The MNE Innovation Competition

Welcome to the blog following the first MNE Innovation Competition. The competition was made possible by the generous donation of an anonymous mechanical engineering alum who wanted to support the encouragement of innovation and entrepreneurship among our students.

The competition was announced in early September, giving students a few weeks to gather their teams and draw up a proposal for submission on the MNE Innovation Competition website. Four registered teams pitched their ideas to a panel of judges on Friday, Oct. 5. Judging mimicked the popular Shark Tank^TM television program on ABC.

Judges for the panel included Dr. Marty Trethewey, the Arthur L. Glenn Professor of Mechanical Engineering and professor-in-charge of the MNE undergraduate programs; Dr. Hosam Fathy, assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Elizabeth Kisenwether, assistant professor in the school of engineering design and the co-director of Lion Launch Pad and the new university-wide Entrepreneurship minor; and mechanical engineering alumnus Raymond Stevens (B.S. ME '88, MBA '97), founder and head of operations at AltheRx Pharmaceuticals.

"The MNE Innovation Competition was a great opportunity for us to encourage innovation in our undergraduate students while also being innovative in how students presented their ideas. The students did a great job, and the judges were supportive yet willing to ask the tough questions."
--Dr. Timothy Simpson, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and one of the Innovation Competition coordinators

Look for upcoming posts with more information on the judges and the participating teams!

Learn more about the MNE Innovation Competition at our website.