MSOE recognized eight of the top teams in the state for this year’s Wisconsin Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Engineering Design and Biomedical Innovations Competition. This competition is held annually and encourages high school students in the PLTW capstone courses of “Engineering Design and Development” or “Biomedical Innovations” to submit their culminating projects for judging. This year 35 professionals in STEM fields across the country, including many MSOE students and faculty members, judged students’ portfolios to determine the top eight teams. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s competition was held and judged virtually, adding an extra challenge to the hands-on intensive competition.

The 2020 first place project was Milwaukee County Zoo Coal-Handling Project by Isabell Jimenez, Audrey Raflik and Sarah Pelzek from St. Thomas More High School. They worked with experts at the Milwaukee County Zoo to shorten the coal-handling process so it is easier for the train operators to load the trains in between stops. For their performance, the team received a $4,000 cash award and funding for New Product Development Assessment by the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center. Their EDD teacher is Emily Pirkl.

In second place was Heated Stress Ball by Raina Nicholson and Anthony Pollen from Belleville High School. Their team aimed to create something that helps student athletes playing sports in cold temperatures that can affect their reaction time, grip and can lead to muscle stiffness. They developed a product that keeps hands warm while maintaining or increasing range of motion and grip. For their performance, their team received a $2,000 cash award and funding for New Product Development Assessment by the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center. Their EDD teacher is Ed Neumann.

Third place went to CryoCare by Gwen Richardson from Elkhorn Area High School. Cryotherapy significantly reduces inflammation, swelling and pain associated with soft tissue injuries; however, it is often not applied due to inconvenience and lack of accessibility. Richardson developed a product that makes cryotherapy accessible and convenient to the general public. For her performance, she received a $1,000 cash award and funding for New Product Development Assessment by the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center. Her EDD teacher is Barry Butters.

This year’s finalist teams and projects were:         

• "Treestand Trucker" Safety System by Colby Winter, Brody Brunner and Emily Schafer from Medford High. Their EDD teacher is Tracy Swedlund.  
• Escape the Vape by Sadhvika Chitoor, Kathryn Premschak, Alexandria Quiroz, Kylie Schieble, Jada  Williams, and Kenlyn Zellmer from West Bend East & West High School. Their Biomedical Innovations teacher is Patricia Noonan.
• Tuff Tots Baby Gate by Patrick Rielly from Monroe High School. His EDD teacher is Daniel Saunders.          
• Slippery Boat Ramps by Stewart Sathoff and Kaiden Klitzke from Monroe High School. Their EDD teacher is Daniel Saunders.         
• Up North Anchoring by Wyatt Sherfield, Austin Kraegenbrink and Anthony Adleman from Medford High. Their EDD teacher is Tracy Swedlund.          
• Biodegradable Plastic from Zebra Mussel Shells by Katherina Maupin and Rabia Ahmed from Muskego High School. Their EDD teacher is Karen Lindholm-Rynkiewicz.