Purdue Student Statements
Eric Barnfather
Mechanical Engineering Technology Junior
Team Presoyvation
What did you enjoy most about the competition?
Having the opportunity to present an idea in front of a panel of judges as well as being motivated and pushed to take on this project in addition to my other responsibilities and involvements across campus.
Nurul Adlina (Dina) Binti Mohd Fauzi
Chemical Engineering Senior
Team K-Drop
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
Passion, the determination to succeed and time management.
Alyson Chaney
Agronomy Junior
Team Soy Seal
Why did you enter the competition?
Since I'm an agronomy major, I was very interested in the utilization of soybeans. It is one of my favorite crops to work with, so I wanted to see how it can be used better after it is harvested.
Dane Chapman
Agribusiness / Marketing Junior
Team SoyFul
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
I never expected to spend time in a food science lab, nor did I think I would ever get so excited about soybean oil, but this competition has caused me to do both of those things! Most notably, this competition has allowed me to apply material I learned in class to the planning and execution of a strategy from start to finish.
Xiang (Chase) Cheng
Food Science Junior
Team SoyFilm
What did you find most difficult concerning the Soy Competition?
How to effectively arrange and schedule the lab time.
Jason Clark
Accounting Freshman
Team SoyShield
What did you enjoy most about the competition?
Creating and designing a product that doesn't currently exist on the market was the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the competition.
Peyton Clark
Sustainable Biomaterials Process & Product Design Junior
Team Soy Seal
Why did you enter the competition?
The sustainability of products in today's market is one of my areas of study, so learning how to utilize soybeans in common/new products instead of chemicals helped me apply my knowledge.
Sarah Corwin
Food Science PhD
Team Mean Bean Frosting
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
I have learned additional skills for working with team members.
Ben Culver
Plant Genetics Breeding & Biotechnology Sophomore
Team Soynoc+
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
I have learned not only about the things involved in making our product, but also about working as a team and being proactive.
Ryann Davis
Chemistry Sophomore
Team Luma
What did you enjoy most about the competition?
I enjoyed being in lab creating the product more than anything. I thrive in a lab environment and really enjoy doing trials in lab in order to bring forth the best product. I enjoyed working with a team of strong and intelligent woman who all brought something different to the table. Seeing a finished prototype and knowing our product works is what I find most joyful and satisfying about the entire experience.
Samuel Heath
Chemical Engineering Junior
Team Presoyvation
What did you find most difficult concerning the Soy Competition?
Coming up with a product idea was the most difficult in my opinion. The rest of the competition wasn't easy, but everything seemed to fall in line once the product idea was there.
Sarah Hermanek
Biology Junior
Team SoyCoat
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
I've learned a lot more about the business side of selling a product by doing the different analyses on marketing and patents. I feel I am more knowledgeable about any products I buy now. I also feel more confident in formal meetings as well as learning a significant amount about the agricultural business.
Susan Hubbard
Biological Engineering Senior
Team Soynoc+
What did you enjoy most about the competition?
It's been fun to see how my coursework in Biological Engineering has played a big part in the development of this year's product.
Melanie Kaplan
Management Sophomore
Team SoyCoat
Why did you enter the competition?
I entered because I thought this competition would be the perfect opportunity to test my sales and marketing skills in a real world application about a product I helped develop and am passionate about.
Ross Kindig
Agronomy/Agribusiness Junior
Team SoyFul
What did you enjoy most about the competition?
I enjoyed working with other members on our team. Each one of us brings something unique to the table and it's clear that none of our progress would've been possible without everyone contributing. I also think it's really cool that the Indiana Soybean Alliance sponsors this competition
Deepa Korani
Chemical Engineering Senior
Team Un-Plastic Wrap
Why did you enter the competition?
I entered this competition due to my shear interest for and in polymers. Since my current research is developing coatings that improvise barrier properties, this project was very close to what my interests are. I have been interested and hope to discover a breakthrough in the polymer industry. This competition could provide me with a platform to do so.
Ayuni Insyirah (Yuni) Mohd Saidi
Chemical Engineering Senior
Team K-Drop
Why did you enter the competition?
I have been looking forward to creating a product of my own with my colleagues. I wanted to learn as much as possible on how to create and develop a new soy-based product, market analysis of that product, patent search and technical feasibility.
Oparah Lauren
Biological Engineering Junior
Team Luma
What did you enjoy most about the competition?
I enjoyed learning about the different components of the soybean. I never thought that soybeans and soy-based products could be so interesting!
Jacob Semonis
Ag Economics/Agronomy Senior
Team Soynoc+
What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?
Since I've done this competition last year, the hardest part was finding where everyone fit on the team. Last year we had a system that worked great, and I had to learn how to adapt my own responsibilities so that we could evenly distribute work across new teammates.
John Sloan
Chemistry Sophomore
Team SoyCoat
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
I have learned many things from the Soy Competition especially about product development and market analysis, that is after you actually decide and begin to create a soy-based product.
Thomas Smith
1st Year Engineering Freshman
Team SoyShield
Why did you enter the competition?
I entered the competition to get a better understanding of real-world problem solving and to work in a lab. I also thought the competition would be a fun way to start off college and it most certainly was.
Natalie Stephenson
Marketing Senior
Team Story
Why did you enter the competition?
I've always had an entrepreneurial mindset and thought the competition was a perfect way for me to create a product from the start and implement what I've been learning within my courses.
Dwi Sastro Sutandar
Chemical Engineering Junior
Team Un-Plastic Wrap
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
I have learned a lot from the Soy Competition, including collaborating with people from different backgrounds and degree areas. I have never worked with someone outside of my major and this opportunity allowed me to do so. Furthermore, this competition allowed me to learn about stages in a startup from product idea to product prototype and everything in-between.
Chris Tague
Chemistry Sophomore
Team Mean Bean Frosting
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
I learned how to work as and with a team, and what is required to patent a product in industry.
Elizabeth Tedder
Biological Engineering Senior
Team Luma
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
The main thing that I have learned from the Soy Competition is how to play to everyone on the team's strengths. My team was very diverse in what they could do and their experiences and we were able to use that to our advantage when doing the competition.
Samantha (Sam) Tinney
Animal Science Senior
Team Soynoc+
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
I have learned a lot about coming up with solutions to problems, conducting market research, and that there is a lot that you can do with soybeans!
Jasica Twardus
Marketing/Management Senior
Team Un-Plastic Wrap
Why did you enter the competition?
To gain experience in creating a new soy-based product and potentially change the world with an environmental friendly alternative to what is currently on the market.
Pablo Vega
ABE PhD
Team SoyFul
What have you learned from participating in the Soy Competition?
Personally, I learned a lot about the soybean industry in Indiana, and its potential impact on different industries globally. I believe that this competition helped me to build highly valuable skills for my personal and professional life. Teamwork, problem solving, effective communication and innovative thinking are probably the most valuable of these skills. As a Ph.D student I'm learning how to turn money into knowledge; and through this competition, I'm learning how to turn knowledge into more money!
Hillary Vrba
Agricultural Economics Junior
Team Luma
What did you enjoy most about the competition?
Working with such a great group of women and learning so much from them!
Neil Zhao
Food Science Sophomore
Team SoyFul
What did you enjoy most about the competition?
In this competitive environment, I was not only able to foster scientific discoveries, but also grow and develop with the team for communicating our passion for our soy-based product. Identifying team strengths and understanding everyone's limitations was key to communicating effective strategy plans. Adapting to critiques over time, I believe we really came together as a team on a regular basis for presenting group findings. The embedded leadership roles to work with are undoubtedly ingrained in this competition.
Ruth Zhong
Electrical Engineering Senior
Team Stroy
Why did you enter the competition?
I became interested in the soy competition after seeing the opportunity to create a solution to an environmental issue. I believe innovation is the key to a sustainable planet and this competition was a great way to get involved.