AME Seniors Win Big at First Virtual Design Day

For nearly two decades, the University of Arizona College of Engineering Design Day has been a celebration of seniors, who spend their yearlong capstone course designing and building technology for industry and university sponsors. COVID-19 restrictions meant that this year's students could no longer work together in person, and that timelines were cut short. But despite this, engineering seniors presented their creations online and got their due in a virtual awards ceremony.

This was also the first year the day was celebrated as part of the Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program. Craig M. Berge earned his degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Arizona in 1957. After his passing in 2017, his family, including his wife and fellow UA alum Nancy, made a generous gift to the college. The funds endowed a dean’s chair and named a program that provides hands-on design experiences for undergraduates at all levels.

Among these winners were mechanical engineering major Franciso Yerena, who won the "Fish Out of Water" award, and mechanical engineering major Alex Dmitroff, who won the first-place team leadership award.

Yerena won the $750 Optical Systems Fish Out of Water Award for his work on a Heated Build Plate for Additive Manufacturing System. The system was sponsored by Honeywell Aerospace, and Gregory E. Ogden served as the college mentor. Yerena's fellow team members were Luis Fernando Arciniaga, Edward Ian Buster, Marcus Scott and Pieter van Drielen.

Dmitroff won the $250 first-place Honeywell Aerospace for Team Leadership award. He and his team members worked on a Hydraulic Mining Shovels Slew Ring Flatness Measurement System. The system was sponsored by Caterpillar Inc., and Mark Brazier served as the college mentor. Dmitroff's fellow team members were Mohammad Alotaibi, Erick Octavio Lizarraga, Richard Marc Romo, Anthony Sergio Salazar, Anagh Vaidya and Pima Community College student Craig Wadlington.