Senior project spawns unexpected career journey
Tiffany Hudgins lands a dream job while leading Interdisciplinary Capstone Team 25510 in the development of ergonomic dentistry tools.
Tiffany Hudgins (center) plans to join Phillips Medisize in Phoenix after her team presents its ergonomic dentistry tools at the 2025 Craig M. Berge Winter Engineering Design Day.
When Tiffany Hudgins began leading a 2025 Interdisciplinary Capstone team, she had no idea what she was going to do after graduation. But she knew she chose engineering to help people.
“I was still trying to figure out my place as an engineer,” said the University of Arizona industrial engineering senior.
The experience making dental instruments more ergonomic not only unlocked her confidence but also led to an internship and full-time job with medical equipment company Phillips Medisize in Phoenix.
Tool Alleviates Toll of Dentistry
Using dental hand tools for up to eight hours a day takes its toll on the body. In fact, between 64% and 93% of dentists, hygienists and dental students suffer from musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, reported the Academy of General Dentistry.
U of A College of Medicine electromyographs measure electrical activity in muscles as the team refines the dental tool apparatus designed to reduce nerve pain in the thumb joint.
“People quit dentistry early because of chronic pain, and I love what I do, so I'm trying to work as long as possible,” said Dr. Jeanne Anne Krizman, lead dentist at Tucson Biological Dentistry, a first-time design project sponsor. “I wanted to bring a fresh perspective to solve this problem, and these engineers are doing just that.”
One of the biggest design challenges was accommodating different hand sizes and strengths. Instead of reimagining each tool, the team developed one apparatus that attaches to oral mirrors, scalers and probes, for example, to support the thumb joint, minimize gripping and relieve pressure.
“This kind of collaboration exposes them to industries not typically linked with engineering,” said Krizman, also project adviser. “Students apply their technical skills to real-world challenges and create solutions that directly impact everyday people.”
Unconventional path to success
Hudgins did not know it at first, but she was in her element and on her way to a successful career.
“Tiffany was very shy when she first started, but that quickly changed,” said Bert Schneider, the team’s faculty mentor. “This team gave by far the most impressive presentation I’ve seen in my career.”
The team is seeking Institutional Review Board approval to conduct a study involving human subjects and plans to showcase the dentistry tools at the Dec. 5 Craig M. Berge Winter Design Day. If they receive IRB approval, the next design team will advance their study.
For the last 25 years, the College of Engineering’s two-semester Interdisciplinary Capstone program has culminated in a spring Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Day highlighting student projects. Last year, the college added a second timing option for the required Engineering 498 course and a winter Design Day.
Hudgins did a summer internship in quality control at Polymicro Technologies, a Phillips Medisize company. Then Phillips Medisize offered her a full-time position in its rotational program, where she will spend a year and a half working with multidisciplinary teams at different company sites.
“I told her to seize this incredible opportunity,” said Schneider, a 17-year U.S. Air Force veteran who also spent 21 years in leadership positions at Raytheon, an RTX Business, before retiring and becoming a U of A engineering capstone instructor. “It’s really great to see an engineer find their place and get an amazing job.”