Award Winners By Year
*Be sure to read about the winners of the annual James A. Andrews Memorial Award.
2023
First Place Award, Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering
Team: 101
Project Name: Sustainability Enhancement for PSU COE West 2 Building
Team Members: Chayse Campbell, Nathanael McCollum, Hunter Merritt, Deanna Ray, Adam Thomas
The College of Engineering Research & Teaching Space (West 2) building project is focused on providing improved workflow and energy efficiency practices in harmony with existing infrastructure on the Pennsylvania State University’s main campus. The design will integrate additional building entrances and multiuse spaces in coordination with the adjacent parking garage. Energy efficiency will be accomplished using stormwater collection and grey water management techniques to reduce demands on campus utilities while providing solutions to non-permeable runoff. The proposal will incorporate LEED engineering certifications and further structural redesign.
First Place Award, Computer Science and Mathematics
Team: 207
Project: Tanks 3D
Team Members: David Atkins, Nicolas Furfari, Patrick McCleerey
Advisor: Dr. Hyuntae Na
Tanks 3D is a multiplayer game where players take control of their tanks and compete against each other in a free-for-all deathmatch setting. The game features several tank variants, multiple maps, including a city and a desert arena, and basic AI enemies. Players earn points by taking out the AI enemies and each other. The player with the most points at the end wins. The game is available online only via an internet connection.
First Place Award, Electrical Engineering
Team: 301
Project: An SSVEP-based brain computer interface system to assist locked-in patients in decision making
Team Members: Dustin Cuscino, Raheeq Darweesh
Advisor: Dr. Nashwa Elaraby
A decision-making system was developed using Electroencephalography (EEG) principles to communicate with locked-in patients. Steady State Visually Evoked Potential (SSVEP)-based brain computer interface process is introduced in this project. Brain signals are acquired through SSVEP using a biosensing board, EEG electrodes, and flickering LEDs. The locked-in patient will stare at a flickering LED of a specific frequency; afterward, the brain signals acquired from the test will be matched with the frequency of the LED to confirm the command that the patient desires.
First Place Award, Mechanical Engineering
Team: 408
Project: Distribution Manifold
Team Members: Gobind Aulakh, Micah Gallagher, Tanner Martin, Scott Vaught
Advisors: Dr. Hessam Taherian, Dr. Anilchandra Attaluri
Sponsor: Sartorius AG
This project is to design a mechanism(s) for Sartorius AG to remove safety caps from a distribution manifold and install new Luer-Barbed fittings in place of the safety caps as part of their production process. Investigating the Product Design Specifications for the customer was key in determining that employee fatigue needs to be reduced while increasing production capacity. Brainstorming, concept generation, concept screening/scoring along with "out of the box" ideas provided a clear path for prototyping and testing. Hand calculations and computational analyses led the team to a concrete design. The final goal is to build two tabletop mechanisms; one will mechanically operate the unit to remove the caps, and a second motor/belt driven assembly will install the new caps at the customer’s desired torque specifications. Each unit will be presented as a professionally designed, off-the-shelf product ready to use by Sarotius.
2022
Program: Civil Engineering/Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology
Project: Members 1st Federal Credit Union – Structural Expansion and Quality Improvement
Team Members: Jacob Bertha, Prabin Bhattarai, Christopher Cruz, Megan Hall, Alain Izabayo and Madisan Zechman
Faculty Advisers: Shashi Marikunte, Sofia Vidalis and Saravanan Gurupackiam
The structural expansion and quality improvement project focuses on improving productivity of employees at Member’s 1st Headquarters by providing them an opportunity to spend time outdoors, either during lunchtime or to work outdoors. The group plans to expand the existing structure by constructing a three-story outdoor patio and workspace, which also includes parking for electric vehicles and a redesign of the roof for green energy. To reduce carbon emissions due to traffic, a bus stop and shelter are proposed and additional special parking lots for carpoolers to encourage public transportation and the provision of biking paths and parking spots are proposed. Additionally, the transportation team will analyze the traffic flow and will determine if a traffic signal is required for the major road going to the building.
Program: Computer Science
Project: Dark Night Hero
Team Members: Collin Barletta, Cristopher Herrera, Justin Ostopick and Micah Wenger
Faculty Adviser: Hyuntae Na
Dark Night Hero is a 3D rogue lite role-playing game that allows the player to use magic spells and fight monsters. The game features a fantasy dungeon environment and action-based combat system with a heads-up display, inventory and equipment system, character status, nonplayable characters and merchants, advanced enemy AI, and challenging boss enemies. The game can be played in single-player and multiplayer with an internet connection.
Program: Electrical Engineering/Electrical Engineering Technology
Project: ‘Farrad’ – Regenerative Bicycle Assist
Team Members: Aidan Carrigan, Christian Knade
Faculty Adviser: Seth Wolpert
This product is designed as a bicycle pedaling assist system for use over shorter distances compared to traditional electronic bicycles. This system will be sold as a kit that can be installed on a variety of bicycle models. Electrical power will be collected during the braking process and used to maintain charge in a supercapacitor bank. The supercapacitors allow for rapid charging and discharging rates in short amounts of time. The user can release this energy as needed to provide motorized pedaling assistance. Typical applications may include climbing hills, getting up to speed, or maintaining speed.
Program: Design and Development of In Vitro Medical Induction Heating Experimental Setup
Supported by: Penn State College of Medicine – Center for Medical Innovation.
Team Members: Julian Low, Mark Pollock, Robert Yasalonis
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Anilchandra Attaluri
Noncontact induction heating (NCIH) is an attractive method to treat metallic orthopedic implant- related infections. The goal of this project is to develop a high throughput in vitro NCIH system to establish an optimal thermal dose for eradication of biofilms synergistically with antibiotics.
Simulation-driven product development was used to design the inductor capable of simultaneously heating three metal coupons to a target temperature of 85 degrees Celsius within 10 seconds. A proportional-integral-derivative controller was implemented to maintain the coupon temperature. The developed system is housed on an equipment cart to facilitate transportation of equipment. This modular, user-friendly system can heat common implant materials: 316L steel, TI64 and Cobalt-chrome.
2021
Program: Civil Engineering/Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology
Project: Comfort Inn Design-Build Restaurant
Team Members: Kyle Anderson, Muricio Barrera, Atticus Bierbaum, Lang Chen, Brent Gauntlett, Joshua Howell, Daryn I. Kingsborough, John Porter and Bradley Sweger
Faculty Advisers: Joseph Cecere and Grady Mathews IV
The student team produced a structural layout, exterior shell, and construction preliminary schedule for the addition of a restaurant to the Comfort Inn Hotel in Middletown, Pennsylvania, during the fall. In the spring, the team designed the building’s structural components, a detailed construction schedule, and assessed the cost, energy efficiency, and sustainability of their designs.
Program: Computer Science
Project: Furever Friends
Team Members: Jean Pierre Astudillo Guerra, Sarah Kettell, Disha Patel and Surabhi Sahay
Faculty Adviser: Jeremy Blum
Students developed Furever Friends, a mobile-friendly web application that integrates machine learning techniques to help match people with their perfect pets. Using Furever Friends, users can browse local listings for pets that are available, take the matching quiz to find the ones that best fit their personality and lifestyle, and utilize the lost and found to help reunite friends that have been separated. Users also can set up a customizable pet profile and show off their pet’s most adorable features with the pet photo booth and cuteness enhancing filters.
Program: Electrical Engineering/Electrical Engineering Technology
Project: Electromagnetic Railgun
Team Members: Steven Barlok, Jacob Langer and Cole Ryder
Faculty Adviser: Mohammad Tofighi
The project goal is to design a railgun that uses the Lorentz force to launch a projectile. This project uses a boost converter to build up a high voltage in a large capacitor bank. This charge is released to one rail using a gate driver and power MOSFET system. The projectile is propelled by it making contact between the two rails. A microcontroller is used to control all of the different subsystems and provide user input and output.
Program: Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering Technology
Project: Structural Steel Lifting Device
Supported by: Kinsley Manufacturing Co.
Team Members: Matthew Lynerd, Jacob Myers, Ashley Ruch and Robert Sirk
Faculty Adviser: Hessam Taherian
This project’s mission is to design an efficient lifting device that allows for a reduction of time required for moving structural steel beams and columns. The lifting device will be designed to save the customer time by lifting a greater quantity of members than the existing solutions and will utilize the customer’s gantry crane. The final goal for the customer is to load and unload a flatbed trailer up to 40,000 pounds in one pick.
2019
Program: Civil Engineering, Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology
Group: Olmsted Contractors and BCEP Engineering
Members: Kayla Grabiec, Monica Grosh, Brandon Hall, Ethan Hoover, Nicholas Krakowski, Patrick Meadows, Chase Vilga, and Nathan Weaver
Program: Computer Science (this team also won the James A. Andrews Memorial Award)
Group: HTML Forge
Members: Hsuan Han Lai, Waqas Latif, and Khalid Qubbaj
Program: Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology
Group: Multigig Wafer Load Vision Inspection System
Members: Brandon Smith, Ian Jones, and Dylan Drueding
Program: Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology
Group: Exo-Bionics
Members: Jordan Coulter, Scott Hammond Corbin Hoenicke, Michael Hoptak, Adam Malave, Kameron Stevick, Steven Wilke, Nolan Hoenicke, and Ira Matthews
2018
Program: Civil Engineering, Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology
Project: Green Infrastructure - Ash Recycling and Processing Facility Construction
Sponsors: York County Solid Waste and Refuse Authority and Barton & Loguidice, D.P.C.
Group Members: Sergio Aguilar, Matthew Baker, Mason Brandt, Jacob Fenby, Jared Harbold, Jaryd Olweiler, Nicholas Vereb
Faculty Advisers: Dr. Shashi Marikunte, Dr. Saravanan Gurupackiam, and Dr. Roger Subramanian
Program: Computer Science
Project: KittyPath Assistant
Group Members: Abderrazzak Asmaayni, Jakub Grzegorzewski, Joseph Hernandez, Joshua Holden, Azalee Mcalpine, and Neil Pasricha
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Linda Null
Program: Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology
Project: Drowsiness Detection System
Group Members: Raghu Acharya, Raja Suryadevara
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Aldo Morales
Program: Multi-disciplinary Project
Project: 3D Scanning Drone
Group Members: Tyler Benner, Matthew Maisano, Joshua Smay, James Then
Faculty Advisers: Dr. Ola Rashwan, Dr. Mohammad Tofighi, and Dr. Scott van Tonningen
2017
First Place
Project: Planet Foobar
Group Members: Kamal Amouarak, Long Bui, CJ Hernaez, Matthew Mericle, Varun Patel
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Omar El Ariss
Second Place
Project: Pick and Place Machine
Group Members: Edward Gilbert, Vernon Weaver
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Javad Khazaei, Dr. Scott van Tonningen
Third Place
Project: Formula SAE Structure and Vehicle Dynamics
Group Members: Shubham Annaldas, Cody Franssen, Athreya Nagesh, Thomas A. Palmer
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Ma’moun Abu-Ayyad
Honorable Mention
Project: Coppermine Athletic Facility with Rooftop Field
Group Members: Shakir Cohen, Evan Foster, Trung Nguyen, Melissa Orlandini, Ryan Schuster, Jordan Wenk, Howard Wilson, Robert Zenzal
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Shashi Marikunte, Dr. Saravanan Gurupackiam, Dr. Roger Subramanian
2016
First Place
Project: Log Splitter
Group Members: Randy Day, Erinik Halliday, Joshua Johnson, Luke Stouffer
Faculty Adviser: Dan Massey
Second Place
Project: LionHub
Group Members: Brandon Davis, John Deebel, Clarence LaShier, Ngan Ngyuen
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Sukmoon Chang, Donna Howard (Office of Student Life)
Third Place
Project: Inspired, Compact Multi-Story Parking Facility
Group Members: Kyle Purcell (Group Leader), Gregory Cooper, Rieley Loch, Patrick Lumsden, Wesley Ovens, Kristin Peckman, Barry Porter
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Shashi Marikunte, Dr. Sofia Vidalis
Honorable Mention
Project: Remote Mechanized Harness Release
Group Members: Juan Aguirre, Mark Brazee, Alessandro DeBernardo, Edgar Makimoto
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Ola Rashwan, Dr. Scott Van Tonningen
2015
First Place
Project: Student Enrichment Center - Student Perspective
Group Members: John Minchoff, Carson Au, Richard Bernard, Stephen Hamel, Joseph Hochstetler, Joseph Murphy, Tyler Smith
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Shashi Marikunte, Dr. Sofia Vidalis
Second Place
Project: Smart Security System
Group Members: Guriqbal Singh, Ibrahim Rogers, Viktar Rybaltouski
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Robert Gray
Third Place
Project: Bot!Battle!
Group Members: Austin Barket, Randall Hudson, Steven Erb
Faculty Adviser: Dr. Jeremy Blum
