Four students in Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) College of Technology are hoping a third place finish at an international student competition launches them to the top of this year’s PNW Big Sell entrepreneurial contest. Daniel Cubillos (Hammond, IN), Neol Goveas (Mumbai, India), Jered Daniels (Crown Point, IN) and Daksh Patel (Greenwood, IN), all students of PNW’s Computer Graphics Technology bachelor’s program, entered their concept for a mobile phone stand into the HOUSTEX 3D Printing Student Competition in February.
The PNW team was challenged to create an original design, along with an energy-efficient manufacturing process, for an eco-friendly mobile phone stand.
While explaining the title of the team’s entry, Magesh Chandramouli, Ph.D., associate professor of Computer Graphics Technology (CGT) and the team’s faculty advisor, said: “I wanted to come up with an acronym that aptly captured the innovative nature of the project. Hence, it was named ‘PRIME’ standing for Phone holder: Recyclable, Innovative, Multi-functional and Eco-friendly.” The project earned the PNW team third place against other schools such as Texas A&M and University of Pittsburgh.
While providing applied, problem-solving ingenuity, the experience also enriched the students with the finesse needed to bond as a team.
The team now hopes their success in Houston propels them to first place in The PNW Big Sell competition April 27. More information about PNW’s Computer Graphics Technology program can be found at pnw.edu/technology.