Engineering students Zumwalt, Rice and Olusola bring home Governor's Cup Honors

-





















University of Oklahoma student teams won top honors, including the OG&E Positive Energy Award, at the 2011 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition in Oklahoma City on April 14. Students from OU’s Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth and the Price College of Business spent months developing business plans for real-world technologies that hope to create jobs for the state of Oklahoma.

"This sweeping victory in the Governor's Cup Competition is another example of OU's national leadership in business and entrepreneurship education in practical programs,” said OU President David L. Boren. “On behalf of the OU family, I congratulate all students who are members of our championship teams," he said.

Almost 40 teams from college campuses across the state were given the opportunity to write business plans and make a pitch for investments that can be used to implement their ideas. These teams competed for more than $120,000 in cash and prizes in the seventh annual Governor’s Cup competition, and OU teams swept the competition.

Simtra Tools was named the winner of the $7,000 OG&E Positive Energy Award, recognizing the team that developed the best business plan around energy generation, conservation, new delivery methods or other technology to enhance efficient energy use. Their plan focused around a technology that provides utility linemen a versatile tool called TrueTight that helps them easily tighten power lines to the correct tension without carrying more cumbersome and expensive equipment. The team was comprised of Brandon Mikael, team leader, and Matthew Huber and mentored by their Faculty Advisor Dr. Lowell Busenitz, Academic Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship in OU’s Price College.

Undergraduate Division winner was LumiDX, which developed a business plan around a novel diagnostic test, which detects up to five indications of upper respiratory infections in just 30 minutes. LumiDX team members were entrepreneurship senior Amy Henderson, team leader, Ashley Zumwalt, Mimi Nguyen and Kaelyn Lu. Jim Wheeler, Executive Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Price College of Business was their faculty advisor. Team member Ashley Zumwalt was also awarded the Oklahoma Business Roundtable Paulsen Award Scholarship.

Lucas Rice was named as a 2011 i2E Fellow.

Winning first place in the Graduate Division was OU team CerebroGen Pharmaceuticals. The team’s plan was built around a new antibody-based drug treatment for epilepsy. CerebroGen was led by Entrepreneurship and Venture Management senior, Benjamin West, and comprised of Chase Roberts, Tobi Olusola, and Majed Gharfeh. The team’s Faculty advisor was Elaine Hamm, Director for the Office of Technology Development.

“We are so proud of all the OU teams. All their hard work and dedication has paid off,” said Jeff Moore, Executive Director of the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth.

The teams are sponsored by OU’s Price College of Business and the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth. The Price College of Business’ Entrepreneurship program was ranked 15th in the nation according to U.S. News & World. OU’s Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth provides an interdisciplinary environment for researchers, entrepreneurs, and students to collaborate in growing and diversifying Oklahoma’s economy through the nurturing of technology-based enterprises.

The goal of the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition is to encourage students of Oklahoma universities and colleges to act upon their entrepreneurial ideas and develop skills to lead tomorrow's innovative new businesses. The business plan competition is in its seventh year.

Tobi Olusola is a senior industrial engineering/pre-pharmacy major. Ashley Zumwalt is a senior petroleum engineering major. Lucas Rice is a senior industrial engineering major.

Read more: http://newsok.com/top-business-plans-in-oklahoma-governors-cup-competition-recognized-at-awards-dinner/article/3558558#ixzz1K1TmK5rn

Read more: http://oudaily.com/news/2011/apr/18/ou-snatches-first-place-business-competition/

Like the Donald W. Reynolds Governors Cup Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/OKGOVCUP#!/photo.php?fbid=10150159041223668&set=a.383151738667.162742.217510388667&type=1&theater

Popular posts from this blog

OU Engineering Students Shine in Community Projects

-
Image
At the University of Oklahoma, a transformative course called Pathways to Engineering Thinking is leaving a mark on OU students and the community. In the first-year engineering course, over 800 students across 16 sections collaborated to tackle real-world challenges presented by community partners. Their projects ranged from developing prosthetic limbs for injured animals to creating innovative solutions for community gardens and zoos. The course aims to guide students through the engineering design process, emphasizing collaborative teamwork and problem-solving skills.  This semester’s projects reached many areas of the community. Partnerships with the OU Food Pantry, OU Community Garden, Oklahoma City Zoo, OU Engineering K-12 Outreach, a local dog rescue and the City of Norman provided students with real-world challenges to address. Each team delved into issues presented by the partners, working toward delivering functional design solutions by the semester’s end. The heart of the cou
Read more

OU Students Take on Habitat Challenge: Sooners Without Borders Constructs Ramp, More in Iowa

-
Image
In early January, six students from Sooners Without Borders at the University of Oklahoma headed to Des Moines, Iowa, teaming up with Habitat for Humanity. Their goal: construct an accessibility ramp for a local family. Their mission was part of Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge program, providing year-round volunteer opportunities for college students. The students, all from the Gallogly College of Engineering at OU, embraced the challenge. Formerly Engineers Without Borders, Sooners Without Borders had changed its name to be more inclusive of all majors at OU, says Lisa Morales, the group's staff adviser. “A lot of projects used to focus on clean water and students had the opportunity to travel abroad. Once Covid happened, we had to shift the focus of Sooner Without Borders,” Morales said.  In Des Moines, the project expanded beyond the ramp, involving tasks like installing kitchen cabinets and flooring for a new home. Morales says she was impressed with the student’s adeptness with
Read more

OU Engineering Welcomes 14 New Faculty Members for 2023-24

-
Image
OU Engineering has welcomed 14 new faculty members for the 2023-24 academic year. This marks a milestone in the college's growth journey, with faculty numbers increasing from just over 100 in 2017 to 175 in 2023. OU Engineering is committed to expanding its faculty ranks, aiming for over 200 faculty members by the 2025-26 academic year, says OU Engineering Dean John Klier. To achieve this goal, the college has initiated more than 20 faculty searches. The State of Oklahoma continues to acknowledge the need for more engineers. They recently responded to OU Engineering’s request for additional recurring funding. The funding will play a crucial role in offering undergraduate student tuition waivers, supporting graduate students and helping recruit new faculty and staff. These positions will be phased in over the next three years. "OU Engineering extends its gratitude for the ongoing support from the State of Oklahoma as it continues to address the growing demand for engineers,&quo
Read more