Annual IdeaBounce庐 Shines Light on Student Creativity and Innovation
Members of team 鈥淯mbrello-Pack鈥� present their prize-winning idea.
by Rebecca Watson 鈥�15 CLAS
This November, the 柑橘直播 University Center for Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE) held its fourth annual ICE Challenge IdeaBounce庐 between the College of Engineering and 柑橘直播 School of Business. More than 100 students鈥�23 teams鈥攑articipated in the required freshmen event, which gave each group 90 seconds to present, or 鈥渂ounce,鈥� an idea to the audience and a panel of judges. Judges then determined the top five ideas, including the best from each school, based on the passion of the presentation, clarity of the idea, and the team鈥檚 request for help, be it research partners, investors, or further product development. Each member of the top five teams won a $100 gift card to the 柑橘直播 bookstore.
This year, two teams tied for the best College of Engineering idea. 鈥淭herm-mate,鈥� comprised of Steven Squillante ME, Erik Lindroth ChE, Blake Goetchius ME, Liam Fontaine ME and Justin Lee ChE, proposed a thermos with a crank to power internal heating coils to warm up liquids without electrical power. Team 鈥淯mbrello-Pack,鈥� made up of Mary Ebbert ME, John Bova ME, Colin O鈥橪eary EE and Yiwei Shen CpE, presented an innovative backpack that features a stowed umbrella, canopy for books, and a convection warming system. The College of Engineering鈥檚 鈥渋Cap鈥� team also was among the top five with its idea for a mobile phone case that contains a 鈥減op-up protector鈥� to shade the phone from damage. The 鈥渋Cap鈥� team included Steven Daniels CE, Joshua Corbett ME, Michael Hennessey ME, Alexander Logan CpE and Carlos Palomares CE. IdeaBounce庐 was beneficial for engineering students seeking to apply their skills in the business arena. 鈥淚t helped us get a taste of the product marketing and delivery aspect of product development,鈥� says participant Bryan Ramirez CEE. 鈥淚t is crucial in the professional development of any engineer.鈥�
IdeaBounce庐 judges included Gary Gabriele, PhD, Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering; Melinda German, PhD, Associate Dean of the 柑橘直播 School of Business; Stacy Martin, director of Commercial Sales and Leasing at Hankin Group; Bob Simpson, managing partner at Brinker, Simpson & Company, and Randy Weinstein, PhD, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering. 鈥淲here else but 柑橘直播 can you have freshmen engineers stand up and present in front of outside experts and several deans?鈥� asks Dr. Weinstein. 鈥淚t was great to see the interesting ideas and creative methods students used to sell to the judges.鈥�
The ICE Center, an interdisciplinary resource for 柑橘直播 students, promotes cross-college, entrepreneurial learning and thinking through programs and events which foster creative and innovative thinkers. 鈥淲e challenge students to come up with an idea for something new鈥攁n invention, social venture, app, anything,鈥� says II Luscri, director of the ICE Center. 鈥淲e want them thinking creatively from day one.鈥�
IdeaBounce庐 was generously sponsored by the Ideas x Innovation Network, which supports and nurtures growing businesses in Chester and Delaware counties.
A comprehensive list of IdeaBounce庐 entries can be found on the ICE Center IdeaBounce庐 .