Purdue Student Statements

2023-24 Student Soybean Innovation Competition

Emmanuel Alagbe
Animal Science, PhD
Team Ambrosia Bar

Participating in the Soybean Innovation Competition not only expanded my knowledge of soybeans but also served as an invaluable learning experience. It also challenged me to explore unconventional applications for soybeans. I think one of the highlights for me was using the skills I have garnered in graduate school and applying them to a field different from what my research is focused on. I also had the opportunity to connect with students from different backgrounds who share my passion for innovation and creativity. After completing my Ph.D., my goal is to apply the skills and experience I have gained over the years of engaging in this competition to enhance sustainable agriculture and foster progress in food production.

Alekhya Ankaraju
Agricultural communications, Senior
Team Green Eggs, No Ham

Throughout this competition, I have learned how to navigate a food science lab and design my own research process in a way that benefits a team. It has challenged me to be more creative than ever and ultimately anchored my interest in a future related to research and development.

Isaac Bailey
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Gly-Soy

I am a Sophomore in Biological Engineering with minors in biotechnology and bioinformatics seeking to apply the research and development skills developed in this project through undergraduate and / or graduate level research.  I am still exploring my interests.  Some include industrial research, supply chain management, and manufacturing.

Zhiyuan (Jerry) Chen
Biological Engineering, Freshman
Team SoyAid

Since participating in the Soybean Innovation Competition, I gained valuable knowledge regarding literature and patent reviews, and synthesizing a business plan or commercialization process based on our research. This was a great learning opportunity for market analysis, financial planning, and evaluating ideas. I was able to apply previous research & academic knowledge to what we did in the lab. At the same time, I used what I’ve learned from doing self-guided and team-based research towards a new research position I’m working at. By practicing new skill sets through my participation in this project, I was able to focus on problem solving and innovative thinking. It encouraged me to generate novel ideas and solutions for the obstacles we encountered. I also had the opportunity and fulfilling experience to apply my hobbies/interests for graphic design and modeling toward this project. This competition allowed me to develop a strong foundation in conducting research, analyzing data, iterative design, and identifying opportunities for innovation/improvement. The competition's emphasis on performing in-depth analysis on product ideas equipped me with the ability to critically evaluate concepts and make informed decisions with my teammates. Overall, this experience has provided me with the skills and mindset necessary to excel in future research positions and contribute to meaningful advancements in the field. All of which are important to me, whether it is for a research setting or for a future employment opportunity.

Owen Connelly
Mechanical Engineering Technology, Junior
Team Soy Sheets

I am a Junior studying Mechanical Engineering Technology and this is my first year competing in the Purdue University Student Innovation Competition. Through trial and error, I learned the hard work and dedication that goes into the design and creation of a new product. The most valuable part of this competition was being able to apply what I’ve learned from the design and innovation courses I’ve taken through Purdue to the development of our product. The skills I’ve gained from this competition such as identifying the design criteria, conceptualization, and prototyping will be helpful in my future career where I am interested in pursuing design.

Joseph Diamond-Pott
Mechanical Engineering, Junior
Team GreenGuard

I was introduced to this competition earlier this school year, and it is the best thing that has happened to me academically at Purdue thus far. This competition has allowed me to blend my desire for entrepreneurship with my deep-rooted passion for saving the environment. Being from San Diego and seeing first hand millions of cigarette butts and litter on my beaches and in my oceans, has driven me to pursue this competition like none other. Bringing this personal experience into an environment where I am able to collaborate with extremely smart and driven people has been a dream, and I will be forever grateful for this competition for providing me this opportunity. I have learned so much about teamwork, product development, and overcoming obstacles throughout this seven month period - I will be sure to bring these skills into every professional and academic situation that I approach in the future. I look forward to pursuing this competition again next year!

Angela (AJ) DiAndreth
Computer Engineering & Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soyper

As a first-time competitor, I learned the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and applying engineering principles to real-world challenges. Through the competition, I have developed a deeper understanding of sustainability and the potential applications of soybeans in biotechnology. My interest in entering the biotech industry after graduation was further solidified as I explored innovative solutions and technologies in the competition. Overall, I gained practical skills, expanded my knowledge base, and enhanced my passion for leveraging biotechnology for environmental and societal impact.

Karthik Digavalli
Electrical & Computer Engineering, Sophomore
Team SoyChew

As a computer engineer majoring with interests in markets and biology, from this competition, I have learned how to conduct market analysis, understand consumerism and industry trends. Moreover, with prior interests in biology and plants, I was able to immerse myself in the intricacies of soybean biology which has further fueled my passion for biology. As a computer engineer, I hope to develop more sustainable technologies for agricultural purposes.

Lily Esterline
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team Soylish Nails

I have learned how to create a product from scratch by participating in the Soybean Competition. I was able to brainstorm and run through several design iterations with my team, which is an experience that I will use every day when I enter the engineering industry. I also learned to have more patience when testing the product, as there were a lot of failures along the way. I enjoyed learning more about market analysis, and I never realized how essential market statistics are for the success of a new product.

Alison Fung
Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering, Junior
Team NutriSoy

I have enjoyed this competition both of the times I competed in it. Being able to come up with an idea and watch it come into fruition is so rewarding. Even though we had setbacks in our original plan, I am proud that we were able to keep moving forward and create an entirely new idea and plan of action.

Ben Gottlieb
Finance, Freshman
Team SoySilk

I had minimal knowledge about soybeans before the soy competition but now I value soybeans as one of the most versatile resources.

Upon hearing about the competition, I knew this would be a fantastic opportunity to develop skills in a fast-paced hands-on environment.  Competitions like these are experiences that I cherishes on my path of career development. This competition has allowed me to see both sides of a new business, the R&D, and the business aspects. I hopes that the skills I have learned in the last few months will continue to fuel my entrepreneurial drive and lead to remarkable things.

Lauren Gregg
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soyper

Learning how to find existing patents and products and evaluating the economic viability of potential product ideas developed an understanding of how the engineering concepts taught in my classes are taken into real world applications.  Purdue’s Soybean Innovation Competition was a great opportunity that allowed me to get hands-on experience taking academic knowledge and applying it to real world settings.  I look forward to using the new skills and perspective the competition has taught me as I continue with my classes and move forward into a career in biotechnology.

Kyle Han
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team SoySilk

Before joining the Purdue University Student Soybean Innovation Competition, I did a year of undergraduate research in the Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics under Dr. Rodolfo Pinal and PhD candidate Valeria B. Tellez-Gallego. This critical experience pushed Kyle to join the Soy Competition.  My summer internship at Kimberly-Clark working with baby wipes, gave me the vision of incorporating soybeans to tackle a giant environmental issue. Joining the competition provided me a great chance to lead my own research project and go through a full-cycle R&D endeavor, which is crucially beneficial for future career planning. It also offered a chance to combine my entrepreneurial spirit, course knowledge, and hands-on experience to create a novel product.

Nosa Idahagbon
Chemistry, PhD
Team Resoy

I am a fifth-year PhD student in the Materials Division of the Department of Chemistry. As a materials chemist with a research focus on bio renewable plastics, I've gleaned invaluable insights from this competition. Leading a diverse group of four students, I honed my people management skills significantly. The competition has enhanced my research development abilities, taking me from idea conceptualization to product realization. Crafting a product with performance comparable to leading brands with a limited budget and within a span of three months was an exhilarating experience that I will cherish forever. My aspirations lie in pursuing a career dedicated to the development of bio renewable plastics for food packaging and other pertinent applications. The experience garnered from this competition provides a solid foundation upon which to build.
 

Sarah Juffer
Animal Science, Junior
Team InsectiSoy

As a returning participant in the competition, I enjoyed seeing our team’s personal growth in our lab techniques and project organizational methods. We applied the skills that we gained last year to our product this year to make even larger improvements. I enjoyed working with and getting closer with my team this year in a way that improved our friendships as well as working with a group in a professional setting. I feel that this competition employs such a diverse skillset due to the nature of the competition having many stages and aspects which in turn helps produce well rounded project skills. This competition has improved my life and people skills in several diverse ways.  

Jihee Kim
Physics, Sophomore
Team SoyAid

Upon reflecting on my journey in the Purdue Student Soybean Innovation Competition, I've realized the profound impact it's had on my personal development. Engaging in a project aligned with my passions has been deeply rewarding. Nevertheless, amidst the excitement, I must acknowledge my sincere regret for not being able to contribute as much as I had hoped.

However, despite my own shortcomings, I am immensely grateful for the exceptional work ethic and dedication displayed by my teammates. Their unwavering commitment was instrumental in our collective success, driving us forward even in challenging times. This experience has imparted valuable lessons in humility, teamwork, and the pursuit of continuous improvement. This experience will help me do better next time, using what I've learned from my teammates to work well with others, keep going, and keep learning throughout life. 

Soohyun Kim
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soyper

For me, this competition was a great opportunity to learn the process of researching existing patents and products, brainstorming new innovative ideas, making by hand and documenting in real-world engineering projects, to apply academic knowledge to practical problems, and to practice collaboration and communication with a shared goal. Applying the knowledge and skills gained from this competition, I aspire to be involved in the biopharma and food industry to contribute to sustainable biological engineering solutions that address several global challenges.

Kaylin Larson
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team Soylish Nails

I learned the process of trial and error when creating a new product. You have to be able to think of new ideas when your original ones don't work. It was valuable to learn more business techniques, including looking at markets. I also learned more about how patents work and how to search for them properly. This valuable experience expanded my skills in the lab, problem-solving, and learning more about business strategies.

Laurian Lien
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team SoyBox

A sophomore studying Biological Engineering with a passion for science and sustainability, I came to Purdue to be at the forefront of innovation and to change the world. I am excited with the potential of this product to revolutionize packaging standards and bring forward a packaging system that protects the planet.

Christopher (Chris) Mechalke
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Green Eggs, No Ham

During this competition I learned how to work in a team over an extended period of time outside of a class setting. In addition, I found fulfillment and personal growth in managing research on my own time to benefit a team. This experience will help me going forward as I look to do research in the future, having provided a good basis for laboratory learning and working under a professor, with a large-scale project in a professional context.

Ekene (Cassie) Megwa
Industrial Engineering, Senior
Team SoyShine

I am a senior in Industrial Engineering with a minor in management and working towards certificates in Microelectronics and Semiconductors and Applications of Data Science. I have an interest in supply chain engineering and the manufacturing process in the automobile and semiconductor industry. The soybean innovation competition has strengthened my entrepreneurial spirit and inspired me to build up my own expertise and knowledge within technological spaces, which will allow me to develop my own unique product in the future. I wish to bring this passion into future endeavors.

William (Will) Meyer
Chemical Engineering, Sophomore
Team Green Eggs, No Ham

Throughout this competition, I have gained experience in a variety of technical fields including quantitative data collection and analysis of properties including buffer capacity and identification in biological substances, enzyme kinetics, and viscosity analysis. At each step along the way, the academic and in-lab research and development I did further sparked an interest in food science and the scientific process, particularly in the context of consumer product development.

Emily Muntean
First Year Engineering, Freshman
Team Ambrosia Bar

The Soybean Innovation Competition has been a great opportunity for me to explore a different career field than what I initially planned on going into. I’m interested in developing medical prosthetics, but the skills I’ve learned during the competition will help me in any industry. For example, I have developed my abilities in communicating and working with people that have different academic backgrounds and experience levels than me.

Linh Nghiem
Food Science, Junior
Team ReSoy

Participating in the Purdue Student Soybean Innovation Competition has been instrumental in shaping my approach to a future career in research and development (R&D). The experience has significantly enhanced my skills in innovation and creativity, emphasizing the importance of thinking outside the box when faced with technical challenges. Collaborating with individuals from diverse disciplines during the competition has underscored the significance of cross-disciplinary teamwork, a skill set essential in the collaborative environment of R&D. Looking ahead, the competition experience has equipped me with valuable project management skills, an innovation mindset, and an understanding of market orientation, all of which will undoubtedly contribute to my success in future endeavors within the field of research and development.

Mary Oluyemi
Food Science, PhD
Team ReSoy

I am a second-year PhD student in Food Science specializing in bacteriophage applications for pathogen detection, joining this interdisciplinary team has been transformative. Collaborating with diverse backgrounds, including chemistry, I've learned the crucial role of effective communication and teamwork. This experience enhanced my collaboration and team spirit, offering insights into navigating interdisciplinary challenges. Together, we harnessed varied expertise to develop a sustainable solution within a limited timeframe and budget. Passionate about food safety, the competition broadened my horizons to bio-renewable plastics. Insights from my team's materials chemistry expertise gave me a holistic view of sustainable materials' potential in food packaging. Cultivating skills in effective collaboration, adaptability, and interdisciplinary problem-solving will undoubtedly contribute to my future endeavors in academia or industry. This experience is a solid foundation for navigating complex challenges and fostering innovation in food science. Excited to apply these lessons, I look forward to continuing work on sustainable solutions for food safety and packaging.

Munn Patel
Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering, Sophomore
Team SoyChew

As an aerospace engineering major, this competition has truly expanded my horizons as an aspiring engineer. Not only has this competition opened a whole new realm of engineering – agricultural and biological – but it has also taught me crucial aspects of being an engineer in general. Without this competition, my skills and knowledge in incorporating the economic side of engineering with the engineering process itself would be lackluster. I would eventually like to take everything I learn from this competition and incorporate it into my own field of study. Incorporating more biodegradable and environmentally safe products would be helpful even in the field of aerospace. From market analysis to technical feasibility to long days in the lab, this competition has truly bettered me as an engineer, and I wish to continue improving and innovating.

Lewis Polansky
Computer Engineering Technology, Freshman
Team SoyBox

Through the Student Soybean Innovation Competition, I have gained a wealth of knowledge pertaining to R&D and industrial engineering that will help me in my future ventures. 

Andrew Rosenberg
Mechanical Engineering, Senior
Team GreenGuard

I will be wrapping up my second year competing in this competition. The invaluable lessons I have learned along the way will stay with me long after my college career is over. I am grateful that Micky Creech and the ISA have been sponsoring this competition for years now, because it allows for students to really think outside the box. I think one of the most useful things I learned from my time competing is solving problems under some very tight constraints. I hope that more students continue to take advantage of the opportunity that Purdue and this competition has to offer.

Lauren Schroeder
Chemical Engineering, Junior
Team Soyper

I have found great enjoyment in participating in the Purdue Soybean Competition. For an engineering student like me, the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to a real-life project with tangible challenges and deadlines has been exhilarating. Developing a technical presentation and business plan as part of the competition has honed my ability to articulate ideas formally, a skill I believe will serve me well both during my time at Purdue and in my future professional endeavors. Overcoming obstacles alongside my team members throughout the development of their product has been a rewarding journey. Looking ahead, I am eager to leverage the skills acquired through this competition in future projects and coursework.  I am particularly excited about the potential of our end product to contribute to a more sustainable future.

Anthony Scott
Industrial Engineering, Senior
Team GreenGuard

Prior to this year, I had only heard of the soybean competition through faculty and advertisements around campus. It wasn’t until a study abroad trip when a peer shared his great experience in the competition, sparking my interest to learn more. Once Brandon mentioned the details to me about the competition, I was immediately hooked. Prior to embarking on this experience, I had quite a bit of research experience, but nothing that required starting from scratch and creating our own product. For that reason, I had to participate as it has always been a goal of mine. I am extremely thankful Purdue University allows for students to participate in such experiences, and I enjoyed it very much.  This experience is something I will carry with me as I begin my professional career. It has not only challenged me, but also pushed me to think outside the box and collaborate with a smart group of individuals.

Charles Sebright
Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Junior
Team InsectiSoy

Being a Junior at Purdue University there are not many better ways than the soy competition to improve on both my hard and soft skills. I learned many things throughout this competition including working as a team, managing people, doing research, and creative thinking. I am very thankful for the opportunity I have been given by ISA and the experiences this competition has provided me.  I would like to thank Purdue University, ISA, its various farmers, and all my advisors.

Travis Seward
Agricultural Ecomonics, Junior
Team Soy Sheets

I am a Junior in Sales & Marketing, and this is my first year doing the Purdue University Student Soybean Innovation Competition. This competition has allowed me to take a deeper look into the marketing strategies that I’ve learned at my time at Purdue and helped me understand how to put those strategies into a real-life scenario. It has also opened my eyes to all the hard work that goes on in the innovation world and how different minds and talents can work together to form a unique and exciting product like the Soy Sheet. This competition will by far shape the way I think and navigate my way through marketing scenarios in and out of the classroom.

Thomas (Tommy) Sheeley
Biochemistry, Senior
Team Gly-Soy

I am Senior in Biochemistry seeking to apply the research and development skills learned in this project to the Biochemistry Ph.D program here at Purdue where I will be attending in the Fall. 

Fabian Sixl
Economics, Junior
Team Soy Sheets

I am a Junior studying Finance and Economics. This project allowed me to explore my interests through self-led market research into a market I was previously very unfamiliar with. It was a unique experience in innovation through teamwork and gave me new opportunities to refine my problem solving and communication skills. It is a great way to apply what you learned in class to a real-world problem and prepares you for future entrepreneurial endeavors. The competition fostered a wonderful creative environment that allowed me to interact with both likeminded and at the same time very diverse people.

Giovanni Stabile
First Year Engineering, Freshman
Team SoyShine

I am a freshman in the John Martinson Honors College, majoring in Chemical Engineering. I aspire to work in renewable energy and sustainability, so the Soybean Innovation Competition complements my interests in sustainable products and recyclability. This was an eye-opening experience to delve into experimentation and iteration through nearly a dozen wax and coating formulations, and through this competition I developed a particular interest in product development. I hope to continue this work through a research lab in the chemical engineering department next year. I also particularly enjoyed the patent research, and I will use these research skills as I work with friends to pursue future entrepreneurial endeavors.

Josh Stephenson
Biochemistry, Junior
Team InsectiSoy

In the third year of doing this competition, I have found a lot of enjoyment in taking the lessons learned from last year's competition and using that to further strengthen our new products. I have continued to enjoy the competitive nature of this competition and continuing to develop knowledge in the research process.

Drake Strait
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team SoyShine

I am a sophomore majoring in biological engineering with a minor in biotechnology. I have an interest in genetics and plan to work in the agriculture industry developing more productive and sustainable crops of the future. Throughout the Soybean Innovation Competition, I refined valuable product development skills such as background market research, procedure design, and data collection. These skills assisted me in my other research lab, helped me land a summer research internship, and are sure to prove useful in my career.

Madeline Tiedt
Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering, Junior
Team NutriSoy

I find participation in this contest so rewarding and I’m so glad I was able to compete again. I truly enjoy the problem solving element as well as how hands on the whole process is. Also, I really love that it’s given me an opportunity to apply what I’m learning in my classes to real world situations.

Brooklin (Brooke) Toombs
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team Ambrosia Bar

Post graduation, my goal is to find employment within the industrial food manufacturing industry. So, over the course of the Soybean Innovation Competition, I have gained valuable, hands-on experience relating to the research and development process in my desired field. Furthermore, I can demonstrate to prospective employers that I can successfully collaborate with others to bring long term projects to fruition. Beyond bolstering my professional portfolio, I’m incredibly grateful that I got to forge such wonderful connections with my fellow team members and project mentors. Overall, the competition was an amazing and unique opportunity for me to further explore my passion for food science.

Saanvi Venkatesan
Biochemistry, Sophomore
Team SoyChew

As a biochemistry major, I have taken away many scientific principles from the Soybean Innovation Competition. I learned new lab techniques and molecular and biochemical processes that give practices to food production. But what I have really enjoyed about the competition is how the experience has broadened my perspective on novel product development. I am also pursuing a Business Economics minor, so understanding the economic feasibility of a product that we have created has been eye opening. I have learned how many steps go into creating a marketable product, from initial patent searches, to understanding market trends and consumer preferences. After graduation I wish to integrate my biochemistry knowledge with business principles to create quality products that are viable in today’s market. Participating in the Soybean Innovation Competition has compelled me to approach innovation with a holistic view considering all factors, which is a skill I will take with me in my future endeavors.

Brandon Verone
Biological Engineering, Senior
Team GreenGuard

In more ways than one I believe this competition is one of the most valuable experiences any undergraduate student can partake in. To form a team, conceptualize an idea, and bring that idea to fruition in just six months is an unbelievably formidable task. Even simply making it to the finish line in this competition requires uncommon dedication, technical acumen, and creativity. I am extremely grateful for having been able to participate in this competition for a second time. Expanding on the lessons learned last year, I believe this year I have learned yet more skills and knowledge that will help me face the challenges ahead in my academic and professional career.

Vincent Vo
Industrial Engineering, Sophomore
Team SoyChew

I am a sophomore studying Industrial Engineering with a minor in Management and a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This project utilizes my expertise in the most holistic way possible, and there is much I’ve learned from the entire process. There is a lot that goes into the development of a product from both the technical and business perspective. I’ve been able to fully immerse myself in these two realms because of my fields of study, and the lessons I’ve learned from doing so are invaluable to my personal and professional growth. It is safe to say that I will take this experience and utilize it in my future endeavors. I hope to one day apply it to the real world, to a larger scale project.

Alexis Walker
Materials Science Engineering, Sophomore
Team SoyShine

I am a sophomore in Materials Science and Engineering minoring in Nuclear Engineering with an emphasis on sustainability. I aspire to create innovative solutions to solve big global challenges like climate change, food insecurity, and housing insecurity. I believe that materials have the versatility and even the renewability to solve some of our world's most pressing issues. My experience in the Soybean Innovation Competition has been invaluable and has truly enhanced my knowledge of soft materials and emulsions which are very important materials in the school of Materials Engineering at Purdue. I had the pleasure to collaborate with MSE professor Dr. Jay Younblood, expert of soft materials, and engaged deeper with faculty at Purdue. Overall, I enjoyed honing in on my technical engineering skills and learning how to communicate procedural work to a knowledgeable group of judges. 

Charles Wang
Biological Engineering & Food Process Engineering, Junior
Team Soy Sheets

I am a Junior in Biological Engineering, and this is my first year participating in the Purdue University Student Soybean Innovation Competition. This competition provided a unique platform where I could apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges within the agricultural sector. I gained insights into the complexities of sustainable innovation, particularly in utilizing soybeans as a versatile resource. Looking ahead, the lessons learned from this experience will definitely help shape my future experiences whether in research, entrepreneurship, or contributing to solutions for global sustainability!

Alexandra (Alex) Watson
ACS Chemistry, Junior
Team ReSoy

I am a junior in Purdue’s College of Science majoring in ACS Chemistry. I am set to graduate this Spring and although the Soybean Innovation Competition has added to my workload, I have enjoyed the opportunity to explore chemistry outside of my coursework and research. Due to my research being synthesis heavy, I have had little experience with applying my chemistry to an end product, but having to learn how to spread the ESO coating onto paper and make our own cups from the coated paper has taught me how to think like an engineer as well as a chemist. We had to modify our cup designs and make adjustments with adhesives and layers throughout our testing which allowed me to put my creative skills to the test. The experience I gained from this competition is also relevant to my future career goals as I am interested in green chemistry and sustainable polymer synthesis. I grew up in a big city and have seen how mass consumption destroys ecosystems in short periods of time, so it is important to me that the work that I do causes no harm to others or the environment.

Amanda Wolf
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Green Eggs,No Ham

Throughout this project I have developed initiative, organization, and research and communication skills that cultivated a further interest in research and innovation, and will no doubt be put to good use in that future. In food science, I gained experience in experimental design and research with enzymes and various ingredient properties. I also advanced in the front-end area of product design with business and economics—and it goes without saying that I learned quite a few things about eggs.

Elyse (Danae) Youngstedt
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team SoyAid

Throughout each step of the Purdue Soybean Innovation Competition, I have been challenged to do things I didn’t believe possible. In the earlier phases, I learned to find and read patents, generate ideas about novel product feasibility, interpret (and reproduce) experimental procedures from literature, and perform global economic analysis for a market. Learning to find and read patents helped prepare me for an internship interview, where I was able to ask the interviewer specific technical questions about their companies’ products due to the patent reading skills I gained from this competition. In phase two, I learned to pitch a novel product, evaluate technical feasibility of various procedures within the constraints of our given lab space and budget, and the importance of asking for free samples from companies. This phase of the competition improved my skill in giving presentations and experimental design, which is useful in any setting, be it academic or professional. The final phase of the competition forced me to be resourceful with lab materials, time, and competition funds. This was my first time in a Purdue lab for a personal project; the Purdue Soybean Innovation Competition genuinely restored my confidence and made me feel like I belonged in my major.

Mallory Zobel
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team Soylish Nails

Mallory Zobel is a junior in Biological Engineering. I have learned a lot about the research process and how to take an idea and work through the struggles and failures of bringing that idea to life and having a fully functional prototype in just a few months. I also learned about patents and markets, which are both important ideas to know about in the industry. Overall, I believe that I will use what I have learned from this process daily and in my future career, ideally in R&D, where I will have to learn a lot from my mistakes and trial and error, just like I did in this competition.

 

2022-23 Student Soybean Innovation Competition

Shams Adigozalzade
Food Science & Technology, Freshman
Team PureSoy Cleanser

Participating in a soybean competition and creating a soy-based facial cleanser was a valuable learning experience for me. Through this process, I gained an appreciation for the numerous benefits that soy extracts can offer for skincare. I learned that soy is rich in antioxidants, which can help to protect the skin from free radical damage and environmental stressors. Finally, through the process of creating my soy-based facial cleanser, I gained valuable insights into the development and formulation of skincare products. I learned how to select the right ingredients, balance their concentrations, and ensure the product's stability and effectiveness. Overall, participating in the soybean competition and creating a soy-based facial cleanser was an enlightening experience that expanded my knowledge of skincare and product development.

Emmanuel Alagbe
Animal Science, PhD
Team SoyLACE

I'm thrilled to be participating in this competition for a second time! This platform is an incredible opportunity for learning, and it challenges me to think outside the box to discover new applications for soybeans. One of the aspects I find most exciting about the Soy Innovative Competition is the chance to meet new people who share my passion for sustainability and innovation. And I have to give a shout-out to Michelle Creech - she's been an unwavering source of support for our team, always there to offer encouragement and provide us with the resources we need to succeed. Thank you!

Grace Andrews
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soy-A-Boat

The soybean competition has provided me with an experience that I could not have had elsewhere. I am proud that I can confidently say I have created a novel product from start to finish. The most interesting part of this is that the product is soy-based; this means I have acquired much knowledge about soybeans through research. As an engineer, we often prioritize web lab experiences and skills, and this competition has made me realize that this is not the only important aspect of my academic career. Within entrepreneurship, there are learning experiences outside of the lab that are useful to have. For example, we learned how to interpret patents and to access them as well as evaluate a market and need for a specific idea or product. This aspect of the competition will carry over into my future career as an engineer because I have learned how to assess the need for a specific product or process. I am very thankful for this competition and all that I have gained from it.

Mandar Bagade
Ag Systems Management, Senior
Team SoyWare

This two-semester project has honed my skills in various areas, such as chemical analysis, 3D applications, market evaluation, and technical writing. However, its most significant impact was preparing me for my master's degree. The Soybean Innovation Competition instilled in me the values of perseverance and discipline. Despite encountering failures during the many hours, we put into lab work and research, every breakthrough felt incredibly rewarding. This experience has taught me that the hard work I put into reviewing endless research papers for my thesis topic will pay off when I reach my conclusion.

Moreover, whilst preparing a business plan, I also realized the urgency and importance of environmental stewardship required in these times of heavy exploitation of petroleum resources for consumer goods. Our team's use of bioplastic, a sustainable alternative, highlighted the need for more eco-friendly products in the market. As such, I am more conscious of the need to integrate sustainability in research and innovation. Overall, I believe that the skills and knowledge I acquired during this project will prove invaluable in my future research pursuits.

Alden Brugh
Product Design, Senior
Team SoyLACE

Being that this is my third year in this competition, I have been able to learn a lot about creating a product and the trials and errors it takes to perfect it. From ideation to market assessment to refining research, this competition has given me a deeper understanding of what it takes to get a product to be on the shelves of a store. I have also obtained a high appreciation for patent work and the avenues one must go through to secure a patent for their product.

Louis Caceres Martinez
Engineering Technology, PhD
Team StyroSoy

Participating in the Purdue University Student Soybean Innovation Competition was an amazing opportunity to explore new knowledge in the field of formulation sciences towards the production of sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics using soy-derivatives while working in an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment. Louis learnt the importance of project management, economics, and marketing as key aspects behind the commercialization of innovative products.

Alyssa Choi
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team StyroSoy

The Purdue Student Soybean Innovation Competition has been my first experience with research and working in a lab, outside of coursework. Through this competition I have gained valuable lab experience and knowledge about various topics such as marketing, research methods, the detrimental impact of Styrofoam, and most importantly soybeans!

Taylor Cooney
Animal Science, Freshman
Team PureSoy Cleanser

One thing that I have learned from this competition is how to incorporate my love for business into the science world. I loved that I got to use a lot of entrepreneurship skills because I had never had much of a chance to use them before, and this competition strengthened them. Making a product from start to finish was also very rewarding and I will always look back on this experience with great appreciation. 

Jack Dempsey
Aquatic Sciences, Sophomore
Team SoyWare

Over the course of creating this product, I have had an amazing time while also gaining very valuable experience. I’ve learned so much about market analysis, product design, soy products and properties, the innovative process, and team synergy. It’s a very accomplishing feeling to have created something from the ground up as part of a team that works well together and has great ideas. 

I am very optimistic about how much this competition has done for my professional experience and my ability to engage with Purdue faculty and resources. In addition to this, the competition has opened my mind to so many possibilities in the agricultural sector. Even brainstorming was an enlightening process, as I realized how broad the scope of innovation is. Making our analyses and business plan and writing up about our progress has greatly inspired me and stoked my optimism for my future pursuits in any industry. I am very grateful to have been a part of this project, because I know that I got a lot out of working on it.

Alison Dunbar
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team SOYscara

I loved being able to connect with different staff members and having creative freedom when designing our own experiments/tests. I learned how to compromise and work efficiently with a team in a research setting, as well as practice professional communication and time management. It was also super cool to devise every step of the engineering process from the brainstorming process all the way to packaging and marketing our completed product.

Alison Fung
Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soyscreen

The experiences this competition brought me helped me learn the importance of time management, proper internet research, and how to think like a business owner. Although the trial and error were tedious, it was incredible being able to witness our efforts come to fruition.
 

Andres Gomez
Agricultural Engineering, Senior
Team SoyWare

The truth is to say that I've had a blast working on this product and on this project. I learned a ton of authentically utilizable things in the process and it is not just taught me about the properties of the soybean, but it taught me about how to be more environmentally responsible. I have gained an opulence of cognizance regarding the ingenious process, product design, soy goods and qualities, and teamwork. I have also developed a great taste for creating simple, and eco-friendly products that also provide gorgeous, healthy, and very effective functioning of the product. As a value-added to making our product, I not just learned this but also about how the market right now works and it taught also me a lot about the patents that exist right now.

Sarah Juffer
Animal Science, Sophomore
Team SoySafe

As a returning participant in the competition, I enjoyed seeing our team’s personal growth in our lab techniques and project organizational methods. We applied the skills that we gained last year to our product this year to make even larger improvements. I enjoyed working with and getting closer with my team this year in a way that improved our friendships as well as working with a group in a professional setting. I feel that this competition employs such a diverse skillset due to the nature of the competition having many stages and aspects which in turn helps produce well rounded project skills. This competition has improved my life and people skills in a number of diverse ways.   

Laura Kemerer
Accounting, Freshman
Team SoyLACE

As a first-time competitor in the Student Soybean Innovation Competition, I have learned a great deal about soy and its unlimited uses. I never imagined before this experience that you could use soy for everything from construction to cosmetics and many other things in between. I have lived in Indiana my entire life and it was very interesting to learn more about one of my state’s biggest industries.
 

Edson Ko Bautista
Biological Engineering, Senior
Team Agent Sticky Soy Adhesive

As an aspiring engineer, I never would have imagined that business knowledge and entrepreneurship is just as important as the technical aspect of developing a product.  I always thought that the calculations and designs going on behind the scenes was what really mattered.  This competition proved me wrong because I have come to realize that you could have a great product fail miserably without the proper market research and preparations.  I hope to use these business skills to enhance my engineering degree now and in the future.

Jason Li
First Year Engineering, Freshman
Team SOYscara

It was very insightful to go through the full development cycle of creating a brand new product. Going from brainstorming, to the technical development of our product, and finally marketing showcased a full engineering development cycle. I really appreciate the time our team spent in labs and the close teamwork that our team fostered. Overall, the Soybean Innovation competition helped me improve my communication, planning, and engineering skills which I will certainly use in the future.

Ethan Miller
Biochemistry, Sophomore
Team SoyFlect

I am a sophomore majoring in Biochemistry, and I am always told the        importance of doing work in the lab. That work has never been fun until      this competition. Through this experience I’ve learned how to use my skills while also enjoying the time I spend doing it! The skills I have learned over the last six months and the love for the work I do will be carried with me  for the rest of my life! Thank you for giving me the chance to take part in
this competition!

Anthony Pellicane
Health & Human Sciences, Junior
Team Super Soy

I had a great time doing this competition and it significantly improved my skills in business. The teamwork aspect of this competition was a great experience will be useful in my future business endavours. Despite the challenges our group faced I think that this competition and the team around me has taught me an incredible amount over the course of the past months.

Libby Plassard
Business Management/Finance
Team SoyFlect

As a sophomore majoring in finance, I have had lots of marketing and
 financial analysis experience. This competition has allowed me to use the
principles that I have learned in the classroom, and apply them to a
real-world product. This competition has not only allowed me to expand my
technical and scientific knowledge, but it has also allowed me to use the
principles I have learned in the classroom and apply them to a real issue.
I am also extremely grateful to learn more about the agriculture industry.
This competition has been a great experience for me, and I am grateful to
have been a part of it. 

Andrew Rosenberg
Mechanical Engineering, Junior
Team Super Soy

Even after attending Purdue for almost three years, I have learned more about creating a product while completing this competition than I have in any class. This competition, while difficult, has been a fruitful experience. It is something that I can look back on and appreciate, rather than just be a résumé-booster. I enjoyed working in the lab to create our product; every time we made a breakthrough, it felt very satisfying and exciting. Seeing a product through from concept to prototype to marketable product is something that is not taught often in my major, and I value the experience that taught me so much over these few months. Working with my team has been awesome, and I would like to compete in next year’s competition.

Lauren Schroeder
Chemical Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soy Sealers

I’ve greatly enjoyed competing in Purdue’s Soybean Competition. As an engineering student, it’s exciting to see how I can apply my classes to a real life project with real setbacks and a strict timeline. Additionally, the experience gained while developing a technical presentation and business plan has further helped me how to formally deliver my thought processes and ideas. This will surely benefit me not only in the rest of my time here at Purdue, but with my future professional experiences as well. Working in a lab while having to develop and propose our own chemical reactions has greatly helped with my confidence as a young chemical engineer. Learning how to efficiently and effectively carry out an experiment is challenging. While Fiona and I have persevered through many obstacles regarding the development of our product; in the end, we have accomplished what we set out to do. It’s rewarding to come out on the other side of this competition, when in the beginning it was hard to even visualize our end product. I look forward to further applying the skills I’ve gained while competing in this competition to future projects and classes. And finally, I look forward to seeing how our end product can be a stepping stone to a more sustainable future in the world of single use products. And eventually, lead us towards a society where single use plastics are extinct.

Charlie Sebright
Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team SoySafe

Being a sophomore at Purdue University there are not many better ways than the soy competition to improve on both my hard and soft skills. I learned many things throughout this competition including working as a team, managing people, doing research, and creative thinking. I am very thankful for the opportunity I have been given and the experiences this competition has provided me.   

Dartanian Sloan
Chemical Engineering, Sophomore
Team Super Soy

I really had a lot of fun doing this project. It was fairly time-consuming near the end, as we wanted to be in the lab as much as possible in order to test all of our different theories. Should I choose to participate again, I would like to spend more time researching potential patents that could help with our actual technical process. I would also like to consult our advisors more, as I feel like our team didn’t reach out as much as we could have. This project definitely taught me not to procrastinate, as I feel that the deadlines were very well spaced out and led to our team being more on top of things had we not been assigned them.

Josh Stephenson
Biochemistry, Sophomore
Team SoySafe

In the second year of doing this competition, I found a lot of enjoyment in taking the lessons learned from last year's competition and using that to strengthen the product we produced for this year. I have continued to enjoy the competitive nature of this competition and just how much can be accomplished in such a relatively short period of time.  

Amy Tang
Biological Engineering & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sophomore
Team StyroSoy

Participating in the Purdue University Student Soybean Innovation Competition was an amazing opportunity to have the first experience in a lab outside the academic curriculum and get involved in research as well as networking with professors and graduate students. It also helped me make the decision to continue my studies as a graduate student after graduation.

Valeria Tellez Gallego
Industrial & Physical Pharmacy, PhD
Team StyroSoy

Joining the Purdue University Student Soybean Innovation Competition was a great opportunity to explore new areas and apply my skills and research methodology to tackle any challenges that may have arisen during the development of the product. Furthermore, this competition allowed me to jump from the laboratory to the economics sciences and helped me understand the importance of developing a cost-efficient working-product that can transform daily life and offer sustainable alternatives.

Madeline Tiedt
Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soyscreen

This competition has taught me a multitude of different business as well as technical skills. There were a lot of things in this competition that I’d never done before, like searching through patents or putting together an entire business plan. All of these skills will be incredibly helpful to me in the future because not only has this competition given me an opportunity to be creative and think outside the box, but it’s given me a chance to learn some practical things that will come in handy in my career as an engineer.

Lauren Tricker
Mechanical Engineering, Sophomore
Team Agent Sticky Soy Adhesive

Working on the Student Soybean Innovation Competition has allowed me to develop and strengthen my engineering and innovative skills.  It has also allowed me to learn more about the process of developing a product and seeing it through to completion.  The help from business and technical advisors has allowed me to better understand the detail that goes not only into developing a product, but also ensuring that it is useful and worthwhile to the market to produce.. I hope to use these skills in my future career as an engineer.

Daria Tsoneva
Biochemistry, Sophomore
Team Agent Sticky Soy Adhesive

The Purdue Soybean Innovation Competition hs taught me what it means to finish a product from start to end.  I was able to take an idea and trun it into a real-life product that I could use.  I had always dreamed of getting into entrepreneurship, however, I did not realize the details that go into forming a business plan, countless hours of lab work, and the many brains that go into making a product.  Looking to the future, I hope to use the skills I learned from the Soybean Innovation Competition to pursue biochemistry research and develop the future of medicine.

Brandon Verone
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team Super Soy

This competition has been an incredible experience for me in multiple facets. I have learned how to effectively lead a team, work through a long-term project, creatively solve complex problems, and the value of teamwork. Working with this team and our advisors has been an absolute pleasure and I can’t talk enough about how much they and this competition have taught me. In reflection, I believe that this competition will help me in the future when working on larger projects that require team collaboration and complex problem-solving skills in the engineering world. I sincerely look forward to doing this again next year.

Chathura Viswanath
Civil Engineering, MS
Team SoyLACE

I love that we can create a novel product out of soy! This competition has challenged me to do better, be creative and seize opportunities. It is always interesting to see the different uses and applications of soy. I am excited about the Award Ceremony!

Fiona Wehrle
Chemical Engineering, Freshman
Team Soy Sealers

This project has definitely taught me quite a bit. To start off, I had no idea what a patent was, so this project exposed me to everything related to not only making a product but making a novel product. I also learned the value of research when it comes to creating something new. Because I am only a freshman, I have not had a lot of technical experience, so research was very crucial to the experimentation portion of this project. I enjoyed getting into the lab and experimenting with the different materials. It fit very well to the chemical aspect of my major. From the experience, the most important thing I learned was that success doesn’t come easy. It takes many iterations and setbacks to create a good product. These setbacks are critical to the design process and can even help the product become even better. This experience has not only helped me develop my engineering and problem-solving skills, but it also influenced my decision to get a certificate in entrepreneurship at Purdue. In my future endeavors, I hope to help create products and materials that limit plastic waste to improve the well-being of the environment. I am so proud of what Lauren and I were able to accomplish. This has been a truly unforgettable experience, and while it was challenging, I gained a lot of skills that I will carry in my future endeavors.

Conwy Zheng
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team SOYscara

I cannot believe how far our team has come from product, market, and patent research all the way to product formation, packaging and marketing. I have not only strengthened soft skills like teamwork, communication and efficiency, but also experienced hands-on research. The Purdue University Student Soybean Innovation Competition has helped solidify my interest in future research and development.

Mallory Zobel
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soy-A-Boat

The soybean competition has provided me with invaluable experience. I learned a lot about patents and markets, which I had no experience with prior to this competition. Additionally, I learned about bringing an idea from nothing to a functioning prototype. This is something that I have not had the opportunity to do in my classes, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to do so through this competition. I also learned a lot about the experimentation process. A lot of this process involved guessing until something worked, and that taught me a lot about learning from your failures to be successful in the future. Finally, I learned a lot about how to create a final project report that summarizes technical processes, market analysis, patent search, and business plans. This has been an invaluable experience and I am glad I was able to take a part in it.

 

2021-22 Student Soybean Innovation Competition

Rob Bastian
First Year Engineering, Freshman
Team Brilliant Bean

I have learned so much about soy and its properties. I have also learned valuable uses for the material in everyday items. I had no idea just how many materials could be made using a soy substitute. More importantly, I have learned how to work well in a team. I have learned valuable professional skills that I can take to future positions that I may acquire and use them to help better any project. I am so thankful that I joined this team and completed this project. It has helped create a stronger bond between my teammates and I, and for that I am forever grateful for this project and competition.

Alden Brugh
Product Design, Junior
Team FabriSoy

Both this year and last year I have been able to witness the large variety of applications for soy.  The multiple facets of soy allow for so many different products that it almost seems endless. This year, I was able to see how well soy can work as a cleansing and dispersing agent for laundry care.

Zuhal Cakir
Chemical Engineering, PhD
Team Smulch

As a graduate student at the department of chemical engineering, I was able to apply my technical skillset and creativity in this work. This project allowed me to understand and experiment with different soy materials. This competition also taught me to work as a team. An awesome experience!

Jason Clark
Accounting/Finance, Senior
Team Soy Board

This competition has once again provided me with a variety of different skill sets that will help me for years to come. It has been very beneficial to work on my networking skills and learn about entrepreneurship, research, independent lab work, marketing, and more. I’m impressed by the amount of new experiences I have gained as well as the additional knowledge I continue to learn even after participating in the competition for several years. I’m grateful for the Indiana Soybean Alliance for giving Purdue students this incredible opportunity. 

Andres Dextre
Biological Engineering, Senior
Team SAGE Trilogy

I am currently a senior in biological engineering minoring in biotechnology, biochemistry and bioinformatics. I have been a part of this competition for the past three years and I have greatly enjoyed the experiences and connections I’ve had during my involvement. I enjoy the technical side of product development and have found it very rewarding to see how a simple idea turns into a prototype with a set plan to market. I am looking forward to applying the skills I gain in this competition towards my future graduate studies.

Boyang Dong
Pharmacy, Junior
Team SoyPilly

From this competition, I got to have more hands-on lab experience with Dr. Carvajal and gained more understanding about soybeans and soy in general. I really appreciate this competition as it pushes me to think more in depth and apply what I’ve learned to help solve real-life problems!  Moreover, thanks to this competition, I started to pay more attention to things in my daily life. For example, when I looked at a product in the shelf, I would think about if any ingredients within the product could be replaced by soy to make it better. I believe the critical thinking skills and lab techniques developed through this completion could further benefit me in my academic studies.

Erick Forkpah
Biological Engineering, Senior
Team SAGE Trilogy

I am a biological engineering major, I am passionate about agriculture and biotechnology. I have had two internships at biotech startups, and one at Bayer Crop Science last summer. It was while working in the industry that I was exposed to working with fungicides. My experience in the field doing research with fungicides and seeing their applications partly encouraged this year’s fungicide product. By pursuing my Certificate in Entrepreneurship, I hope to start companies in the near future and give back to my community, as well as my home country of Liberia. I also am pursuing minors in biotechnology and business economics. I mainly function as team leader and business manager, but I also enter the lab on occasion to conduct experiments (and to take pictures). I have enjoyed my three years in the competition and consider last year’s SAGE Trilogy 5 second place finish as one of my proudest accomplishments. 

Riley Garrison
Finance, Freshman
Team Drip Drop

My favorite memory from the Soybean Competition was the night spent with her teammates wrapping up the competition. The competition combined my love of science and business into one extracurricular activity. It provided a lot of insight and learning curves, especially working with strangers. In addition, the competition gave me a new insight into entrepreneurship and patents which I will be excited to apply in my future courses at Purdue and in life.

Sarah Heffner
Biological Engineering, Senior
Team SAGE Trilogy

I am a senior in biological engineering minoring in global engineering and liberal arts. This is my third year competing in the soybean innovation competition with the same teammates from the first competition. I enjoy how the soy competition gives me an outlet for creativity and ingenuity while challenging me to apply what I have learned in the classroom. I am grateful for the soy competition and the experience it has provided me thus far. I am looking forward to graduating and beginning a Career with Pepsico applying the skills I have gained from the competition.

Yalan (Celine) Huo
Pharmaceutical Science, Junior
Team Soy Shell

Celine is a third-year Pharmaceutical Science student from China. She currently works in a research laboratory at the Purdue College of Pharmacy. In addition to being a pharmacy student, she is also studying in Philosophy. She always believes that “To be is to do”. Since she plans to pursue a Ph.D. degree after graduation, this competition will be a great “to do” for her to apply concepts from the course to the real world, and it will be a nice experience for her to prepare for graduate application.

Hanna Inoue Goes
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soymies

I have learned a lot from this competition, specifically the amount of effort it takes to build an idea from the beginning.  I didn’t realize the work that had to be done before, including patent search, market analysis, and other steps in order to start making a prototype of your product. I also learned how to critically think to find solutions to our problems. We encountered ourselves with many challenges and problems during the prototype building phase, and we had to come up with new solutions on how to fix those problems. This competition will be relevant to my future endeavors, since my ultimate goal is to be able to work in the food industry in which I hope to find new food solutions or alternatives. In this case, I will most likely need to conduct market analysis on these new food ideas and apply critical thinking to solve the problems I may encounter.

Sarah Juffer
Animal Science, Freshman
Team Brilliant Bean

The Student Soybean Innovation Competition has helped me expand my skills as well as my network in a variety of ways. I was able to perform under a set timeline and with a small group of individuals. This helped my people skills as well as my time management by having checkpoints where the whole team had to work as a unit to accomplish goals. I also had to perform a market analysis which is something that I feel will be helpful to me in the future in the sales industry. I also had to become more familiar with the design process which included lots of trial and error with many prototype changes along the way. It really introduced me to the innovation industry and opened my eyes to the possibilities of student innovation. Finally, I gained many networking connections that can be very helpful to me during the rest of my time at Purdue as well as in the career field after graduation.

Jieun (Grace) Lee
Biological Engineering, Senior
Team SAGE Trilogy

Being a senior in biology focused in the field of molecular and synthetic biology, I have had a wonderful three years experience of being a wet lab researcher in this competition. I enjoyed having to expand my academic comfort zone and have to take initiatives during each phase. I hope to start working in a biological research startup company upon graduation, and the teamwork skills I have learned in the soybean innovation competition will be the key to separate me from others. 

Haotang (Sophia) Li
Pharmaceutical Science, Junior
Team Soy Shell

Sophia is a junior studying Materials Engineering from China. She entered this competition and wish she could apply the knowledge she learned in real life. She has an ongoing research lab related to crystallization for pharmaceutical manufacture, she can use her lab working and technical presentation skills to complete this competition.  This competition also gives her a rehearsal on her senior design for the coming fall.   

Annie Lin
Pharmacy, Junior
Team SoyPilly

This is actually my second year in the competition and last year, we didn’t get to work in the lab much due to COVID. However, this year, I was able to work in Dr. Carvajal’s lab more and got to learn how to set up a humidity chamber. In addition, this year, I also got more practice with finding patents and market sizes for our product. I learned that as long as one puts their heart to it, then they are able to whatever they want to do.

Ethan Miller
BioChemistry, Freshman
Team Smulch

The Soybean Innovation Competition has been an amazing opportunity for me to grow and learn, in more ways than one. I am a freshman studying biochemistry and being given the chance to work in the lab to synthesize our product has been a great experience. Working with my teammates throughout this process has also been a fun learning experience and has taught me more about teamwork and problem-solving. I will use the skills I have learned throughout the rest of my life! 

Kayla Osen
Agricultural Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soymies

This competition has taught me many lessons and helped me grow as a student and researcher. I have learned to believe in yourself and your abilities. At the beginning, my teammate and I thought we could not do this on our own because we were inexperienced. However, after completing this competition we were wrong to doubt ourselves. We are more capable than we thought and should have confidence in ourselves. I have also strengthened my problem solving skills because many times we were faced with an issue and had to brainstorm multiple solutions, often thinking outside the box. I learned how intensive the process of doing a patent search is and useful databases to complete on. This competition is relevant to my future because the skills I have gained are applicable to a variety of situations. Additionally, I have a deep passion for the environment and want my future career to help solve the issues it faces today. The product we made is eco-friendly because it replaces single use products and removes harmful toxins from entering soil and water. This relates to what I hope to do in the future. This competition has inspired me to keep fighting for the environment and to challenge myself as I move forward.

Elizabeth (Libby) Plassard
Business Management/Finance, Freshman
Team Smulch

As a freshman majoring in General Management, this competition has allowed me the opportunity to grow my market research skills. I have gotten to see firsthand how products are developed and marketed. I also have been able to grow my scientific understanding of how different products are formed. This competition has allowed me the opportunity to work in a lab and has encouraged my curiosity for the Agribusiness Industry.  Thank you for this opportunity! 

Nicole Rytczak
Multidisciplinary Engineering, Sophomore
Team Drip Drop

My favorite part of the competition was designing the logo and compiling all of the information gathered in one final report. The competition caused a lot of late nights, but I have learned how to work in a team, especially as an organizer. The process of creating a product from ideation to fruition has given me a new perspective on my Product Lifecycle Management minor. This will apply to m future career goals as I look into product design internships. I am thankful for this experience and the new friendships the competition has provided.

Charles Sebright
Pre Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Freshman
Team Brilliant Bean

Throughout this project I have learned many things. For starters being the team leader, I gained experience organizing and leading a small group of people which will help me no matter where I go in life. I am also now proficient in Adobe Illustrator. Furthermore, I gained knowledge and experience working in a lab and taking measurements. Trial and error were a big part of our project this taught me patience and the ability to try again after a failure. In the future as an Agricultural Engineer, I plan to try and solve many challenges that are facing agriculture and this is one stepping stone on my way to achieving the skills I need. 

Thomas Smith
Accounting/Finance, Senior
Team Soy Board

Through a competition like this one I have further honed my research and lab abilities, but beyond that something that I was really able to take away this time was the importance of time management, We had so many things to do for the competition this time since we spent a lot longer on research than we had in any other previous year, and doing that and the lab work definitely made getting everything done much more challenging. We are happy to say that we pushed through and got everything done, and looking back it has only made us better students. As far as relevance to future endeavors is concerned, this year's entry has been the closest linked to my profession as it has been yet (and probably is possible to be). Going into the field of computer engineering, having this fundamental background into how PCBs work and are made on the most basic levels will serve me well in designing new things going forward, and was one aspect of this competition that I will always look back on fondly. 

Josh Stephenson
Biochemistry, Freshman
Team Brilliant Bean

Throughout the course of this competition, I have learned many things that will help me as I progress through my professional career. For example, in this competition you quickly learn that it is nearly impossible to progress through the various stages if you do not learn to work together as a team. In our group specifically, we made sure to pick a leader at the very start which helped us stay focused on tasks when problems started to arise. Along with that, this competition is very effective in teaching that development of an idea takes time. You cannot just decide one day that you are going to start a business or create something and figure it will be done by tomorrow. This competition shows you what the research stages of development really look like and the lessons that we learned in our various successes and failures are invaluable compared to any cash prize we could potentially win. Overall, I have very much enjoyed my time participating in this competition and I am thankful for the friendships I have built with my teammates.

Hariharan Thirumalai
Agronomy, Sophomore
Team Drip Drop

My favorite part of the competition was the different trials conducted to figure out the ratio of soy-based proteins, fibers, oils, and glycerin to be used. Working with team members of different academic backgrounds and trying to create meeting times around everyone’s different schedules has been an interesting experience and a great learning opportunity.

Chathura Viswanath
Civil Engineering, MS
Team FabriSoy

I now know that soy has wide applications and is present in multiple products we use every day. Exploring these possibilities and was challenging and interesting. Working with the team has been a wonderful experience.

Miriam Walker
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Drip Drop

My favorite part of the competition was working in the makerspace to finally create a prototype. Although the competition saw many setbacks for the team, by working together and using each of our talents Team Drip Drop was able to see their idea to fruition.

Sebastian Wojcik
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team FabriSoy

This was my first year participating in the soybean innovation competition. Going into the competition I was anxious because I had no clue what could be innovated using the box of raw soy materials that I was given. After having done some learning and research, I have gained a whole new perspective on how innovation occurs. I now know much more about soy chemistry and am aware of the many different applications where it is and has potential to be used.

 


2020-21 Student Soybean Innovation Competition

Natasha Abraham
Biological Engineering/Pharmaceutical Processing, Senior
Team Soyrenity

Participating in the Soybean Competition has been an eye-opening experience.  I used this as an opportunity to apply what I learned in my science and engineering classes at Purdue University, and to teach myself about the business side of this process.  Creating Soyrenity from scratch to finish was a rewarding process that also helped me to confirm that I want to continue working on similar projects post-graduation in a real work environment. 
 

Ayoade Adetunji
Chemical Engineering, Senior
Team Claresoy

As the onus on innovators gravitates towards environmentally friendly materials, any product being made has to be designed to tackle the causes of climate change, preserve our vulnerable natural resources and eliminate waste.  Finding an alternative means of use for soybeans does this perfectly and lines up with my future work in the energy and natural resources sector.
 

Hannah Bentley
Biology, Junior
Team Assoy

After competing in the Student Soybean Innovation Competition for the second year in a row, I have gained more marketing and business knowledge as well as more experience with experimentation outside of a traditional lab setting.
 

Alden Brugh
Industrial Engineering, Sophomore
Team Claresoy

By participating in the soy competition, I have  learned that soy has more properties than just physical, such as making it into material.  When I think of the chemical properties of soy, I think about its use in food as a healthier option to certain things; I do not, however, consider what other chemical properties it holds, such as allowing water to be filtered.  This furthers my curiosity with soy and my wonder of what other problems could be solved with soy.
 

Luke DeLong
Biomedical Engineering, Senior
Team Soykind

This competition has taught me many skills, but the most important lesson learned was about the engineering iterative process.  In our engineering classes, they always discuss the process, but with this competition I was actually able to see and participate the process from start to finish.

Andrés Dextre
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team SAGE 2.0

I’m a third year Biological Engineering major minoring in biotechnology and biochemistry.  It is my second year participating in the competition and I enjoy the experience because it forces me to look at a research project as more than just lab experiments but from feasibility, IP, marketing and all other perspectives that come into it.  My main research interest is biosensors and diagnostics but I think this competition has taught me what to consider when looking into transforming your research into a commercial product.
 

Boyang Dong
Pharmaceutical Studies, Sophomore
Team Ice Breaker

I am a current second year Preprofessional Pharmacy undergraduate student at Purdue University with a minor in Human Development and Family Science.  Thanks to the Soybean Competition, I realize that turning creative ideas into realities requires a lot of knowledge, background and technology support.  In addition, networking and communication play very important roles in success.  Also, the competition inspires me to think more about the use of soybeans and motivates me to explore more about them in research areas in the future.
 

Erick Forkpah
Biological Engineering
Team SAGE 2.0

With my experience in the soy competition (for the second year), I hope to start companies in the near future and give back to my community, as well as my home country of Liberia. I also am pursuing minors in biotechnology and business economics.  In the soy competition, I mainly function as team leader and business manager, but I also enter the lab on occasion to conduct experiments (and to take pictures). This is my second year being the “E” in SAGE.
 

Sarah Heffner
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team SAGE 2.0

This is my second year competing in the soybean innovation competition with the same team as last year.  I enjoy how the soy competition gives me an outlet for creativity and ingenuity while challenging me to apply what I have learned in the classroom.  
 

Hailey Kitchell
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team Assoy

In competing in the Student Soybean Innovation Competition for the second year, I have gained more laboratory and research experience, as well as more business and marketing knowledge.
 

Vy Le
Biomedical Engineering, Senior
Team Soykind

As an engineering student, I find myself more often considering the technical features of design and development than the marketing or socioeconomics aspects.  However, through this competition I have not only realized the significance of market research in product development, but also learned how to present our product in an affordable and attractive manner.
 

Jieun Grace Lee
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team SAGE 2.0

This is my second year with the Purdue Soybean Innovation Competition, however, it is my first time completing virtually from South Korea (an additional challenge because of COVID), however my team and I were able to work through theses difficulties and were able to develop a solid soy-based product.
 

Annie Lin
Pharmacy, Sophomore
Team Ice-Breaker

The soy competition was very fun and showed me that time management was crucial to the making of this product.  I also learned that soy could be used in a variety of ways, from making polymers to just increasing friction.  I think that this competition will be important for me in the future because I am in the process of obtaining an Entrepreneurship certificate at Purdue and this experience gave me a sense of what entrepreneurs go through.
 

Natalie Mudd
Food Science, MS
Team Claresoy

I have learned from the soy competition and our product that there are many steps required to bring  a product to market.  It is crucial to plan ahead, manage time wisely, and communicate.  These skills will be immensely helpful in my future with food product development.
 

John Mutter
Chemical Engineering, Senior
Team Soyrenity

From this competition I have learned a lot about patents and how to search for patents and how to do market research.  More relevant to our specific project, I have had to re-familiarize myself with the concepts from my mass transfer course in order to perform the permeability and mass transfer calculations to determine if transdermal administration would be practical for soy isoflavones.
 

Diana Ramirez-Gutierrez
Agricultural & Biological Engineering, PhD
Tam Soyrenity

From this competition I have learned the value of teamwork, to share my research experiences and help others to start their research pathways.  I was able to put in practice all the years I have been working in research and use my technical skills into producing a real product.
 

Leah Skillington
Marketing, Senior
Team Assoy

In competing in the Student Soybean Innovation Competition, I gained more experience with the new product development side of entrepreneurship.
 

Uriel Urbizo
Food Science, PhD
Team Claresoy

From this competition, I have learned several aspects involved in product launching, market analysis, product design, formulation, standardization, and packaging.  These steps are crucial to successfully launch a product and be able to compete with similar products. Also, it allowed me to understand the importance of team diversity and how different points of view can positively contribute to product success and acceptability, and problem-solving.  Finally, I am just amazed how different critical thinking and applied science can lead to the development of so many products from soybeans.
 

Shulin Wang
Biomedical Engineering, Senior
Team Soykind

This competition has taught me that there is always a way to create environmentally friendly products even with those that have been long established in the market and that through innovation a long-lasting impact could be made possible by providing a better alternative, both in terms of its performance and sustainability, at a competitive price.
 

2019-20 Student Soybean Innovation Competition

 

Ayoade Adetunji
Chemical Engineering, Senior
Team Soya

Why did you enter the competition?

I'd been interested recycling and renewables from freshman year and saw this as an opportunity to design something beneficial to the environment. Plus, my friend participated in the competition a few years ago and encouraged me to join. 

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I've leaned a lot about material properties, especially those of soybean, waxes and plasticizers. It was amazing to understand the different milestones that need to be reached and how it all tied together.

 

Hannah Bentley
Biology, Junior
Teay SoyFlex

Why did you enter the competition?

I entered the competition to have a new experience. I really enjoy creating new things and in high school I volunteered at  a middle school soy based science camp so i had a small background.

 

 

Alyson Chaney
Agronomy, Senior
Team HerbiSoy

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

The most valuable thing was the marketing. I learned things that weren't taught in my major.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I really enjoyed the final judging. Seeing your product come to life and seeing people interested in it was super cool. 

 

Cai Chen
Agribusiness, Freshman
Team Ecotag

Why did you enter the competition?

 It sounds very interesting and a lot of fun. I knew I would love to learn how to make a product and market it.

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

Not to be afraid to take control to get things done.

 

Jason Clark
Finance, Sophomore
Team SoySweep

Why did you enter the competition?

After competing in the competition last year and gaining invaluable experiences, I had no doubts that I would enter the competition again.

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

This competition provides an excellent opportunity for students of all majors to become better entrepreneurs, and learn how to better network with others, conduct a market analysis and patent search, and spend time in lab.

 

Peyton Clark
Sustainable Biomaterials: Process and Product Design, Senior
Team HerbiSoy

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I learned a lot about patent classification and how to place a product in a certain category.

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

Initial product development was what I found difficult because it can be hard when a product doesn't work on the first few prototypes. But if you continue to work at it you will find success.

 

Andres Dextre
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team SAGE

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I have learned about all the patent search, market analysis and other non technical aspects that go behind designing a novel product.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

Working as a team was really fun. I think we developed a good dynamic and worked really well with one another allowing us to produce a good result, and a strong soy-based product.


Sarah Ettestad
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soyful Nails

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I learned how current products on the market today can still be improved, and sometimes a part of improving means attempting to make it more environmentally friendly.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I enjoyed presenting to a panel of judges and hearing their feedback. It was the most rewarding part to me, because our team was able to show the judges what the team had been working on for several months.

 

Erick Forkpah
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team SAGE

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I learned how to do a market analysis, manage team conflict, and get the best out my teammates and their individual qualities.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I enjoyed the presentation and networking most.

 

Sanjay Garimella
1st Year Engineering, Freshman
Team Water Shield

Why did you enter the competition?

The competition seemed to be a fun and competitive way to introduce myself to research and lab work, while also exploring interdisciplinary applications of science.

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I have learned about the importance of persistence and controlled experimentation, as well as the need to brainstorm effectively and think of as many factors that could impact your work as possible.


Felicia Hall
Food Science, PhD
Team Soya

Why did you enter the competition?

I was interested in exploring alternative applications of Soybeans (specifically the protein components).

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

Coming up with a successful product in the end. 


Sarah Heffner
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team SAGE

Why did you enter the competition?

My engineering teammates were doing it and needed another person so I volunteered.  Plus I was already interested in working on a soy-based product, meeting with faculty, and applying my engineering knowledge to create something.

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

Time management, technical development, and gathering data due to time constraints and identifying a soy-based product that is needed and that our team could make.  This was challenging but also very rewarding.

 

Zifeng Huang
Agricultural Engineering, Junior
Team GoPoly

Why did you enter the competition?

I wanted to gain more experience in the lab and with product development, and I found this competition very interesting.

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I learned how to come up with a novel soy-based idea and the way to communicate that idea and it's positive attributes with professors and other people who offered help.

 

Melanie Kaplan
Selling and Sales Management, Senior
Team SoyFlex

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I learned how to create prototypes in a laboratory setting.  I also learned how to apply knowledge I leaned from my major into a practical setting.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I enjoyed working with my teammates brainstorming product ideas and then coming up with a solid, successful product idea.

 

Hailey Kitchell
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team ProTEAm

Why did you enter the competition?

I entered this competition to gain lab and business/marketing experience, as well as to use as a resume booster.

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I have learned so much about not only lab research techniques but also about how to do a patent search and how to write a technical report and business plan that are not necessarily part of my engineering curriculum but will come in handy in the future.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I really enjoyed working as a team with my friends.  Being able to bounce ideas off each other and share in the excitement of succeeding to make an actual product was extremely rewarding.

 

Jingyuan Li
Agricultural Engineering, Senior
Team GoPoly

Why did you enter the competition?

To improve my abilities in designing an innovative soy-based product.

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I have learned how to design a product, conduct market analysis on that product, share communications, and team work.



Cassidy Lurk
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soyful Nails

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I have learned how useful a soybean is, how to effectively work in a team for a long-term project, and fundamental principles of research and product development. 

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I enjoyed the lab work with my teammates. They were super fun, and we worked really well together.


Kariden Maple
Finance, Junior
Team Soyful Nails

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

How to create a novel soy-based product that fits the needs of a global market and determine how to market it to a panel. 

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

Determining what ingredients should be used to successfully meet the needs of a market, that will be just as durable, and perhaps better than the competition. 


Nolan Miller
Materials Engineering, Senior
Team SoyFlex

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

Teamwork skills, business skills like market analysis, cost analysis, and how to frame economic pros vs cons.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

The freedom to innovate whatever I wanted.


Julia Mollenhauer
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team ProTEAm

Why did you enter the competition?

The competition sounded like a fun way to build lab experience and get involved in the extracurriculars that ABE has to offer.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

My favorite part of the competition was working with my teammates in the lab in the morning.  I loved starting my day with a project that I cared about.

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

What I found to be the biggest challenge in the competition was taking our first steps in the lab.  We read countless research papers to gain insight into potential materials and processes for our product.  Once we had our first success in developing a material, we had a clear direction. 


Natalie Mudd
Food Science, Senior
Team Soya

Why did you enter the competition?

To gain insight on working with food components, gain experience innovating, and to gain experience working on large projects in a group. 

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

Through this competition I have learned the immense amount of communication, dedication, and perseverance that it takes to product a new product. 

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

The thing that I enjoyed most about this competition was being able to learn the whole process of not only developing a new product but marketing it as well. 

 

Nate Nauman
1st Year Engineering, Freshman
Team Water Shield

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I learned a lot more about the importance of design specifications and applying experimentation results to the real world.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I really enjoyed the testing process for our samples because it gave me feedback on what to change and how to improve my soy-based product.

 

Shuyi Peng
Agricultural Engineering, Senior
Team GoPoly

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

Practicing skills. Taking part in the manufacturing and lab working. Commercial experience.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

Marketing analysis is new area for me, which I enjoyed.  Working in the Lab taking a practice theory to a finished prototype was very interesting and rewarding.


Tunn Prasoprat
Mechanical Engineering, Senior
Team 60 Soylution

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I really liked the moment when I found out that our product worked -  meaning that it has the potential of making the world a better place.

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

Coming up with an idea at first was the most difficult part because there are many ideas that we generated and we did not know which one had the most potential.


Sean Renwick
Biological Engineering, Sophomore
Team ProTEAm

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I learned how limiting it is to have one certain goal in mind. There are multiple ways to find a solution to a problem, and only searching for one way to solve the problem prevents you from looking at all the other methods that are possible.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I mostly enjoyed working in the lab with the rest of my group. We are friends, and hard workers, so working in the lab was super fun because we got stuff done and had an amazing time in the process.



Katie Sandefur
Animal Science, Senior
Team Ecotag

Why did you enter the competition?

It was a very good opportunity to develop my knowledge and skills in developing a prototype.  Teams are provided a network of people who can really help you develop your ideas in a way that's not possible on your own. 

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

Learning about all the different ways soy can impact society and ways to implement it into prototypes.

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

The final stages of developing a prototype was difficult, but in the end it was definitely worth it, and extremely rewarding.


Kunming Shao
Biological Engineering, Junior
Team GoPoly

Why did you enter the competition?

I am very interested in doing a undergraduate project outside of the class. This competition provides me a very good opportunity to start my undergraduate research and helps me prepare for my senior design project. 

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

This competition made me realize how difficult independent research is.  During the whole competition, our team met many difficulties.  At the beginning, we had some disagreements about our soy-based project.  We solved instrument problems and found the best way to modify soybean protein isolation.  Every stage of the competition was very challenging for me.  But interestingly, I found that the courses I took helped me a great deal.  For example, our project in ABE 201 has some similarity to the economic analysis we did for this competition.

Applying the skills and knowledge we learned in the classroom to our own projects is something to be proud of.  During the whole process, I kept communicating and discussing with my teammates to solve the small problems one by one.  In the end we finally got our final soy-based product.  I am very grateful that this competition has made me better understand how to conduct teamwork and scientific research experiments.  These valuable experiences are of great significance to my future research work.  During the whole competition, I learned how to communicate effectively with professors, mentors and TAs.  I also have cultivated my ability to engage in reflective and independent thinking from this competition.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

We have plenty resources to use from the Soy Competition.  We have our own working space, mentors, and funds to support our project.  We have a very clear time line to follow so we can stay on track for the whole year.  We can pick our own project without any limitations. And, I enjoyed working with my teammates to do a project that we picked, and produce a working prototype of our soy-based phone case for the judges to review.

 

Thomas Smith
Computer Engineering, Sophomore
Team SoySweep

Why did you enter the competition?

I did it last year and I really enjoyed it, so I thought I would do it this year too!

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I liked working on my own schedule in lab and designing my own soy-based product. 

 

Zhiyao Song
Aeronautics & Astronautics Engineering, Sophomore
Team Double B

Why did you enter the competition?

To challenge myself. 

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

Teamwork and creative thinking.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

The hands on part when we are experimenting in a lab. 

 

Ratchaphak Tantisanghirun
Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Senior
Team 60 Soylution

Why did you enter the competition?

The competition looked very interesting and I wanted to challenge myself.

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

Starting from teamwork, to technical skills learned in the pharmaceutical scope, I have learned a lot through this competition.  

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I enjoyed discovering something new and challenging myself.  I also enjoyed working with a group of friends trying to overcome the obstacles of creating a novel soy-based product.


Thiti Suttiyut
Horticulture, PhD
Team 60 Soylution

Why did you enter the competition?

I wanted to learn and have new experiences in terms of innovative thinking and how to collaborate with others.

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

It's hard to make something "new" and "novel" that no one else has ever done, and the time scale is pretty short.  However, it is very rewarding to actually succeed and have a fully working prototype by the end of the competition.


Allison Thornton
Material Science Engineering, Sophomore
Team Soyful Nails

Why did you enter the competition?

I was interested in combining my materials engineering major with my minor in innovation and transformational change to create something new while participating in a hands on project and research. 

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I learned a lot about the different parts of soy and how soy can be utilized in so many ways, and in so many products. 

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

It was difficult to get started in the lab, just knowing where and how to start was a challenge, but finishing with a strong working soy-based prototype was very rewarding.

 

Uriel Urbizo
Food Science, PhD
Team Soya

What have you learned from participating in this competition?

I have learned how to work in a team environment, have a lot of commitment and to never give up.

What did you enjoy most about the competition?

I enjoyed the efforts needed to achieve a certain goal, in this case to develop a soy-based water bottle.

What did you find most difficult concerning the competition?

I found it difficult to create a soy-based product that involves multidisciplinary approaches, however once successfully created, I also found this most rewarding.

 

Purdue Student Statements

2019-20 Student Soybean Innovation Competition


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.

 

Purdue Student Statements

2017-18 Student Soybean Innovation Competition

Caitlin Nelligan

Nelligan bustCaitlin Nelligan is a senior in Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering. As an avid outdoors person, she is always looking for ways to connect industry with natural resources. She was able to accomplish just that with her involvement in this competition. Caitlin is the treasurer of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Ambassadors in which she is able to share her passion for agriculture and its advancement through the involvement of engineers. She plans on using what she has learned from this competition about the use of agricultural products in manufacturing and product development at her job with Armstrong Flooring upon graduation.

“I’m so grateful for this opportunity to get first-hand experience in product development. I’ve learned a lot about the processes involved and the importance of detailed book keeping.”

Huang photoAndrew Huang

Andrew Huang is a Master’s Student in Industrial Engineering. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering with a focus in Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering. His current research explores calculating uncertainty in biofuel co-firing emissions. He entered the competition because of his interest in entrepreneurial activities.

Andrew is working to commercialize a soybean-based air filter which took part in the competition last year. He also serves on the executive committee of Old Masters, an organization that brings back distinguished professionals to connect with the student body. He is also the advisor of Green Greeks, an organization driving sustainable change at Purdue.

“I’ve learned so much and am grateful for the opportunities that the Student Soybean Innovation Competition has granted me!” 

Brianna (Kate) Barker

Barker bustKate Barker is a senior majoring in Agricultural Systems Management. She entered this competition with the goal of learning about entrepreneurship on a more applied level and because of her passion for trying to make people’s lives better. Over the course of the competition, she has gained a more intimate knowledge of soybeans and their properties, which will be applicable to her future job.

Currently, Kate is working for Dr. William Field, doing research on agricultural safety and accident statistics, helping her gather an understanding of facility safety practices, which she will be able to apply to her career. Upon graduation, Kate will be working for Archer Daniels Midland in Illinois. In her free time at Purdue, Kate is an active member of the Golden Silks Colorguard, a section of the Purdue All-American Marching Band.

Zhu photoZifan Zhu

Zifan Zhu is a senior in Agricultural Systems Management, with a minor in economics. He took part in the competition because he has an interest in innovative lab work and wants to devote what he has learned in agricultural courses into practical products.  Before he transferred to Purdue with the 2+2 program, he had lab work experience in Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which helped him fit in the competition.

During his spare time at Purdue, Zifan likes to participate in clubs where he can share his ideas. He is an active member of Purdue organizations like Issues 360, Manrrs, and the Zoo club.

Patrick Woodson

Woodson bustThis competition has been a rollercoaster of progress and setbacks. One thing that I’ve enjoyed about this experience is getting to work in a lab. Research has been something that I’ve been interested in for a while, but I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to dive into. I also hadn’t had any internships or other industry experiences, so this is the first time that I’ve tried to apply knowledge that I gained in the class room and from experts to an actual situation to create a tangible product. I feel that the experience of designing my own product has merit and applications in the patent search, market analysis, and marketing of that product, but also in those lab aspects. We’ve had to create multiple procedure for various steps in creating our prototype. We needed to create a procedure for how we’ll create the plastic, how we planned on testing ways to break it down and change it, compressing it, and even making the switch to baking it instead of letting it dry over the course of days. My dream job is in designing pharmaceuticals, so I feel that these aspects will definitely help me in that role, and in any position that I take up along the way. Participating in this competition has been an invaluable experience for me, and I’m really glad that I’ve been able to participate.

Sunkalp Gupta

Gupta bustBy participating in this competition, I learned the different aspects of soy and how they can be utilized to make a marketable product. In addition to this, I also learned how to conduct market research and patent research. I also gained a lot of hands on lab experience which involved creating a lab procedure then changing certain parameters and analyzing how these parameters affected the results. This was extremely challenging yet very rewarding to see the product taking shape and eventually meeting our desired expectations. Working on this competition has really helped me understand what it takes to create a startup. I wish to create my own startup in the near future and the skills I have learned in this competition, which range from brainstorming ideas to final design, will definitely help me with my goal.

Kuan-Ting Lee

Lee bustThis is the second time I joined in the competition. It is not getting any easier compared to last time. Different from last time, our group now has four people instead of two. I learned how important it is to properly communicate with all my team members. I know it will get even harder in the future if we have the larger amount of people working in the one group. This is a great experience for me to feel what it will be like in the future. Compare to last year, we focus on the different perspective to make people's lives better. We even went to actual hog farm to get "sample" in order to have the better understanding of our product. This competition has again helped me to explored larger perspective to people's need. The same kind of analysis and communication skills will definitely use again in the future. I am really glad to participate in this competition again and hopefully, we can really make people's lives better by our innovative product.

Sitian LuLu bust

During this soybean competitive, I experienced a full cycle of product development including idea verification, patent searching, marketing researching, lab experimenting and packaging. Although I study Computer Engineering, I have always had a great passion in scientific research and real-live product development. Besides, my engineering skill does help the team making some critical decisions like experiment design and market strategy. Working with my teammates, I learned a lot scientific study skill and lab procedures. Dealing with unfamiliar topic, the team and I were to utilize the available resources around us and consult with professors with the technical background to overcome numbers of technical constraints. We also had a chance to visit a local hog farm and actually smelled the odor. This unique experience not only made me realize the severity of the problem but also invoked my passion for our product. Overall, this soybean competitive is my first experience of scientific related product development. It is really different than computer related development like hardware and software. However, it opens a new world for me as it makes understand even if a product looks not as complex as a integrated circuit or a software system, it still requires careful examination, detailed experiment and thoughtful design before getting into the market.

Yanting Wang

Wang bustEvery team member plays an important role in the project and has great contribution to our overall success. Our Soy Hog Poo-vention performs pretty well in odor reduction and I learned a lot through the whole path. Soybean competition offers a good platform for me to study the process of product innovation through marketing analysis, patent research, product development till final completion. I mainly worked on our product formulation and improvement and we did meet lots of troubles to make our product come true. Most of the concepts for us were not familiar so that we needed to do thorough research and experiments. Also, we met professors to talk about our project and had field trips to actual hog farms which were really helpful for us to understand the whole manure system operation. The great skills I obtained from this competition were information retrieval, experiments design and efficient communication which helped me build more confidence in my future career path.

Yudi WenWen bust

Experiencing through last soybean competition, and the ASPIRE internship, I have different considerations and directions while researching and solving problems throughout the competition. Last time when we were doing the marketing research, we only looked for the theoretical data basis for the numbers of sales or the numbers of potential problems that need to be solved. Granted, numbers do count. However, numbers do not mean everything for an innovative product. This year, we went to talk with an actual potential customer in the hog farm, and within this one-hour trip, I have received a lot more information than what I have spent a one-hour researched online told me. Besides learning how to manage my time and how to work as a group, I have found myself being braver upon talking to people I don’t know of, and I have improved my interview skill for how to get the most information out from the questions I have asked. This interviewing skill will definitely help me in the future career when I want to study about details of a new thing, or a new place, or a new person. It will help me be more involved in the field I am learning for.  

Evan Adams 

Adams bustIt was an invaluable experience to go through the whole process of ideation, coming up with a novel idea from scratch, and then actually doing the background research, patent search, market analysis, and experimentation. You need to have a high percent of certainty that whatever you are doing is worth the resources that will be needed. Soy-based boba pearls was something that our team believed in, and it was rewarding to actually see the work we have done over the past several months come to fruition. I found that patience and energy was critical to keep pushing forward with the process, and I know this experience will be useful when working in research and industry in the future. 

 

Caleb Kreis Kreis bust

The Purdue University Student Soybean Innovation Competition was a terrific opportunity to experience developing a project from conception through production. The concept of creating my own, unique product guided my major and career choice, so it's exciting to have this research and development experience so early in my career. Through the competition I've learned skills which will help me perform more efficiently in my future endeavors, and I really enjoyed working alongside Purdue students, faculty, and alumni to produce a successful product.

 

Eric Li 

Li bustThrough this competition, I’ve learned the complexity of introducing a product into a market and being viable. This complexity stems from conducting market research to product formulation to the manufacturing aspects, each of which impact how the product will do once hitting the market. Furthermore, I’ve learned the importance of foresight with product formulation; when making any change or tweak to the product, it is important to think about how that change will affect manufacturing processes, the overall production price, and how it will impact the consumer. All these skills and new learnings are directly relevant to my future endeavors and I seek to work in the research and development department for a food and beverage company where I will be responsible for product formulation or continuous improvement. 

 

Emmy RawsonRawson bust

This competition has given me the opportunity to bring something tangible to the table. So often in my classes in school, there is a lot of theory and ideation. Mass and energy calculations in idealized situations that don’t  mimic real life scenarios. I plan to enter the manufacturing industry post-graduation and this competition has given me a  greater understanding of the iterative process. 

 

 

 

Emily Coleman

Coleman bustThrough my participation in the soybean competition, I have learned a lot about the technical processes in fermentation, I have learned the chemistry behind generating activated charcoal, and, most importantly, I have learned the importance of market analysis and marketing. In my courses, I have learned a lot of technical processes and chemistry. Learning how to complete market analyses and how to successfully market a product has been the most valuable component of the competition, because it is something I have not done a lot of throughout my academic career. Next year, I will be attending medical school. Although I likely won’t be creating a lot of novel products, I now will be able to analyze products that I purchase and use more efficiently and accurately.

 

Emma FosterFoster bust

After completing the Soybean Innovation Competition, I learned a lot about creating a product for resale. Much more goes into the product than the formulation. Obtaining the materials in the proper order, problem solving when things do not proceed as planned, and packaging the final product in a way that is appealing to our desired customer are all factors that determine the success of a product. This project also helped stress the importance of making and sticking to deadlines.

 

Trevor Shoaf

Shoaf bustOne of the most important takeaways I get from this project is the understanding of why it takes so much time to develop a new product. From the brainstorming phase to the initial process flow diagram phase to the prototyping phase there is so much that goes into this process. We learned about this process development in engineering 131 and 132 but to actually go through this process has been an incredible experience.

 

 

 

Ethan Titus Titus bust

By participating in the Soybean Innovation Competition, I was able to develop an entrepreneurial spirit and understand the amount of work that goes into taking an idea from the first stages of conception to the final package of a complete product. Not only did I learn the intricate technical knowledge of how our product was produced and exactly what went into formulating it, I also learned more about how to think on my feet, improvise, troubleshoot problems and find innovative solutions.

 

Xingjian Bai

Bai bustAs a PhD graduate student focusing on food safety, even though I have already been doing research on Listeria monocytogenes for around 4 years, this competition gave me the first chance to develop a product to directly improve the public food safety. While I was faced by all kinds of challenges during development, a goal of launching this product to protect the safety of produce and reduce wastes always pushed me to come up with more solutions. Besides learning more experimental techniques, this competition taught me how to think from business perspective about a research project, evaluate the market value of a product and communicate with audience from different background. Overall, I really enjoy the experience of participating this competition, which definitely helps me prepared to work in industries after graduation.

Luping XuXu bust

This project is very close to what I have done in the research lab. It is fascinating to apply what I have been doing for research into a real product. Through this competition, I practiced and improved my ability of designing experiment. The techniques used to develop this product were very basic to me. The hard part of this project is utilizing what I know into well-planned experiment to generate logical and comprehensive results. I also learned how to use video scribe for video editing and adobe illustrator for label designing.

Yutong Zhong

Zhong bustFrom this competition, I learned a lot about how to plan, design and actually run a long experiment. At the same time, I learned different lab techniques that I might use in the future. I also gained public-speaking skills that will help for me future presentation at work. The most important I learned from this experiment is how to work in the team.

 

 

Hannah DelaCruzDelaCruz bust

This competition gave me the experience of developing a novel product. I got to learn how to solve a very open-ended problem. I had never been given the chance to develop an actual prototype of an idea I had before. Throughout the course of this competition, I got to learn how to brainstorm ideas for a problem with endless possible solutions. I also got to learn the level of difficulty it takes to make a prototype, let alone a final product ready for the market.

 

Leeza Kuo

Kuo headshotThrough this competition, I learned how to troubleshoot and come up with solutions with producing a product design. I was also able to get experience researching markets and learning how to gather data about pricing and the impact of consumers on how markets are driven. Learning different ways to troubleshoot and develop solutions to problems will help me greatly as a future veterinarian as I will need to apply those same skills when determining the diagnosis of my patients.

 

 

Nick StratStrat bust

This is the first time I had to start from the ground up in developing an actual product. Normally in my classes we take an already established idea or principle and learn how to optimize it. This competition has taught me how to see the process starting from the development of ideas to the creation of a final product as an iterative process. I learned how to analyze certain ideas and, although many sound enticing, to establish the validity of performing them with the allocated resources. This is an issue the people have to deal with in the industry all the time and this competition was invaluable in teaching me this concept through example. I have also gained a lot of insight on the patent-search process as well as market analysis. Making a good product is one thing, but making it make money is something completely separate, and that is another lesson I learned from the competition. These are all concepts that I will implement in my future endeavors.

Sam Tinney

Tinney bustBefore starting this competition, I had no idea what propolis was or the different uses it had. By making a soy-based version of propolis, I was able to learn about the different parts of propolis and how each ingredient contributes to how propolis functions. Learning about each component was extremely beneficial in designing a soy-based version. I don’t get much experience reverse-engineering products to better improve the original product, which is a beneficial skill to have and I am grateful to have the opportunity to develop that ability. The lab work I do in my courses lay out the steps you need to do in order to create the end product, but through this project I learned to think critically about each step and consider what could be done differently to help create our target product. This process helped me learn more about the experimental design process and I will be able to utilize these skills as I pursue different research opportunities.

Yeejin JangJang bust

This competition was very different and fresh to me in different aspects. I was always used to following directions from professors and mentors, especially in laboratory settings; however, to develop our product SoyAid, our team had to come up with own procedures and conduct various research in order to successfully obtain the final product. This skill will definitely aid my future career as a biological engineer, especially upon graduation, entering graduate school. Also, a large percentage of learning came from developing skills to cooperate with other team members; as college students, every team member had a tight schedule, therefore finding appropriate times to be in the lab and working on reports was a big struggle. Especially under stress from academics, there were times where this competition was not the priority for many people in our group, including myself. Despite the struggles, my team members and I managed to pull it through, leading me to earn a sense of accomplishments.

Melody Ku

Ku bustParticipating in this competition has taught me the importance of conducting self-guided research, being passionate about what you do, and teamwork. Through the whole competition, my team members and I were on our own to come up with ideas for product composition, experimental methods, and develop alternative solutions when issues arose. This was as challenging as it was rewarding because whenever we managed to resolve an issue, I felt like I truly learned a lot. Also, we were all very interested in the idea of developing a soy-based liquid bandage as it is a truly unique product. At times when things got rough, my interest in the project kept me going. Teamwork also played a key role in this competition as we all relied on each other and drew inspirations from each other. I believe I became a better team-player through participating in this competition. I believe all of these things I’ve learned will be valuable to me as a biological engineer, as I will face numerous engineering challenges in the future. This competition was a great opportunity for me to gain a wider biological background which will be useful in the future as well.

Bryan LooLoo bust

In this competition, I gained skills in research that I felt was valuable as this would help me in my future career in food science, not only will it apply to my future career but this skill also applies to my current occupation as a student where research and data collection is a big part of what is expected of me. To be able to develop SoyAid in a schedule as tight as this, I felt that my time management skills are also improved as I am able to balance school work, my job, proper healthcare and be able to make time for this competition. The process of developing SoyAid had many challenges and these were overcome through communication, critical thinking skills, as well as creative thinking as many of the problems had to be analyzed at first then solved through various steps and thinking outside of the box.

Harshit Kapoor

Kapoor bustI am a junior in Civil Engineering from Kolkata, India. This competition has taught me how determination and discipline along with properly channeled energy can help me accomplish tasks that our beyond something I’ve ever done before in terms of difficulty. It has taught me to step out of my comfort zone and to challenge myself to be better at something. Being a part of this competition has instilled in me the necessary skills and experiences that would help me succeed in a workplace. Being in civil engineering the only hands on work I ever thought of was just on the field, so this competition was also a means for me to try something new and see where it takes me, and it was a journey to discover myself and what I truly love. After going through the multiple stages and learning a lot from each of them, I am sure I have become better at analyzing and problem-solving along with being a healthy team player.  

In terms of personal goals, I feel I have learned time management skills and also designing a lab procedure and also improving on them at each step. As a keen follower of business trend and as a student of entrepreneurship, I learned a lot in terms of business aspects relating to a product as well. This took me one step closer to be the entrepreneur and businessman I always wanted to be. It made me think like my product is my business and of ways I can improve it to increase my market size. All in all, it was a really enriching experience and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my friends, professors, our advisors and the other soybean competition teams.

Andrew CameronCameron bust

I’m a senior in Chemical Engineering from Maple Grove, MN. I have learned a ton from joining this competition, not only soybean related, but many other skills that come from a team-based project. First and I feel the most important is the idea of running your own show. I couldn’t rely on others to finish the project, it was my team and myself that needed to reach out, prepare to really succeed in the competition. My first day stepping into lab I had a sudden realization that I wasn’t there to complete a set of instructions left by the instructor, but instead I needed to figure out what to do to improve my product. This feeling I honestly thought was amazing, and I’m glad this competition can allow teams to have such a sense of independence and competitiveness. Besides this very real feel to the competition it allowed me to improve my communication skills, time management, and self-discipline.

These traits I feel are wonderful individual and group skills that will only help when working with group projects and solo projects. I really feel that I’ve learned time management, because unlike many school projects, I couldn’t wait till the last minute and pull an all-nighter. Overall, this competition is a very good experience to learn how cut-throat the real world is and provides a unique opportunity to learn good habits that are enormously important for any major project to be taken seriously.

Jacob Semonis

Semonis bustThis competition has taught me many things about myself, along with preparing me for what professionally lies ahead of me. I’ve always been an extremely ambitious individual, and this competition has given me the perfect tool to learn how to tunnel and hone that ambition into something that can be utilized in a team setting. My involvement in the competition has ranged from managing the cost-benefit analysis of SoyTack all the way to problem solving the issues of our tackifier with Terence. I’ve made every effort during the competition to set up team meetings and to frequently update our advisors on the team’s endeavors.

This competition has taught me the meaning of time management, as well as the importance of communication and team- work. As we all have learned more about each other’s professional strengths and weaknesses, the team has worked together to play off of everyone’s strengths and abilities. As I aspire to be a strong and responsible leader and manager in my professional career, I’ll take these lessons that I’ve learned from this competition and will re- member what kinds of things can be achieved when people come together and tirelessly strive to reach a common goal.

Christopher StichterStichter bust

There are several very important things that I have learned from this project. While it seems that I learn some of these lessons with projects all the time, they seem to be more apparent as they apply to something that seems to be more relevant to my future other than some school project. To start with, better time management strategies is something that has really hit me as something I have learned better. While I have been working on this for a while, it is all the more apparent that I need to have better skills with this. In addition to this, I have learned that working with a team requires much more communication than I like to have with people sometimes. While email and texting gets you a ways and leaving notes for people, there is nothing better than having a good old-fashioned conversation with your team to discuss what has been happening, what you are doing currently, and what needs to be done. This always helps people stay within the timeline and guarantee everything is going to turn out well.

As for the future, this competition will help show employers my experience with other people and how all of this can work together to make me a better employee in general. To complement this, I am hoping to go into some sort of management position, so this experience will help me to know more of the ideas behind how other people do their work and help me be able to better work with them in the future.

Terence Babb

Babb bustThere are a limited number of research and design opportunities at Purdue that are as accessible as the Student Soybean Product Innovation Competition. The competition attracts students of all majors and academic levels, and encourages prospective competitors to socialize and find teams that fit their talents and philosophies, and to pursue new and innovative products instead of building on others’ research. The project moves through all phases of fabrication, from design to prototyping to final production, and all within one academic year. The most significant takeaway from this competition, for me, is the recognition of the work required to go from the drawing board to a final product, and the importance of ensuring the team is always making forward progress; once a project begins to fall behind, some aspects of the project may suffer in favor of getting caught up. By setting specific deliverables and firm deadlines, it mimics real-world design challenges, and allowed me to improve my skills regarding all phases of the process.

Susan HubbardHubbard bust

The Soy Innovation Competition is a really neat opportunity to create a product and learn about not only the technical aspects of its development, but also to learn about the marketing side of production. It is cool to be able to apply science that I have learned in class in developing a product and understanding why it works the way that it does. Furthermore, I have learned a lot about areas that are not covered in my studies. As a Biological Engineer, I am in both the College of Agriculture and Engineering; however, I feel that the majority of my classes are much more engineering focused. Through the Soy Innovation Competition, I have learned much more about the agricultural side of things, for example, I had to get pesticide training to work in the greenhouses, and I learned a lot about erosion control.

Another way that the Soy Innovation Competition is unique is that it is up to the team to create a new, useful product. I am interested in a career in research and development, so having some hands-on experience will benefit me in my job search. Additionally, looking into the technical feasibility and the commercial production of a product is something that is obviously very important, but is something that I had not given a whole lot of consideration.