BUFFALO, N.Y. — National Engineers Week is about more than just the science of engineering.

“It’s National Engineers Week, not National Engineering," said Gabrielle Graham, community engagement manager for the Buffalo Museum of Science. "And so it’s about the people that are doing the science. So really this whole week is about coming out and being connected to community."

Engineers like Buffalo State University student Ronald Lotempio help students learn more about what engineering really is. 

“As a child, I like to take apart things and see how they work,” said Lotempio. “Technology has always been a passion of mine. So logically electrical engineering just made sense for me.”

They showcased all different kinds of engineering, from how it is used in technology.

“I’ve brought a 3D printer kind of to show what additive manufacturing looks like," Lotempio said. "A 3D printer is useful for prototyping and making different designs."

They even showed engineering is used to make things like lava lamps.

“Lava lamps are made out of Alka-Seltzer, some oil and some food coloring,” said Graham. “You bring people in with these things that they’re familiar with and you show them how they work in a different way or you explain it in a slightly different way and it really helps people to see that they might already be engaged in some engineering.”

The museum brought students from different universities together to show the diversity of engineering and highlight the impact of engineers.

“Engineers have really built the world around us," Lotempio said. "Everything that we use in our day-to-day lives has been engineered by somebody.“

"Engineering is, at its fundamental core, really problem-solving," Graham said. "And we have a lot of problems that we can solve and do things a little bit better."

There's hopes that highlighting engineers can create a new generation of engineers. 

“There’s so much to learn about [and] so much to explore,” Lotempio said.