Posted on Apr 19, 2005

A group of Union College engineering students has taken top honors at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Regional Student Conference, held a week ago at the University of Maryland in College Park.


This year's design competition centered around a battery-powered bulk material transporter, a device that could carry materials up stairs or over hills and rough terrain. “My machine carried 22 times more rice than anyone else,” said winner Bob Dunton, a senior at Union majoring in mechanical engineering and computer science. Dunton, who was advised by Professor Bill Keat, will compete nationally at the ASME conference in November.


Dunton also placed second in a poster competition, while Shira Mandel, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and chemistry, placed first in the poster competition.


Other winners included seniors Dan Archibald and Nathan Stodola, and junior David Korim. All are mechanical engineering majors.


It's the fourth consecutive year that Union students have taken top honors at the regional competition.