A National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC)
What is the IE Challenge?
Industrial engineers are problem solvers - they are responsible for designing better ways to do almost anything. Industrial engineers design, implement, and improve systems which include people, materials, information, and energy! The IE Challenge is intended to motivate middle/junior high school and high school students to form teams that will design a manufacturing process for a simple product. The teams develop their product and submit a proposal for the IE Challenge. Submissions are evaluated by a panel of teachers and finalists are invited to attend the competition at the University of Arkansas. At the competition students make an oral presentation, and then organize their team and workstation to perform a demonstration using the most efficient process. Professors and graduate students judge the competition.
This year two finalists were invited for the junior division and two for the senior division. The winning teams are listed below. Organizers of the IE Challenge include Dr. Ed Pohl and Dr. Richard Cassady from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas, along with Mrs. Melissa Miller (Randall G. Lynch Middle School) and Mr. Randall Reynolds (Gravette Junior High School). Melissa and Randall have worked for several years as representatives for the program called Research Experiences for Teachers (RET). The program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (Award 0732686) through an award to the Center for Engineering Logistics and Distribution (CELDi). The program is designed to engage teachers from middle/junior high and high schools in logistics research and so that they can develop curriculum that brings engineering concepts to their classrooms.
Congratulations to the winning teams and their sponsors!
Junior Division
1st Place
Lynch Middle School
Award Amount - $900
Sponsor Name - Mrs. Kendy Skrocki
Students on the team: Tarren Pettigrew, Jeremy Mueller, Morgan Lewis, Tyler Calloway
2nd Place
Gravette Middle School
Award Amount - $700
Sponsor Name - Ms. Susan Riley
Students: Grant Gibbons, Levi Franks, Cody Robinson, Brian Smithers
Senior Division
1st Place
Pottsville School District
Award Amount - $900
Sponsor Name - Linda Shott
Students on the team: Jacy Allen, Jaclyn Giddieon, Mallory Pless, Ashley Jones
2nd Place
Pottsville School District
Award Amount - $700
Sponsor Name - Linda Shott
Students: Garrett Oates, Alan Jackson, Noah Keller, Nathan Overton
