Students ‘brush up’ on skills for E-Week competition

April Heiselt congratulates competition winner Michael Tyler Ross

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Two electrical engineering majors showed that they “have the skills to clean your grill” in Mississippi State’s E-Week competition finale.

Seniors Michael Tyler Ross and Allen Cody Smith kicked off their presentation with this catchy phrase, but it was their engineering knowledge and business savvy that earned them top prize in a toothbrush design competition, which will benefit Mississippians with joint problems.

Engineering Student Council president Bradley Mason said representatives from the Mississippi Department of Health approached the college about engineering a toothbrush. They explained that even the routine task of brushing one’s teeth can be a challenge for those who have limited hand, wrist or arm movement due to illnesses such as arthritis or multiple sclerosis.

Ross and Smith’s winning toothbrush design features a bristle-lined mouth guard that relies solely upon jaw movement to operate. In addition they also submitted a report with information on manufacturing cost and marketing, which they presented to a panel of expert judges including a professor of dentistry, staff from the department of health, and an established entrepreneur.

The team received a $100 Barnes and Noble gift card. They will also receive $1,000 from the entrepreneurship office to continue development of their product in preparation for the Entrepreneurship Week Business Plan Competition in April.

If the team decides to pursue further research and development of their product, consumers could see their design in the marketplace. Mason said that collaboration with organizations like the department of health could help launch careers by giving students experience with real-life application of engineering.

“I think it’s important for employers to know that when they get an engineer from Mississippi State, they’re getting the total package—somebody who can not only do engineering, but can also analyze from a business perspective and see the whole picture,” Mason, a sophomore in biological engineering, said.

The Engineering Student Council planned the event with the Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence, the Entrepreneurship Club, and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer.

Mason said the goal was to give students a real-life challenge and expose them to what life can be like for a professional engineer.

“E-Week is about having fun, but we wanted the teams to learn and take something away from it,” Mason said. “The toothbrush design competition made them think about an engineering concept from an entrepreneurial standpoint.”

The Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State celebrates National Engineering Week each year through a series of competitions that test students’ skills in unconventional ways. This was the first product design and business plan competition incorporated into the event.

More information about the Bagley College of Engineering can be found at www.bagley.msstate.edu.

By: Erin Boozer