Students Net $46,000 in Prizes at Craig M. Berge Design Day 2021

Members of the Class of 2021 spent their entire senior year in a pandemic. But, through a combination of virtual communication, safe in-person meetings and pure grit, 99 teams completed capstone projects that are a testament to the power of an engineering education. In place of an in-person ceremony, students created videos of their projects and were honored in an online Craig M. Berge Design Day Awards Ceremony that included $46,000 in prizes.

“I want to congratulate our engineering students for your hard work and perseverance through a difficult senior year,” said David W. Hahn, the Craig M. Berge Dean of the College of Engineering. “The Wildcat Engineering spirit in each of you has brought you to this culminating experience. I am most proud of your efforts and delighted to showcase your incredible design projects.”

The student designs were as impressive as they were broad, ranging from a mannequin to test lightning protection garments, to a virtual reality laboratory and mosquito traps to combat deadly viruses. The celebration, the dean’s chair, and the college’s four-year design program are all named for College of Engineering alum Craig M. Berge, who earned his BS in mechanical engineering in 1957 and was a supporter of the college throughout his life.

Oso Pequeño: Windmill Watcher

It is engineers who build the future of our world, so it’s perhaps no surprise that this year’s winning team created a device to help with the production of wind energy. Tucson Electric Power’s Oso Grande Wind Project is a 61-turbine, 24,000-acre facility outside Roswell, New Mexico, expected to generate enough energy to serve about 90,000 homes.

Because the farm is more than six hours away from TEP’s nearest technicians, the company tasked Team 21056 with developing a way to remotely monitor the facility. The result: Oso Pequeño, a solar-powered, autonomous rover that gathers video footage of the turbines and weather.

“Given the challenges of this past year, all of the teams did amazing projects,” said Larry Head, inaugural director of the Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program. “But this project was the best. They developed a very comprehensive robotic system.”

Modified from a quad ATV, Oso Pequeño has seven mechanical sub-assemblies, is capable of conducting up to three turbine inspections per week, and came in a few hundred dollars under the team’s $4,000 budget.

“The entire engineering senior design experience has been a stream of important lessons,” said Torrey Peterson, an industrial engineering major and the team’s project procurement lead. “As a team, we learned the importance of taking roadblocks in stride; adhering to a set schedule and achievable milestones, utilizing our individual creativity and unique experiences to the advantage of the team; and engaging in consistent, direct communication important to teamwork and collaboration.”

Sustainability & Medical Applications

Sustainability-focused projects were abundant at this year’s Design Day. Team 21089, with its Aluminum-Air Battery, won the first-prize Bly Family Award for Innovation in Energy Production, Supply or Use. Team 21078 won the Delta Development Team Award for Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation for a cost-effective method of extracting helium from natural gas.

There were also an array of biomedical projects, including a device to test catheter efficacy, an automated refrigerant charge station for portable medical refrigerators and an improved ventilator design.

Ian Jackson, 2018 biomedical engineering graduate and CEO and founder of Jackson Medical, sponsored two projects this year, inspired by his experience as a hospital patient after a major motorcycle accident during his senior year. Team 21013 developed a bacteria-attenuating catheter. And Team 21014 won the Mensch Foundation Award for Best Use of Embedded Intelligence with a hospital bed designed to prevent ulcers.

Overcoming Obstacles, Entertaining Jaguars

Team 21095, whose members built an aircraft for the AIAA Design, Build Fly Aircraft Design Competition, received both the Honeywell Award for Excellence in Aerospace Mechanical System Design and The Steve Larimore Award for Perseverance and Recovery.

Their challenges ranged from COVID-19-related shipping delays and a pilot being out of town for a flight test to the aircraft being totaled after taking a 60-foot dive. During the final flight test, the team realized one of the servos – a device that helps control aircraft movement – wasn’t working. The backups the team had brought were having problems of their own. 

“With no other options, we were ready to call it a day and head back empty handed once again,” said aerospace engineering major Roman Gonzalez. “That was when someone passing by noticed our dilemma and offered up two of his servos. We integrated and tested them, and they worked perfectly, and our flight test was saved.”

Team 21034 kept to the ground with its animal enrichment automation system for the Reid Park Zoo’s jaguar habitat. The project, which won the Raytheon Technologies Award for Best Overall Design, uses motion sensors that allow animals to turn on features such as misters and visual displays. It was supported with funding from the Craig M. Berge dean’s endowment.

“We were really excited to see the results,” said Stephanie Norton, a Reid Park Zoo animal welfare specialist. “They were much better than we could have ever anticipated.”

Honoring Those Who Made It Possible

The day also recognized changes to the Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program and the Interdisciplinary Capstone Program. Don Newman, an alum and donor who has been the driving force behind Design Day planning for nearly a decade, and Gary Redford, the lead instructor of the Interdisciplinary Capstone 498 class, are both retiring.

“It is thanks to Don’s focus on long preparation times and attention to small details that we have been able to adapt with relative ease to these COVID times and hold two virtual Design Days,” said Ara Arabyan, director of the Interdisciplinary Capstone 498 Program, which is housed under the Craig M. Berge Design Program umbrella. “And Gary has mentored more than 70 ENGR 498 teams during his career with us, helping students produce some truly outstanding prototypes.”

Jim Baygents, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering, recognized Arabyan, who is preparing to depart on sabbatical, for his invaluable contributions to the growth of the Engineering Design Program. Under his tenure, student enrollment in the program has doubled, projects have nearly tripled, and the budget has increased by a factor of eight.

“Ara resolves problems,” Baygents said “He resolves issues. He keeps things working and running. The man I’m thanking and acknowledging today has made that task look easy. It’s not. But he’s done it well, and he’s done it with aplomb and devotion.”

Baygents closed the day by thanking all of the people who made Design Day possible, particularly the mentors. His final words were to the students.

“You’ve shown that, when faced with challenging projects and challenging times, you’re among the best and brightest in the state, if not the entire country. You represent the best of our university and our college, and we’re proud of what you do. We’re proud to soon call you our alums, and we wish you the best going forward.”

View the Design Day booklet.

Design Day 2021 Awards and Winners

 

Craig M. Berge Dean’s Award for Most Outstanding Project - $7,500

Team 21056: Wind Turbine Farm Inspection Robot

Team members: Juliusz Jakobowski, Susannah Victoria Kohn, Daniel Alan Lansdown, Torrey Alexander Petersen, Peter Joseph Gosan Vollmer

Sponsor: Tucson Electric Power

UA Mentor: Steve Larimore

 

Raytheon Award for Best Overall Design - $5,000

Team 21034: Animal Enrichment Automation

Team members: Jianna Aleyse Auditore, Kristine Hope Jones, Sarah Labat, Tiffany Tinyee Ma, Dustin Tien Nguyen, Anthony James Sanchez

Sponsor: Reid Park Zoo

UA Mentor: Heather Hilzendeger

 

Bly Award for Innovation in Energy Production, Supply or Use

First Place - $2,000

Team 21089: The Aluminum-Air Battery

Team Members: Abbass Bah, Nick Deak, Alyza Muzaffar Khan, Richard David Pepel

Sponsor: UA Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering

UA Mentor: Adrianna Brush

 

Second Place - $1,000

Team 21078: Cost-Effective Helium Extraction From Natural Gas

Team Members: Emily Larsen Cosgriff, Joshua Fleetwood, Dylan Koch, Jessica Lauren Unwin

Sponsor: UA Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

UA Mentor: Adrianna Brush

 

ACSS, an L3 Harris and Thales Joint Venture Award for Most Robust Systems Engineering - $2,500

Team 21028: Virtual Reality Optics Lab

Team Members: Carter Conway, Tia Skye Hunt, Ariel Lamdan, Tingting Thompson, Mason Richard Westmoreland, Celeste Mae Williams

Sponsor: Airy Optics

UA Mentor: Cat Merrill

 

Ball Aerospace Award for Best System Software Design - $2,500

Team 21058: Torque Robot

Team Members: Mustafa M Aljassim, Forrest Forrest Ernst, James William Greiner, Richelle Igcasenza Javier, Lupita Moreno, Mark Robert Piazza

Sponsor: Raytheon Technologies

UA Mentor: Pat Caldwell

 

Don McDonald Award for Manufacturing Readiness

First Place - $1,500

Team 21006: Coaxial UAV Tier 2

Team Members: Chris Angier, Darynn Eggert, Lauren McBeth, Spencer Moore, Josh Peters, Shae Kathleen Sonderer

Sponsor: Exorium Group

UA Mentor: Pat Caldwell

 

Second Place - $750

Team 21027: Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Catheter Efficacy Test Setup

Team Members: Angie Guadalupe Covarrubias, Alejandra Loreto, Duzan Pavlovich, Carlos Perez, Jocelyne Rivera, James Manuel Rivera-Torres

Sponsor: BD

UA Mentor: Don McDonald

 

RBC Sargent Aerospace & Defense Voltaire Design Award - $2,500

Team 21006: Coaxial UAV Tier 2

Team Members: Chris Angier, Darynn Eggert, Lauren McBeth, Spencer Moore, Josh Peters, Shae Kathleen Sonderer

Sponsor: Exorium Group

UA Mentor: Pat Caldwell

 

Roche Tissue Diagnostics Award for Most Innovative Engineering Design - $1,500

Team 21017: Remote-Controlled Automation for a Modular Vertical Farm Hydroponic Growing System

Team Members: Alexis Marie Canez, Torin R Hodge, Peter Kanaichi Joyce, Emma Duvall Menden, Zach Shellouff, Kate Michelle Stalkfleet

Sponsor: UA Department of Biosystems Engineering

UA Mentor: Steve Larimore

 

W. L. Gore and Associates Award for Lifelong Innovation - $1,500

Team 21049: Component Sound Analysis for Extracting and Analyzing Medical Information From Patient Encounters

Team Members: Reeshad Arian, Logan James Morales, Julia Elizabeth Ritz, Nate Smith, Oanh Tran

Sponsor: UA Center for Accelerated Biomedical Innovation

UA Mentor: Gary Redford

 

Rincon Research Award for Best Presentation - $1,500

Team 21039: Public Outreach Telescope

Team Members: Lizbeth Martinez, Bridget Ann Norman, Jared Everett Northrup, Carrie Lynn Stoll, Mason Richard Varuso, Shengrui Zhang

Sponsor: UA Department of Astronomy & Steward Observatory

UA Mentor: Gary Redford

 

II-VI Aerospace & Defense Award for Best Optical Systems Design - $1,500

Team 21054: Ground-Based Optical Target Tracker

Team Members: Hawraa Abdullah Bahzad, Tevin R Broadhead, Jack Andrew Kerr, Walker Stallard Lewis, Itay Ozer, Rantaj Singh

Sponsor: Raytheon Technologies

UA Mentor: Sharon ONeal

 

Delta Development Team Award for Sustainable Manufacturing Innovation - $1,000

Team 21078: Cost-Effective Helium Extraction From Natural Gas

Team Members: Emily Larsen Cosgriff, Joshua Fleetwood, Dylan Koch, Jessica Lauren Unwin

Sponsor: UA Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering

UA Mentor: Adrianna Brush

 

Steve Larimore Award for Perseverance and Recovery - $1,000

Team 21095: Design, Build, Fly Aircraft Design Competition

Team Members: Matt Banko, Michael Debbins, Roman Alexander Gonzalez, Davis Anthony Goolsby, Sydney Magrit Kilen, George Stancu

Sponsor: UA AIAA Student Branch

UA Mentor: Sergey Shkarayev

 

Honeywell Award for Excellence in Aerospace Mechanical System Design - $1,000

Team 21095: Design, Build, Fly Aircraft Design Competition

Team Members: Matt Banko, Michael Debbins, Roman Alexander Gonzalez, Davis Anthony Goolsby, Sydney Magrit Kilen, George Stancu

Sponsor: UA AIAA Student Branch

UA Mentor: Sergey Shkarayev

 

Honeywell Award for Excellence in Aerospace Electronic System Design - $1,000

Team 21062: Laser Communications Fine Tracker

Team Members: Nick Brar, Patrick J Eschenfelder, Clay Kingsley, Susana Jade Mar, Emily Jordan Rodriguez, Mary Jayne Yazzie-Umberger

Sponsor: GEOST

UA Mentor: Gary Redford

 

Garmin Award for Best Use of Wireless Technology - $1,000

Team 21031: Bistatic Imaging Using Signals of Opportunity

Team Members: Jo Arai, Jeremiah Layton Cunningham, Cole Josef Galloway, Jake Daniel Livermore, Kevin Christopher Thompson

Sponsor: Rincon Research Corporation

UA Mentor: Mike Nofziger

 

Mensch Foundation Award for Best Use of Embedded Intelligence - $1,000

Team 21014: Advanced Hospital Bed System

Team Members: Faris Saleh Alzahrani, Ryan Lee Jarick, Franklin Kevin Licos, Kyle Eric Linner, Simon Teweldemedhin Tecle

Sponsor: Jackson Medical

UA Mentor: Bob Messenger

 

Sharon ONeal Award for Best Integration, Verification & Validation - $1,000

Team 21035: Sofware Defined Radio Boards Evaluation

Team Members: Joseph Christian Emnett, Robert Daniel Gauthier, Justin Chadol Kim, Franklin N Lam, Jennifer Nadolski, Michael David Ong

Sponsor: General Dynamics

UA Mentor: Sharon ONeal

 

Technical Documentation Consultants of Arizona Award for Best Design Documentation - $1,000

Team 21042: Protection of Concrete Surfaces From Tracked Mining Equipment

Team Members: Hassan Ahmad Alzain, Axel Andrey De La Paz, Haylee Dawn Howe, Ruby Francesca O’Brien-Metzger, Jongkwang Park, Jonah Daniel Stiffey, Mark Sauer

Sponsor: Caterpillar, Inc.

UA Mentor: Pat Caldwell

 

Mark Brazier Award for Best Biomedical System Design - $1,000

Team 21059: Non-Balloon, Implantable Anchor for Gastrotomy/Enteral Feeding Devices

Team Members: Abdullah Mohammedmadani Ibrahim, Kelly Flynn McCarthy, Alexis Algeria Silver, Adam Anthony Tejada, Nicholas David Terranova, Gabriela Ohlmaier Thornton

Sponsor: Xeridiem Medical Devices

UA Mentor: Steve Larimore

 

II-VI Aerospace & Defense Fish Out of Water Award - $750

Emma Rose Huffman

Team 21022: Grasshopper Harvester Phase III

Sponsor: UA Department of Entomology

UA Mentor: Claude Merrill

 

Phoenix Analysis & Design Technologies Award for Best Use of Prototyping - $750

Team 21054: Ground-Based Optical Target Tracker

Team Members: Hawraa Abdullah Bahzad, Tevin R Broadhead, Jack Andrew Kerr, Walker Stallard Lewis, Itay Ozer, Rantaj Singh

Sponsor: Raytheon Technologies

UA Mentor: Sharon ONeal

 

The Merrill Award for Best Implementation of Agile Methodology – Hardware - $750

Team 21022: Grasshopper Harvester Phase III

Team Members: Elena Ruth Ball, Zepeng Cai, Anthony Hazou, Emma Rose Huffman, Cecilia Lauren Stoesser, Jake William Vartanian, J.R. Dodge

Sponsor: UA Department of Entomology

UA Mentor: Claude Merrill

 

The Merrill Award for Best Implementation of Agile Methodology – Software - $750

Team 21020: Drop Volume Algorithm and Analysis System

Team Members: Robert C Downs, Tyler Glen Gleesing, Carl Phillip Jones, Maggie Quiroz, Jonathan Edward Rickel, Brandon Trung Truong

Sponsor: Roche Tissue Diagnostics

UA Mentor: Cat Merrill

 

SciTech Institute Award for Best Engineering Analysis - $750

Team 21021: Real-Time Instrument Characterization Kit

Team Members: Miguel Angel Castro Gonzalez, Wei Deng, Alexus Nicole Hurtado, Mark William Omo, Duncan Kevin Joseph Weir, Haibei Xiong

Sponsor: Roche Tissue Diagnostics

UA Mentor: Cat Merrill

 

Ergo Dave Award for Best Use of Human Factors Engineering - $500

Team 21011: Automated Shaft Tip Preparation

Team Members: Sam Atlas, Josh Crest, Trevor Wayne Galloway, Robert Charles Truman Louth, Mohamed Ragheb Mohamed, Travis Otto Nannen

Sponsor: PING

UA Mentor: Steve Larimore

 

Simpson Family Award for Best Simulation and Modeling - $500

Team 21028: Virtual Reality Optics Lab

Team Members: Carter Conway, Tia Skye Hunt, Ariel Lamdan, Tingting Thompson, Mason Richard Westmoreland, Celeste Mae Williams

Sponsor: Airy Optics

UA Mentor: Cat Merrill

 

L3 Latitude Engineering Award for Best Physical Implementation of Analytically Driven Design - $500

Team 21005: Apparatus for Measuring the Thermal Conductivity of Returned Samples From Asteroid Bennu

Team Members: Shawn Koshy Cherian, Zane Ansel Craddock, Michael Nathaniel Gibson, Aaron Thomas McCommon, Andrea Desiree Ochoa, Jinhua Ouyang

Sponsor: UA Lunar & Planetary Laboratory

UA Mentor: Doug May

 

Dataforth Corporation Award for Best Design Using a Data Acquisition and Control System - $500

Team 20125: Baja Race Car Electronic Continuous Variable Transmission

Team Members: Emily Lauren Bauers, Erik Edmon Knowles, Jacob Simon Merki, Alexander Nikolas Moore, James Nguyen, Akshat Srivastava

Sponsor: UA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

UA Mentor: Doug May

 

Honeywell Awards for Team Leadership - $250

Monique Martinez

Team 21038: Vertical Flow Immunoassay Platform for Low Resource Setting

Estefania Garcia

Team 21086: Lunar Dust Filtration System