Five biomedical engineering senior design teams are finalists in national competitions. One team has advanced to a final round after a first-round win worth $5,000. If they win in the finals, they will receive $20,000 Advanced E-Team funding from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance.
Senior projects are completed as part of a capstone design course in biomedical engineering. This course is a culmination of the students’ undergraduate education and provides them with the opportunity to apply and develop their design, analytical, project management, interpersonal and communication skills through a team-based project.
Students gain experience working on real-world projects that involve design constraints, budgets, reviews and deadlines, and principles of professionalism, licensing, how ethics affect engineering decisions, entrepreneurship and the day-to-day implications of intellectual property.
The five projects are:
National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance
Finalist: “Innovative Platform Design for Delivery of Biological Solutions to Peripheral Nerve Injuries.” Team members: Morgan Amsler, Fadi Azer, Jessica Campos (ChBE student), Matthew Getzin and Jeffrey Savin. The undergraduate team was a first round $5,000 winner, and they are in competition for $20,000 Advanced E-Team funding.
The advisers are Dr. Wesley Thayer and Dr. Kevin Sexton. The sponsor is the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Surgery
Design of Medical Devices Conference: International Student Design Showcase
Finalist: “On-chip bacterial detection and diagnosis with integrated mechanical micropump for low-resource setting.” Team members: Ben Brantley (ME student), Erica Curtis, Ayeeshik Kole, Brian Lesniak (ME student) and Erik Werner.
The advisers are Professors Kevin T. Seale, John P. Wikswo, John Bers and Matthew Walker III; Charleson Bell and Ron Reiserer. The sponsor is Vanderbilt University Systems Biology and Bioengineering Undergraduate Research Experience (SyBBURE).
Rice University’s 360° Beyond Traditional Borders Undergraduate National Design Competition
Two BME teams are among the finalists:
Finalist: “Low Cost Smartphone-Adapted Diagnostic Visualization Device.” Team members: Mallette Asmuth, Joel McManness, Margaret Means, Harrison Shapley (CE student) and Raheel Thobani. Advisers are Dr. Arun Nair and Professor Matthew Walker III. The sponsor is Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Emergency Medicine.
Finalist: “One Lead Electrocardiogram Device.” Team members: Stephen Hollabaugh, Catherine Majors, Hannah Pauly and Corey Peak. Advisers are Dr. Michael Bestros and Professor Matthew Walker III. The sponsor is Rice 360°.
AbilityOne Network Design Challenge: National Industries for the Severely Handicapped (NISH)
Finalist: “Systems Engineering Approach to Closing the Gap.” Team members: Brian Akselrad, Chadwick Augusty, Allison Bull, Kimberly Ingraham and Joseph Morse Jr. The advisers are Professor Matthew Walker III and Walter Lowery. The sponsor is The Rochelle Center.