Two projects from UW-Green Bay faculty have been selected to go on to the next round of the Smart Cities-Smart Futures competition sponsored by Foxconn. The competition has the goal of generating new, unconventional ideas to develop smart, connected communities throughout the state. Assistant Prof. Maruf Hossain (Natural and Applied Sciences) project is an Integrated Wind Power Generator, which is a system of mechanically integrated vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) that will connect to a single unit generator and electronic interface to more efficiently and cost-effectively produce electricity. Assistant Prof. Riaz Ahmed’s (Natural and Applied Sciences) project, “Smart traffic and street lights powered by smart flag,” was also selected as a round one winner. Learn more.
With aging population rising, there is an increasing need for innovation to improve the lives of seniors. In an effort to address this need, nine teams came together to explore solutions. The UW-Green Bay teams then presented their ideas in the second annual Innovation and Aging Student Idea Competition, Feb. 23, 2018. The winner, Team Stability, will compete against other great ideas and inventions at the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament, Saturday, April 21 in Madison.
Team members AJ Jensen (Mechanical Engineering Tech), Rosalyn Stoa (Psychology/Marketing) and Katherine Mikhail (Business Administration) designed a stabilizing cup which allows individuals with tremors to drink liquids with ease. Stability’s company description reads: “Balance. Grace. Longevity. At Stability, we believe in innovation. There are over 8 million people in the United States alone that are affected by tremors. Despite that, very few technologies combat shaking hands or give dignity to the user. We created a series of products that combine the technology of other devices to create something better, something exceptional, something new. Our solutions hide in plain sight and give users their independence back. This is Stability.”
The first-place winner at the Madison competition will receive cash prizes, up to $25,000 in funding through Ideadvance and paid travel to the International Business Model Competition May 10-11 in Provo, Utah with the opportunity to present on an international stage and win up to $27,000.
Nine teams and 40 students represented all four of the UW-Green Bay colleges in the second annual Innovation in Aging Student Idea Competition, Friday, Feb. 23, 2018. The competition is sponsored by UW-Green Bay’s College of Health Education and Social Welfare, WiSys Technology Foundation and the UW-Green Bay Gerontology Center.
AJ Jenson, winner of Innovation and Aging Competition
First prize and $500 was awarded to members of team Stability for their designed cup which allows the drinking of liquids for individuals with tremors. Team members were AJ Jensen (Mechanical Engineering Tech), Rosalyn Stoa (Psychology/Marketing) and Katherine Mikhail (Business Administration). Only Jensen (pictured) was able to be present for the competition.
Second place and $250 was awarded to team EAST for their idea for a device to put in a car trunk to help handle items, e.g., groceries). Team members were Leah Zorn, Dylan Ringham and Evan Polkinghorne (all from Business Administration).
Third place and $100 was awarded to team Embrace Age in Wisconsin Campaign for their idea about a social campaign to reduce ageism. Team members were Liza Steffeck and Gabrielle Jochman (both from Social Work).
In addition, the People’s Choice Award went to team Stability (see above). Other presentations included:
Age-sistance: Business idea to assist older adults with non-healthcare needs (technology, driver, etc)
The local Food Experiment: Social approach to provide fresh, prepared food for pick up at sites
Before It’s Lost: Summer camp for older adults to learn new things (technology, various content, etc.)
Switchboard: Service to help entrepreneurs innovate solutions for aging issues, especially related to mind, body, environment, and communication
Tumble-Preventing Belt – Product idea to identify imbalance and prevent injury if falls occur
Back in My Day: Service involving setting up video interview of older adults and platform that they will drive traffic (older adults and younger folks) to
Before It’s Lost (Engineering Club), Back in My Day (Philosophy Club) and The Local Food Experiment (Public Environmental Affairs Council), each won $100 award designated to the student organizations they represent.
Serving as judges were:
Devon Christianson, Director, Aging & Disability Resources Center, Brown County
LaReina Tipping, Director of Home & Community Services, Curative Connections
Justin Richter, BCC Planning Team Leader at Kimberly-Clark
Marcus Dumke, Executive Director, T2 Accelerator
Dianne Murphy, Assistant Professor of Management at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
“We are excited to sponsor this creative event that allows students to apply their coursework in a practical setting,” said WiSys President Arjun Sanga.
The UW System took a new twist on a story from May and Engineering Technology graduate Dessi Koss is getting credit for “paving the way for a new era of academic programming at the University in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.” Read the story on the UW System website. “Our college students are to be commended. They’re working harder than ever before to maximize their investment in their education,” said Chancellor Gary L. Miller. “They want to help our economies grow and improve community quality of life, and they know that the challenges awaiting them require a varied skill set across multiple disciplines. For some, that means a double or a triple major, or gaining ample college credits in high school so they can accelerate their education and start solving problems sooner. They are doing whatever they can now to be quick and agile learners, able to easily adapt and be successful in a world that is forever changing with rapid technology and marketplace needs.”
UW-Green Bay Assistant Professor David Yan (Mechanical Engineering Technology) has been selected to co-organize Friction Stir Welding and Processing (FSW&P) IX Symposium of the TMS 2017, which will take place in San Diego, California, from Feb. 26 to March 7, 2017. The FSW&P Symposium is one of the only two international conferences dedicated to the advanced solid state joining process – Friction Stir Welding Technology. Yan has also recently had an original research paper selected for publication by the FSW&P IX Symposium, entitled “Flow Features in Shoulder Zone during Scroll Tool Friction Stir Welding Thick 6061 Aluminum Plates.”
GREEN BAY –The Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) has recognized two University of Wisconsin-Green Bay students for their outstanding academic work. James Vasquez has been awarded the STEM Bridge Scholarship for the 2016-17 academic year, and Justin Rasmussen is recipient of the Elijah Balloon Payload Fellowship award — June 1 to August 13 at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in Milwaukee, Wis.
Both students are Green Bay natives and have been interested in aeronautics and space-related topics since they were young. They also will have the opportunity to attend the 2016 Annual Wisconsin Space Conference, held at UW-Superior, in August.
The STEM Bridge Scholarship supports outstanding sophomore undergraduate minority students who are pursuing undergraduate, space-related studies. Recipients are awarded $1,000 for the academic year.
James Vasquez
Vasquez, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering technology, has a history working on similar types of projects. He has participated and volunteered at the Barlow Planetarium Summer Space Camp, where he helped build model rockets and researched astronomy topics.
“I have been enamored with space and everything related to aeronautics and flying. It will always be a dream of mine to float in space,” Vasquez said. “Being part of NASA’s mission in any way would be a dream come true. I hope to contribute my skills and training in manufacturing and design to propel mankind into a new-age of space travel,” he said.
The Elijah High-Altitude Balloon Launch Program is an innovative NASA project that provides opportunities for students to fly their science experiments in a near-space environment. Student teams will design and build science payloads to be launched and retrieved from a high-altitude balloon that will ascend up to 100,000 feet or more before bursting. Team members receive a $4,000 stipend and present their results at the Wisconsin Space conference.
Justin Rasmussen
“Ever since I was very young I have been fascinated by the vastness of space,” Rasmussen said. “I remember being in awe while watching the early Mars rovers land. As a species we are rare, privileged, and unique. We have the intelligence and ability to unify and accomplish so much more. The exploration of the universe is the one task that ties us all together for our own survival and growth.”
Rasmussen is a non-traditional student working toward an engineering degree and eventually hopes to study astronautics engineering, aeronautics engineering or engineering physics.
“Our carbon footprint is becoming increasingly critical, so I would like to work toward solving that,” he said. “We need many more scientists and engineers on this planet.”
