University Day

About University Day

FIRST University Day is an event held for all levels of FIRST to gain knowledge from experts in the community. Teams can attend a variety of presentations on software, mechanical, outreach, and many more topics! Students and mentors can learn a lot from each other, and this event encourages everyone to share our knowledge to advance the FIRST Community.

2023 Event Information

Date: December 2nd, 2023

Time: 9 AM-4 PM

Location: Lawrence D. McHugh Hall, Hillside Rd, Storrs, CT 06269

Event Information Packet

Event Location and Parking Information

Event Location Map

This event will be taking place in McHugh Hall on the UConn Storrs campus. We recommend parking in Y or Z Lot as they are free on the weekends. If you would prefer to park in a garage, please park in South Garage, however garage parking is not free. See the UConn Parking website for more information about UConn Parking Garage rates. All recommended parking is within a 5-10 minute walk of the event venue.

Note: To navigate to any UConn Parking lots, just put the name of the lot into the navigation app of your choice. Please keep in mind that there is construction happening on UConn's campus that might cause road closures.

UConn Parking

Event Parking Map

Event Registration

Note: If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact UConn FIRST at first.uconn@gmail.com by November 11th in addition to registering.

Registration for this event has closed. Please reach out to youssef.macary@uconn.edu for any event questions.

Event Schedule

Presentation Descriptions

Use the button below to view the links to the presentations.

University Day Presentations

10:00-10:45 AM

Inclusion and Pride in FIRST

Prasanthi Lingamallu (FTC 16008)

This presentation will cover the ways to create and develop inclusion and diversity within the FIRST community.

Supporting Your Team with a Nonprofit

Joey Macary

The presentation will cover the process of starting a non-profit, the steps that need to be taken, how to stay in compliance, and the benefits of having a non-profit.

Building Your Brand

David Givens (FRC 195)

This presentation will cover how to take your team's branding to the next level.

Safety FIRST

Becky Yankowitz (FRC 6328)

This presentation will cover why safety is important, how to implement industrial safety standards in the build and competition season, and define the role of a safety captain.

Why and How to Advocate for Support from your State Government

States of New England Advocacy Conference

This presentation will cover the various ways to advocate for support from your state government and the reasons why teams should.

Note: Attendees for these sessions should sign up for the SNEAC event at https://sneac.info/ct/ in advance and if possible watch the training videos.

1:00-1:55 PM

Here Comes the Judge- Impact Award

John Boucher (FRC 237)

This presentation will cover general tips and tricks for interacting with judges, with a particular emphasis on the Impact award.

Meet the XRP: Learn Robot Programming without a full-size FRC Robot (PT 1)

ZQ Yeo (FRC 354)

This presentation will cover basic program structure, command-based programming, using tools like dashboards for robot feedback, and using the XRP for learning about robot programming without requiring full-sized FRC robots.

The Importance of Team & Design Documentation and How to Utilize it in FIRST

Sophie Carrier (FRC 175)

This presentation will cover team documentation in regards to robot design, engineering and overall team information.

Designing Competitive FTC Drivetrains

Charudatta Kulkarni (FTC 18221)

This presentation will cover different drive trains used in FTC and how to utilize them.

Funding and Community Building for all CT FIRST teams - Advocacy and Discussion

States of New England Advocacy Conference

Tim Barron (FRC 178), Mark Burzynski (FRC 3461),& Tom Letendre (FRC 155)

This will be an informal discussion of funding for CT teams. We will determine action steps that CT teams can work together on to advocate for and support funding for all CT FIRST teams.

Note: Be sure to attend pt. 1 because pt. 2 and pt. 3 will take place as needed.

2:00-2:55 PM

General Game Strategy and Goal Prioritization

Thomas Lourenco (FRC 195 and FTC 8942)

This presentation will cover a general overview of game strategy, with a focus in preventing your ideal strategy from blowing your scope.

Meet the XRP: Learn Robot Programming without a full-size FRC Robot (PT 2)

Brad Miller

Leveraging FIRST in the College Application Process

Lauren Jefferson (FRC 175)

This presentation will cover an overview of the college application process, ways to get involved with your team/demonstrate leadership, resumes, areas to talk about FIRST experience, including essays, information about the FIRST scholarship and alumni portals.

Something Mechanical this Way Comes

Frank D'Anna (FRC 230)

This presentation will cover the building blocks of mechanical design and best practices.

3:00-3:55 PM

Starting an FLL Program with your FRC/FTC Team

Robert Cormier (FRC 1071)

This presentation will cover how to start an FLL program as a FRC or FTC team.

To FIRST and Beyond: Staying Involved After High School

Jasmine Morris (FRC 5686 and FTC 23535)

This presentation will cover how to stay involved with FIRST after high school.

Sustaining Success: Mastering Sponsorship for FIRST Robotics

Stacey Hilton (FRC 195)

This presentation will cover how to secure and maintain sponsors for your team, with the goal of team sustainability in mind.

Taking FRC Robots to the Next Level with the Robot Operating System (ROS)

Chris Bonomi (FRC 195)

This presentation will cover how to integrate the Robot Operating System (ROS) into their robots.