Design I Final Competition

Fall 2023

WELCOME TO THE UPCYCLE EVERTHING CHALLENGE

Welcome to the Fall 2023 Upcylce Everything Challenge where the top Cornerstone Design I teams (as picked in preliminary in-class competitions across 32 sections) showcased their final solutions and competed for prizes in an in-person digital poster pitch competition. The semester’s wicked problem was “Upcycle Everything” where we were seeking opportunities to address the threats faced by our world due to excessive traditional waste streams from single-use materials of human-made items at the end of their service life by finding opportunities to increase up cycling and participation in the circular economy. Solutions designed by student teams should represent creative, novel responses to some facet of the challenge. With emphases on social dimensions of the problem and the socio-technical intersection, the brunt of solutions are technical in nature, but may touch on any technical field: electrical, mechanical, civil, environmental, computer science, chemical, geological, materials, mining, industrial, etc. (read the full Call For Proposals here).

Teams compete for cash prizes, including a special Subject Matter Expert Pick. Below you can see the grand prize winning teams as well as all of our finalists. Check out their poster presentations next to the team information below. For more information on Design I, click here.

THE WINNING TEAMS

Read the Press Release

1ST PLACE: The Biodegradables

Problem Statement: How can we inform others about proper plastic recycing practices?

Team Members: Elliot Cossins, Anastasia Sokol, Kate Rodgers, Sandra Juarez, and Hayden Woodruff

Instructor: Jack Bringardner, Section M1

2ND PLACE: The Trepidatious Team

Problem Statement: How might our team create a machine to locally upcycle 3D prints into usable 3D print filament?

Team Members: Jack Betz, Jake Mumm, Holly Anderson, Sam Orgeldinger, and Wyeth Summerford-Ng

Instructor: Mike Davis, Section J2

3RD PLACE: The Battery Bunch

Problem Statement: How might we repurpose the internal components used in disposal vapes to reduce toxic and electrical waste?

Team Members: Nate Moore, Alyssa Mannie, Andrea Lee, and Tristan Karinski

Instructor: Cindy Athanasiou, Section B2

SME AWARD: The Battery Bunch

Problem Statement: How might we repurpose the internal components used in disposal vapes to reduce toxic and electrical waste?

Team Members: Nate Moore, Alyssa Mannie, Andrea Lee, and Tristan Karinski

Instructor: Cindy Athanasiou, Section B2

THE FINALISTS

Section A1

Team: Team Merc

Problem Statement: How might we create an accessible electronic recycling facility for the rural community of Nederland, Colorado?

Members: Alec Malcangio, Matteo Lombardi, Carson Russel, Jenna Rayder, and Hannah Rayder

Professor: Barbara Yaeger

Section A2

Team: Team Biofuel

Problem Statement: How might we utilize food waste sources from the Denver Metro area for biofuels that don’t require intentional farming?

Members: Milos Jankovic, Tara Lindgren, David Bowling, Rhys McClean, and Jordan Bolton

Professor: Cindy Athanasiou

Section B1

Team: Team MechE

Problem Statement: How can we upcycle empty aluminum cans into affordable, durable, and practical roofing tiles?

Members: Chayce Lanphear, Alex Bilbrey, Wilkes Jarrett, Tyler Stull, and Declan Ward

Professor: Garrett Erickson

Section B2

Team: The Battery Bunch

Problem Statement: How might we repurpose the internal components used in disposal vapes to reduce toxic and electrical waste?

Members: Nate Moore, Alyssa Mannie, Andrea Lee, and Tristan Karinski

Professor: Cindy Athanasiou

Section C1

Team: C.O.R.D.

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle electronic waste?

Members: Brian Bartholomew, Cooper Hyland, Mikhaila Powers, and Isaac Van Ryn

Professor: Donna Bodeau

Section C2

Team: Tree Huggers

Problem Statement: How can we create a process for an organic polystyrene substitute to reduce non-biodegrable waste going into landfills?

Members: Jacob Dressler, Megan Moro, Katie Winn, Adair Perez, and Nathan Gebre-hiwot

Professor: Cindy Athanasiou

Section D1

Team: The Chilly Dogs

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle appliances from demolition sites into new products while keeping the process cost-effective?

Members: Chance Carnival, Brody Mittelstadt, Bryan Martinez Vazquez, Eduardo Hernandez, and Riley Starzel

Professor: Garrett Erickson

Section D2

Team: Brace Replace

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle medical braces through refurbishment to help eliminate medical waste and increase access to medical supplies?

Members: Max Shaw, Lindsay Jeans, Tatum Brandt, Isaac Fisher, and Daniel Haien

Professor: Tony Vandenberge

Section E1

Team: Phantom Shield

Problem Statement: How can we eliminate phantom power draw to save and upcycle electricity?

Members: Liam McArthur, Jack Hopkins, Melanie Perez, and Grayson Williams

Professor: Megan Tidd

Section E2

Team: Filtration Force

Problem Statement: How could wastewater be upcycled to help benefit communities?

Members: Kate Callan, William Meng, Brian Luzar, Ryan McCormick, and Fox Winkinhofer

Professor: Cara Juergensen

Section F1

Team: PLARN Paracord

Problem Statement: How can we upcycle polyethylene bags that make up much of our hazardous waste to our environment?

Members: Zane Gutierrez, Austin Truhn, Andrew Sagel, and Mohammed Al-Kharusi

Professor: Tony Vandenberge

Section F2

Team: Dawgs

Problem Statement: How can we upcycle dead household batteries?

Members: Sophia Gomez, James Sherwin, Alex McDonald, Justin Park, and Tyler Herauf

Professor: Cara Juergensen

Section G1

Team: Airbenders

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle deployed airbags to reduce waste?

Members: Jose Abuan, Cassie Ferrera, Allie Habeck, John Smith, and Eli Stewart

Professor: Patricia Littman

Section G2

Team: The Space Cadets

Problem Statement: As waste piles up on space missions, how can we upcycle/repurpose space waste to ultimately benefit astronauts?

Members: Nathan Cote, Avery Tresemer, Natalie Smith, Zander Snow, and Madelyn Heinemann

Professor: Cara Juergensen

Section H1

Team: WASSO

Problem Statement: How might we use parking meter components to reduce urban littering?

Members: Elyse Wright, Arael Anaya, Charlie Schlingman, Ethan Sauter, and Chantel Otoo

Professor: Patricia Littman

Section H2

Team: ECO-GUARD

Problem Statement: Our group is making a shin-guard from upcycled textiles. Our goal is to decrease emissions and landfill waste from cotton-polyester blended textile waste.

Members: Krysta Torkildsen, Kevin Ramirez-Giron, Nicole Perez-Escobar, Kathryn Nakahira, and Matthew Smith

Professor: Michelle Fisher

Section I1

Team: Plastic Pioneers

Problem Statement: How might we efficiently and effectively upcycle plastic waste in order to provide affordable housing?

Members: Michael Tetreault, Stew Nowak, Anastasia Saldana, Sophie Williams, and Henry Rexford

Professor: Mirna Mattjik

Section I2

Team: All Stars

Problem Statement: How can we utilize upcycled polystyrene foam for marine applications?  

Members: Reiley Callighan, Eddy/Carlo Cassano, Renata Bolado Corona, Raquel Dickinson, and Kellan Ton

Professor: Mike Davis

Section J1

Team: PVC Solutions

Problem Statement: Duffel bags made from upcycled PVC Billboards.

Members: Jake Galloway, Nate Dubiel, Laith Ibrahim, Jonathan Moore, and Alex Good

Professor: Chelsea Salinas

Section J2

Team: The Trepidatious Team

Problem Statement: How might our team create a machine to locally upcycle 3D prints into usable 3D print filament?

Members: Jack Betz, Jake Mumy, Holly Anderson, Sam Orgeldinger, and Wyeth Summerford-Ng

Professor: Mike Davis

Section K1

Team: No team sent.

Problem Statement:

Team Members: 

Instructor: 

Section K2

Team: The Fantastic 4+1

Problem Statement: We want to deter and prevent catalytic converter theft using upcycled materials, preventing vehicle waste and saving victims’ money.

Members: Alex Denton, Jason Long, Shane Reidy, Vicente Gubbins, and Jackson Hudson

Professor: Garrett Erickson

Section L1

Team: Team 5

Problem Statement: Upcycle the remaining used ceramic friction disc brake pad material generated from US consumer vehicles to create ceramic utility knife blades.

Members: Liam Abell, Brynn Benham, Claire Nelson, Fabiola Torres, and Aleksis Vilums

Professor: Yosef Allam

Section L2

Team: Team 1 (EGC Section)

Problem Statement: Reengineering the Administration of Insulin – How might we redesign insulin delivery to reduce the cost to the consumer thereby increasing accessibility?

Members: Amber Congdon, Ava Hakala, Alexa Moss, Andrew Prazen, and Willem Kloet

Professor: Alina Handorean

Section M1

Team: The Biodegradables

Problem Statement: How can we inform others about proper plastic recycing practices?

Team Members: Elliot Cossins, Anastasia Sokol, Kate Rodgers, Sandra Juarez, and Hayden Woodruff

Instructor: Jack Bringardner

Section M2

Team: The Incredibles

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle single-use sterilized packaging from hospitals in order to decrease their contribution to landfills?

Members: Tessa Brahler, Isa Hensley, Canon Humphreys, Holden Muirhead, and Chris Buczek

Professor: Kate Youmans

Section N1

Team: Waste Busters Inc

Problem Statement: How can we reduce electronic battery waste through upcycling, engaging younger generations, and educating the public?

Members: Isabel Roy, Asa Torres-Mestas, Yamato Matsumura, Nicolle Bruni, and Cole Ulrich

Professor: Jack Bringardner

Section N2

Team: Supercalifragilistic

Problem Statement: How can we reduce the amount of e-waste through upcycling?

Members: Luissa Kilgore, Lukas Henriquez, Keegan Dang, and Kaden Adams

Professor: Mark Florida

Section O1

Team: Team V

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle waste generated by golf courses?

Team Members: Gray Schaefer, Nate Urban, Jonathan Valdez Flores, Giovanni Villagrana Andrade, and Carter Watkins

Instructor: Carlos Goncalves

Section O2

Team: Textile Tech Titans

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle unsold or used clothes from the fast fashion industry?

Members: Kevin Sucher, Audrey Gerdes, Mia Strangman, Cole Cook, and Daniel Hoang

Professor: Mark Florida

Section P1

Team: RenewRebels

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle e-waste?

Members: Justin Douthit, Sidney Tran, William Clem, Spencer Weldon, and Cesar Varela Gonzalez

Professor: Carlos Goncalves

Section P2

Team: The Planterinator

Problem Statement: How might we upcycle natural rubber by using it as a component of an everyday item?

Members: Josh Cram, Kayla Vrabec, Aidhen Gallagher, and Xander Navojosky

Professor: Mark Florida