Purdue Senior Design Team Earns Honorable Mention in 2024 DEBUT Challenge for Healthcare Innovation

A fall 2023 Senior Design Team from the Weldon School has earned national recognition in the 2024 DEBUT Challenge. Their innovative project, Ostomeasure, received a $1,000 Honorable Mention award, showcasing their dedication to developing impactful healthcare solutions.

Design Projects coordinator Asem Aboelzahab says, “The application of the theory and principles students learn to real-world problems through design and experimentation demonstrates their true understanding of what they learn and leads to innovators in our field who can bring about the next breakthrough to improve patient lives and advance healthcare.”

The team, mentored by Sherry Harbin, focused on creating a device to improve the lives of individuals living with ostomy bags. Competing against 85 teams from 48 universities, their achievement reflects the high caliber of biomedical engineering talent fostered at Purdue. 

The award will be presented at the BMES Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD, on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. During the event, the team will have the opportunity to present their project and explore future pathways for further development through the dC3i and VentureWell E-Team programs. 

This recognition highlights the Weldon School’s commitment to hands-on learning and addressing real-world healthcare challenges. The success of this team is a testament to the school’s mission to empower students to develop technologies that improve patient outcomes.

The Senior Design Expo featuring 2024 projects will be Thursday, Dec. 12 at 3:30 pm In MJIS.