School of Engineering: Freshman Design Competition

The engineering freshman design competition is a major component of EGR 110 - Introduction to Engineering.  All engineering and computer science students take the course during their first semester at the University of Portland.

The competition is a culmination of a semester-long project which challenges students to conceive, design, build, and demonstrate a device to accomplish a specific task.  The project includes aspects of limited resources, speed, cost, and effectiveness.  At the end of the competition, awards are made for highest score, lowest cost per score, and highest cost per time, as well as an award for the most ingeniously designed device.  The 2006 competition challenged student teams to build devices to shoot wiffle balls into a basketball hoop.  See photos of the 2006 competition here. Also, check out Team D3's 2006 You Tube Video.

The Freshman Design Competition takes place Saturday, December 5. 2009. At the Open House beforehand, you’ll hear from Admissions, Financial Aid, the dean, and others. There’s even a free breakfast! For additional details, contact Kitty Harmon (harmonk@up.edu or 503-943-7180).