They showcased their work at the IE 431 Poster Session & Company Day on April 18th. Thirty-seven projects, each involving the collaborative work of five or more students, were featured in the Co-Rec’s Black and Gold gym. Projects came from a variety of industries with clients ranging from nonprofit organizations to businesses headquartered across the United States. Along with the opportunity to display their work to their community, teams at the session competed for top prizes and the People’s Choice Award.  

Team 12 (Food Finders) poses next to their poster. 

The first-place award went to Team 12 for their work with Lafayette Food Finders Food Bank. The team created an Excel dashboard that allows the operations team to visualize key performance metrics and make data-driven decisions. Team members Nick Alfano, Michelle Chen, Jack Feenstra, Halle Lin, and Mitchell Rose developed their project management skills, coding abilities, and usability design techniques to create a comprehensive dashboard that exceeded client expectations. “Winning first place was so meaningful because it recognized both the hard work of the team on the project and the dedication to our overarching goal of supporting the community,” the team states. “We’ve developed a solution poised to foster greater equity in food distribution across all 16 counties served by Food Finders. We’re so happy and excited about its potential to expand into a model for food banks nationwide.” 

Students from team 22 pose for a photo with Tony Orr (BSIE '17, far right) of PepsiCo

Second place was awarded to Team 8 for their work with Eagle Materials, Inc. Members Mohamed (Mo) Abuelreish, Anvi Arora, John Aspinall, Emma Conklin-Yokel, Kaleb Peters, and Sofia Vonder Haar were tasked with evaluating alternative fuel types for the company’s ready mix trucks that deliver concrete to various construction sites. The team suggested compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel type for a better return on investment and carbon dioxide reduction. They describe the process of working with their client as incredibly rewarding. “Eagle Materials paired the team with fantastic mentors that assisted in ensuring the team was on track,” says Anvi. Emma, who will soon be working in manufacturing with Procter & Gamble, says that the project prepared the team well for experience in industry, especially in the solution exploration process. After graduation, the team members plan on entering a variety of fields, including semiconductors, soda, and consumer packaged goods. 

Emma Conklin-Yokel of team 8 presents her team's poster to associate professor Hua Cai.