Winning team members Greg Williams, Cory Weinberg, Conrad Bowden and Daniel Tran with Dean JoAnn Browning.
Nov. 27, 2019 — 3BM, one of 96 student-led design teams, won the top prize at UTSA Fall 2019 Tech Symposium. The challenge, hosted yesterday by the College of Engineering and sponsored by the San Antonio Economic Development Corp., showcased innovative student projects and research across multiple engineering disciplines, preparing participants to launch scalable entrepreneurial ventures.
3BM was formed by Conrad Bowden, Daniel Tran, Cory Weinberg and Greg Williams and was mentored by George E. Karutz. The group created a paint-curing apparatus system that allows infrared paint curing technology to be used on flat surfaces as well as complex shapes, such as engines. During the course of development, the students demonstrated to their industry sponsor that their system could reduce utility costs and paint curing time by 60% each.
The student team will receive a $4,000 cash prize for its first place finish. Additionally, it received an Excellence in Industry Partnership Award from College of Engineering Dean JoAnn Browning for its successful work.
—JOANN BROWING, Dean of UTSA’s College of Engineering
Second place at the symposium was awarded to Alt-Bionics for its globally available robotic arm. The product, developed by Max Brecheisen, Evan Jenkins, Ruairidh McWilliam and Ryan Saavedra, is an artificial intelligence–enhanced bionic hand for below-elbow amputees that restores basic and essential mobility for its user. Although prosthetic hands can cost up to $160,000 per person, the UTSA students’ prototype cost less than $700 to produce. The students will receive a $3,000 cash prize.
Bexar Aerospace received third place, which comes with a $2,000 cash prize. The team, made up of Jeremy Browder, Robert Doris, Eduardo Gamez and Lino Villanueva, developed a soft suspension system for ground vibration testing of aircraft. Their technology allows for the testing of aircraft from weights of 1,750 pounds to 62,000 pounds.
Three Excellence in Engineering Awards were also given to Design I teams at this month’s symposium. Winners of those $1,000 cash prizes are:
UTSA recognized one team from each academic department participating in the symposium with an Excellence in Engineering Award. Recipients are:
⇒ Explore the College of Engineering’s programs for undergraduate students and graduate students.
Held semiannually, the College of Engineering’s Tech Symposium is the capstone project of UTSA’s engineering program. The hands-on learning opportunity enables students to apply the knowledge and skills they have accumulated throughout their undergraduate studies to design, develop and implement innovative and relevant engineering products. It also provides students with an opportunity to network with industry leaders and differentiate themselves from students at competing universities.
The College of Engineering’s senior design teams work together over the course of two semesters, including the time over the midsemester break. A team of four will log somewhere between 1,600 and 2,000 person-hours (approximately 200 to 250 hours per person per semester) to complete their projects.
“The Tech Symposium is a hands-on event that gives our students the opportunity to let their brilliance shine,” said Browning. “Our seniors are participating in cutting-edge work using the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their time here at UTSA. We are shaping the future of engineering.”
The six cash prizes awarded to students at the end of the symposium were sponsored by Karutz, Bill Balthrope at Mood Texas, Paul C. Kimball, Texas Capital Bank and Texas Research and Technology Foundation.
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Día en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza, Main CampusCovidence is a systematic & scoping review tool used to streamline the process of screening and reviewing articles. Using this software, research teams can easily import studies, perform automatic deduplication, and extract data using templates. This workshop will show attendees how to start a review in Covidence, add collaborators, and get started on screening.
Virtual (Zoom)In this workshop, attendees will be introduced to Pandas, a Python tool for working with data easily. It makes it simple to organize and analyze information when data is organized and categorized, like spreadsheets or tables.
Group Spot B, John Peace LibraryEach fall and spring semester, students convene at the Main Campus at UTSA with booths, ideas and prototypes. A crowd of judges, local organizations, students, faculty and sponsors walk around and talk to the students about their projects and ask questions. Students get the real-life experience of "pitching" their project with hopes of getting funding or support to move to the next level.
UTSA Convocation Center, Main CampusJoin the doctoral candidates for the Doctoral Conferreal Ceremony and celebrate their accomplishments.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusCelebrate the graduates from the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the graduates from the College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and College of Sciences.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
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We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
