman through senior year, eyeing or pursuing disciplines across STEM fields. From August 2–8, Merida joined the Xalapa program hosted at Universidad Veracruzana, where he led Bioingenieros: Conquistando los Fenómenos de Transporte.

The goal was to make concepts that can seem abstract in an engineering classroom visible, tangible, and relevant. Working in four teams, 16 students explored fluid mechanics and heat transfer through bioengineering applications using miniaturized experiential-learning laboratory kits developed in UF’s Department of Chemical Engineering. Students assembled the kits, collected and interpreted data, troubleshot experimental challenges, and connected transport phenomena to biological and biomedical systems.

Given the diversity of academic backgrounds and experience levels in the room, what surprised me Merida the most was the students’ critical-thinking and troubleshooting abilities, particularly among those still in high school. Student's engagement was equally remarkable. Even during scheduled breaks, many remained around the lab kits, continuing experiments and discussions with their teammates.

One high-school student mentioned that the club had helped make physical concepts that once seemed extremely complex or abstract understandable. The student joked that even turning on a bathroom faucet would now prompt questions such as, “Is the flow laminar or turbulent?” and “Are the frictional effects too much?” Another student, considering a future in biology, left the club interested in exploring transport phenomena in artificial organ design.

The clearest evidence of the club’s impact came during the final poster session. Students confidently explained transport phenomena to attendees while demonstrating the mini fluid-flow and heat-exchanger kits. Soon, the kits became part of the celebration, with students and visitors taking pictures and selfies while holding the kits.

The experience also opened opportunities beyond the week itself. Fernando Merida has been invited back to Universidad Veracruzana for a Symposium on Process Engineering to share strategies for teaching fluid mechanics and heat transfer using experiential learning modules. Faculty members and the undergraduate Chemical Engineering program coordinator also expressed interest in incorporating the fluid-flow kit into their courses and exploring collaborative engineering education research with UF.

"I am deeply grateful to all the students who participated in the club for their enthusiasm, curiosity, and commitment throughout the week, as well as to my fellow instructor, co-instructors, volunteers, and the CdeCMx organizers in Xalapa whose support and collaboration made this experience possible," Fernando said.

Fernando returned to Gainesville with new ideas for my teaching, new colleagues in Mexico, and an even stronger appreciation for what can happen when students and educators across institutions and disciplines learn by doing together. A one-week science club may be a small starting point, but it can also become the beginning of a lasting international connection.