Diverse industry sponsors bring fresh perspectives to program
‘I value my team’s creativity and bold enthusiasm in finding a solution to my problem,’ says Dr. Jeanne Anne Krizman (third from right), lead dentist of Tucson Biological Dentistry and Team 25510 sponsor.
The Interdisciplinary Capstone Program offers a win-win opportunity for everyone involved. Sponsors who have technical or workforce needs tap an eager team of students with expertise spanning multiple engineering disciplines. And students hone valuable skills, often exploring technology and career paths they might otherwise overlook.
Two first-time sponsors – a self-care product inventor and a dentist – brought projects that demonstrate how engineering can address challenges in a wide variety of fields. Their experiences highlight the program's ability to seamlessly bridge education and real-world problem-solving.
Team develops sensory-friendly nail trimmer
Kristen Ann Cozzi founded her startup company, Whisper Wild, to help her son and others like him with self-care tasks.
Kristen Ann Cozzi is the founder of Whisper Wild and a project manager for CVS.
“I noticed my son was having sensory issues, particularly with touch and sound. Cutting his nails became a three-hour task for me,” Cozzi said. “I found nothing on the market that could accommodate him, specifically for nail trimming.”
It can feel like an electric shock to their bodies, she added.
This led her to sponsor Interdisciplinary Capstone Team 26028 to design a gentler, sensory-safe nail clipping device and low-vibration hair trimming tool.
“I found in my research that not only kids with sensory processing disorders, but kids with autism, about 80%, also suffer from sensory sensitivity,” Cozzi said.
The nail trimmer softens the cutting motion with rounded ceramic blades and a silicon-textured outer shell for comfortable holding. The team also disguised the device with an animal-shaped casing, an idea inspired by Cozzi’s son.
“He loves animals, especially lions,” she said.
The electric hair trimmer is built with low-noise motors to isolate vibration. The team is also exploring features like a built-in Bluetooth speaker to play music and soft lighting to help reduce anxiety with relaxing colors.
"Having young and passionate engineers bring my vision to life feels incredible,” she said, adding that the program offers significant value to sponsors and students alike.
“I didn’t realize how involved I’d be in the process as a sponsor. It turned out to be a very collaborative experience.”
Dentist-turned-sponsor advances the future of dental tools
Following two car accidents, Dr. Jeanne Anne Krizman, lead dentist of Tucson Biological Dentistry, started experiencing chronic pain at work.
Using dental hand tools for up to eight hours a day takes its toll on the body. In fact, 64%-93% of dentists, hygienists and dental students suffer from musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, reported the Academy of General Dentistry.
So, Krizman tasked Team 25510 with creating ergonomic dental instruments.
“People quit dentistry early because of chronic pain all the time,” she said.
The team found a solution that helps Krizman and other professionals in the industry who suffer from chronic pain. They developed an apparatus that attaches to common dental devices, such as oral mirrors, scalers, and probes, to support the thumb joint, minimize gripping and relieve pressure.
“It’s a unique experience for engineers to step into an unfamiliar environment like a dental office,” she said. “This kind of collaboration exposes them to industries not typically linked with engineering.”
As a first-time sponsor, Krizman worried students might not embrace her unique project, but they jumped at the challenge.
"I didn’t expect so many students to be so interested in this project, or to see the incredible opportunities these capstone projects provide," Krizman said. "I value my team’s creativity and bold enthusiasm in finding a solution to my problem."