Engineering Students Display Projects for LSU Day at the State Capitol
To celebrate the University's sesquicentennial, "LSU Day at the Capitol" was held at the Louisiana State Capitol on April 29 in the rotunda. Three College of Engineering senior design teams showcased their projects for legislators and guests, showing real implications of engineering at LSU.
Mechanical engineering seniors Elizabeth Beard, Mark Fry, Eric Toujouse, and Jack Trourres, invented a mobile deer stand that weighs 138 pounds and measures 13 feet from the ground to the base of the structure, and is strong enough to support a 300 pound person. "We've built a mobile deer stand that can accommodate one person," commented Elizabeth Beard, mechanical engineering senior. The team explained how the deer stand works, the process of designing and building the stand and how engineering plays a role in all aspects of life, specifically hunting."It can be towed behind an all terrain vehicle and assembled and dissembled in ten minutes, said Beard." The team demonstrated the versatile capability of the mobile deer stand when Capitol officials requested the team move the stand out of the rotunda and on to the outdoor steps where the Tiger Band, cheerleaders, Golden Girls and Mike the Tiger performed.
Trey Cook, Kevin Euggino, Angela Juncker, and Ryan Pazdera of the LSU Student Chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) brought their award-winning ChemE Car to the rotunda of the Capitol.The car team placed second overall this year with their car "Flyin' Hawaiian" at the Southern Regional Meeting of AIChE. The LSU car teams' achievements in the past four years is impressive placing in regional and national competitions and second place in 2009 at the international competition.
Mechanical engineering seniors Paul Adkins, Troy Blanchard, Henry Hardee, and Patrick McCarthy brought their adjustable chair and canoe that will allow the children of McMain's Children's Center, who suffer from cerebral palsy to go on a canoe ride. The team admitted they knew very little regarding cerebral palsy and the importance of McMain's Children's Center when they first began the project. "Working with the center and building this chair has been an eye opening experience for me," explained McCarthy, "I'll never forget the lessons I've learned both in engineering and from the children."
"LSU Day at the Capitol" started with the Senate passing a resolution honoring LSU's sesquicentennial. The resolution gives a short history of the University and elaborates on the institution's accomplishments before thanking the University for its leadership. The House of Representatives passed a similar resolution.
"Our team had a great time today at the Capitol," said Beard. "It was great exposure for us and LSU Engineering."
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Article by Mimi LaValle, LSU College of Engineering, 225-578-5706, mlavall@lsu.edu