Oakton Takes Second Place in Community College Innovation Challenge
(June 19, 2018) The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) awarded Oakton Community College second place in the 2018 Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC). Oakton, along with nine other finalists, took part in a June 13 White House reception and presented its project to members of the administration, Congress and legislative staff.
Oakton’s project, “Heat Recovering Silencer,” demonstrated the value of replacing the traditional vehicle muffler with a new device that maintains noise reduction while recovering exhaust heat. According to Oakton student research, up to one-third of energy from fuel can be lost through the exhaust system of vehicles, especially trucks. Oakton’s team, “Fuel Guards,” examined how the process of a fluidized bed can recover heat and reduce noise in one process.
Lecturer Helen Skop, Ph.D., served as faculty mentor for the group consisting of students Erika Bim (Glenview), Michelle Chudnovsky (Skokie), Tracy Martinez (Elk Grove Village), Judd Palonpon (Des Plaines) and Anna Yabloch (Northfield). Oakton was one of 10 finalist teams participating in the challenge, which required using crucial science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) innovation skills to solve perplexing, real-world problems.
Skop said the team was inspired by the Department of Energy (DOE) SuperTruck initiative launched in 2009 with the goal of developing and demonstrating a 50 percent improvement in overall freight efficiency.
“I am so excited that our hard work on the challenging project was appreciated so much on the national level,” Skop said. “The work was developed in Oakton STEM courses during the fall 2017 and spring 2018 semesters. The students clearly justified a problem of energy loss with vehicle exhaust and described in details a concept of energy recovery, demonstrated the practical feasibility and potential benefits for the U.S. transportation sector. The NSF rated Oakton’s team very high and strongly recommended to continue this work in both technical and entrepreneurial aspects to bring this unique innovation to market.”
“Fuel Guards” and the other finalists spent the past week attending a four-day innovation “boot camp” in Alexandria, Virginia. NSF Director France Córdova said that the students’ innovative projects underscored the fact that STEM-based solutions to complex problems can come from anyone, anywhere, at any time.
“These students represent the extraordinary talent that exists in our nation's community colleges,” Córdova said. “NSF finds ways to nurture that talent and provide students with opportunities to engage in STEM learning and problem-solving throughout their academic careers. These skills are critical to achieving a skilled technical workforce and maintaining the nation's competitive edge.”
During the boot camp, students met with members of the National Science Board and spoke with experts about how to transition their ideas to a successful business, understand their customer base and communicate the value of their innovations. They also took part in mock interviews and received feedback on their presentations.
“AACC is a proud partner of the Innovation Challenge, and all of the finalists are an amazing credit to their colleges,” said Walter G. Bumphus, president and CEO of AACC. “On behalf of AACC, we would like to congratulate the winning teams. These students represent the best of America and are leaders in innovation that will benefit society now and in the years to come.”
Western Dakota Tech (SD) took the top spot in the competition while other finalists included Central Lakes College (MN), Forsyth Technical Community College (NC), Laney College (CA), Los Angeles Mission College, Northern Virginia Community College, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Ohlone College (CA) and Red Rocks Community College (CO).
