Stevens Institute of Technology: Admissions Blog

H2prO Wins Top Prize at the 2009 Pitch Olympics

On the heels of Stevens annual Senior Design Expo, this year’s Pitch Olympics, a segment of Research & Entrepreneurship Day, was held in May. All Senior Design project teams were considered to be part of the Pitch Olympics and ten groups moved on to participate. Each group that participated was required to prepare a two-minute elevator pitch presented by one designated representative of the team to a panel of judges. 

This year’s top prize was awarded to Amanda Grimes, Nicole Migliore, Michael Mitchell and Joanna Sweetgall, a group of Biomedical Engineering students who presented H2prO, a portable, mechanically powered UV water treatment unit designed to provide safe drinking water for any individual, in any location, under any circumstance. An alternating current generator crank powers the UV bulbs, which, in turn, purify the water.

Michael, who represented the group in the Pitch Olympics, said that the team identified the need for this based on the number of people who travel around the world and contract illnesses from drinking water. The team wished to develop a cost-effective, simple, portable device to combat this issue and allow people access to clean, safe drinking water instantly.

“Our target market is wilderness enthusiasts, people who are traveling, and taking water out of a lake or a stream and are not sure whether the purification level is trustworthy or not,” said Nicole. “They can use our product to treat the water and make it safe for them to drink in any circumstance, in any situation, without an external power supply because it’s powered by a crank system. So it’s very easy to use for everyone.”

Dr. Vikki Hazelwood served as the team’s overall advisor. Michael said: “While Dr. Hazelwood pushes us to build a prototype, she also encourages us to envision our prototype translating to industry and production, and the potential applications it might have.” Inspired by this, the H2prO team is currently in the process of securing a provisional patent. The team’s clinical advisor was Dr. Robin E. Stutman, a New York-based infectious disease specialist.

Keeping Stevens in the Family

Michael Mitchell is just a couple days away from Commencement, where he will graduate with a BE in Biomedical Engineering and a ME in Materials Science. After graduation, he will be attending Cornell University where he will pursue a Ph.D. in the biomedical field. From there, he hopes to become a professor and continue to conduct research.

During his time at Stevens, Michael was involved with co-op, Tau Beta Phi, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Habitat for Humanity and the Biomedical Engineering Society. Recently, he completed his Senior Design project, h2pro, with much acclaim. He and his team members received the Center for Environmental Systems HydroGlobe award, they won the student technology pitch Olympics, and earned a spot at the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering national competition.

Getting involved is something Michael really enjoyed during his time at Stevens. He says: “Everyone at Stevens is so helpful, they really want you to succeed. I encourage students to go out and explore their interests, whether it is research or clubs or organizations. There are lots of opportunities at Stevens and always someone there to help you develop yourself.”

Michael’s father, John Mitchell, is effusive about the Stevens experience, and credits his son’s education with providing him opportunities for the future. Mr. Mitchell says: “As far as my wife and I are concerned, this was a terrific five years. Back in August 2004 we dropped off a boy and soon we will see a young man graduate with both an undergraduate and a graduate degree.”

The Mitchell family’s time at Stevens won’t end next week though. Michael’s younger brother, Marc, has chosen to attend Stevens and will begin his studies here in the fall. After showing an interest in science and engineering, Michael encouraged Marc to explore Stevens. “I like that Marc is coming here. He is going to have a lot of opportunities at Stevens. I will help guide him, but I also want him to be able to forge his own path.”

Mr. Mitchell is also thrilled that Marc has also chosen to attend Stevens. He says: “I can only hope that Marc has the same experience as his brother. I am very confident that he will.”

Keith Rosso Witnesses History

Last week’s Presidential Inauguration was viewed by millions of people around the world. Not only was one Stevens student fortunate to be there in Washington D.C. to witness the historical event in person, Keith Rosso even scored sought-after tickets to not one, but two inaugural balls.

Keith (BE, ’10), an Engineering Management/Accelerated Pre-Law student, spent several days in DC exploring the city and attending inaugural festivities. Active in his hometown of Saddle Brook, NJ, Keith is a member of both the Board of Education and the Zoning Board, and he kicked off his time in DC by attending a pre-inauguration event hosted by the Young Elected Officials Network. The next evening, Keith attended the Illinois Inaugural Ball. One of 7000 people in attendance, Keith says: “Attending this ball with people from all around the world was truly an amazing experience.”

The inauguration ceremony itself came next, and when Keith received those tickets, he also received tickets to that evening’s Southern States Ball – an unexpected but much appreciated surprise. Because of the inauguration package that Keith and his mother secured prior to attending the events, they were given access to one of the first sections on the Capitol lawn. As they arrived to wait for the ceremony to commence, Keith ran into Cory Booker, the Mayor of Newark, whom he met previously at an Obama fundraiser in Hoboken.

After the incredible ceremony, which was in arm’s reach from Keith, they got ready for the Southern States Ball, held at the DC Armory. When Keith arrived, he made sure they were positioned close to where Barack Obama and Joe Biden would be arriving shortly. The energy in the room was palpable and at midnight, Biden arrived to share a dance with his wife, Jill, and speak briefly to the group. Not long after that, Obama arrived with his wife, Michelle. According to Keith, the crowd erupted with cheering and calling for Obama, who addressed everyone and danced with Michelle, before moving on to his next ball.

Of the overall experience, Keith concludes: “Being there with 1.5 million people, all from different backgrounds, who are all united for one reason, sharing the same goal and vision, was unreal. It was like absolutely nothing else.”

From Haiti to Hoboken

Originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Anne Dutreuil (B.E., ’10) immediately found a new home at Stevens. Both Anne's older brother and older sister attended Stevens, so the family connection was strong. When Anne expressed an interest in transferring here, her siblings were personally invested in making it happen. After a campus tour and interview, Anne was sold, and soon after she began the second semester of her freshman year as an Engineering Management major at Stevens.
 

It didn’t take long for Anne to realize that she had made the correct decision, and that a Stevens education was far superior to her former institution. She says: “At Stevens the professors encourage a new way of thinking that fosters success. You learn to think creatively and to solve problems based on the information you have instead of focusing on what you don't have.”
 
One of the many things that Anne appreciates about Stevens is the sense of community. "The campus is like one big family that cultivates a supportive and caring environment, helping students reach their full potential. For this reason, my parents were very pleased to send me to Stevens. They felt that they were not only investing in a great education, but also in the overall Stevens community."

Due to the campus being relatively small in comparison to other schools, Anne feels that there has been a greater opportunity for her to get involved here. Currently, Anne is the president of the Black Student Union, a member of Black Student Engineers, the student choir, and Alpha Phi Omega (the national service fraternity). She is also a resident advisor (RA), a peer mentor, and an on-campus tutor. During her time at Stevens, Anne has also taken piano lessons.
 
If Anne could offer one piece of advice to incoming international students, she would suggest they get involved. She says: “There are a lot of opportunities and you just need to contact the right people. Stevens is a great place to be. Don't limit yourself to one group, because the possibilities are endless."

Anne knows, as an international student, that sharing knowledge and ideas fosters cultural awareness. Each student has a unique heritage and culture which means that each person offers a new perspective. By staying involved Anne has developed a varied group of friends. Getting involved and participating in different on-campus events allows students to meet others that have similar interests. These common interests bond students and promote communication, success and life-long friendships, not to mention further enhance the Stevens experience.

Video: Stevens Campus Recreation Outdoor Adventure Program

Meet Ellyn and Mike, our newest student bloggers

Ellyn
Sophomore
Mechanical Engineering

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Mike
Junior
Music and Technology

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Student Profile: David Barker, B.S. Computer Science ‘08

Profile By Nicole Moldovan ‘08 (Stevens News Service)

Dave Barker is a 5/5 senior, a term used by many students at Stevens Institute of Technology, denoting participation in the cooperative education program. Dave chose to do a five-year college plan, alternating semesters of study with real-world paid work experience. Roughly 600 students are currently enrolled in Stevens’ co-op program, meaning about 40 percent of the undergraduate student body opt to do this five year combination of classes and corporate experience, with 150 employers to choose from.

“It’s really the co-op program that brought me here to Stevens, even more so than its academic reputation,” says Dave. It was the overall strength in career development that caught his attention as a high school senior and that of his guidance counselors at Roselle Catholic in Roselle, N.J. Five years later, Dave feels he got what he expected – a well established program that has “really, really strong ties with many industries that makes the process easy for students.”

Click to continue profile (Stevens News Service) >>

Commencement Webcam

Watch the set up for Commencement 2008 in real time via our campus Web cam.

Class of 2008 Boasts Three 4.0 Graduates

Congratulations to Amanda Rogers, Kresti Pecani, and Anthony Najem, all of whom are graduating from Stevens with a 4.0. All three will speak at the May 22, at which NJ Governor Jon Corzine will also address the Class of 2008.

Read full profiles of graduating seniors >>

Boken Begins Today [Photos]