51品茶students demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit at 2019 Innovation Challenge
On Saturday, March 30, nearly 20 teams from across the 51品茶 showcased their working prototypes during the 2019 Student Innovation Challenge.
The prototypes represent the students' ideas for a healthier planet.
A Marine Science student and a Business student took the top prize in this year's event.
The Student Innovation Challenge is an idea-stage competition that encourages innovative and sustainable solutions to social, environmental and health issues facing our society. Winners receive cash awards to help advance their ideas to the next level.
Platinum level winners Nathan Orff (Marine Science, 鈥20) and Patrick Pearl (Business, 鈥21) won $2,000 for their solution for a better oyster crop yield.
鈥淣ow we just have to follow through, keep learning and take this to the next step,鈥 Pearl said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited about working with the Makerspace this summer to do that. As a local Biddeford kid, I鈥檓 so excited for the future and so glad I鈥檓 at UNE.鈥
Hannah Welch (Marine Science, 鈥22) and Jaime Coyle (Political Science, 鈥22) were gold level winners and took home $1,000 for their project using sensors and electric blankets to help premature babies in developing countries.
鈥淚 loved being able to take my love for international learning to another level by exploring this way to help premature babies in
developing countries,鈥 explained Coyle. 鈥淭his summer I鈥檓 going to be exposed to entrepreneurs and great contacts during my internship at Maine鈥檚 International Trade Center.鈥
Welch added, 鈥淭his whole experience has been so fantastic. I鈥檝e learned so much, everything from getting coaching in our Makerspace, to working with our Visiting Innovator from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to doing consulting projects with hospitals, to learning how to really execute an idea like this.鈥
Welch and other students in the competition were recently featured on .
Jillian Robillard (Marine Entrepreneurship, 鈥20) and Haley Griffin (Marine Science, 鈥22), were also gold level winners, receiving $1,000 for using sustainable byproducts for better lobster bait.
Silver level winners, recipients of $750, were Cara Hoppis (Occupational Therapy, 鈥21) for her fun gadgets and series therapy to help children with special needs, and Joshua Lewis (Pre-Pharmacy, 鈥21) and Krystal Nevells (Business, 鈥21) for using mixed reality to help with more effective pharmacy processes.
Bronze level winners, recipients of $250, were Devin Jozokos (Pre-Med, 鈥22) and Rushi Shah (Med, 鈥22) for using sensors and cloud computing to help stroke patients, and Samantha Schultz (Neuroscience/Pre-Med Bio, 鈥20) and Vandan Patel (Med, 鈥22) for using artificial intelligence to detect and care for Alzheimer鈥檚 patients.
