Tag: R.B. Annis School of Engineering

Starting this month, the R.B. Annis School of Engineering will begin moving into the newly renovated R.B. Annis Hall located at 3750 Shelby St. Since its founding, the school has rapidly grown into an innovative engineering school offering seven specialized areas of study in computer engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial & systems engineering, computer science, and general engineering. 

The larger facility on Shelby St. will accommodate these programs and address their space-related needs. The new space also allows the school’s DesignSpine component to expand beyond its original footprint and meet growing demand.

Ken Reid, associate dean and director of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering, said in addition to providing the necessary space for programs, R.B. Annis Hall will support the school as it builds an identity on campus and in the community.

“We will be more visible to our engineering partners, which should lead to more projects and partnerships for our DesignSpine program. This means more real-world, hands-on experience for our students,” Reid said.

The larger space translates to more opportunities for creative and innovative designs from the Annis School’s student teams. Reid said students will have a greater opportunity to establish exceptional working relationships in larger maker spaces, shops and labs. Faculty will have the opportunity to more effectively work with and mentor teams, as well as to collaborate with each other and other partners beyond campus.

“One aspect which I look most forward to is the creation of new space,” Reid added. “When student design teams meet with their industry customers, we’ll have a professional space in which to meet. The space itself will build a sense of community within students, and expand student opportunity.” 

Reid hopes R.B. Annis Hall will pave the way for more innovative interdisciplinary projects which have been a hallmark of the Annis School. The recently launched Center for Collaborative Innovation, funded through an Elevate Nexus Higher Education Grant, will further promote the collaborative innovation framework. 

“In addition to providing our students with innovative, cutting-edge experiences, these developments ensure that UIndy continues to meet current and long-term accreditation requirements. They also play a critical role in helping us to accommodate the increasing enrollments in our programs,” said President Robert L. Manuel.

The newly available space in Martin Hall created by the R.B. Annis School of Engineering move will be used to meet a variety of needs across campus including additional space for the Department of Music. As part of these improvements, physical plant operations have moved to 3802 Shelby St. and their vacated building will be renovated to allow for the expansion of the Department of Art & Design.

Plans are underway for a safe celebration of the Annis School’s expansion. Details will be shared once those plans are finalized.

Marking the start of a new University of Indianapolis tradition, Homecoming 2020 brought together the ingenuity of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering (RBASOE) with the University’s philanthropic mission. 

Part of the Top Dog Challenge, a competition with Truman State University to see which institution could raise the most funds in support of local non-profit groups during Homecoming 2020, RBASOE built trebuchets for Catapult for a Cause and launched baseballs and pumpkins across the football field at Key Stadium for a fun-filled day.

“This was a great opportunity to apply engineering to make something fun,” said Paul Talaga, associate professor of engineering.

The project presented a real-world opportunity for students and faculty to collaborate and problem-solve during a tight time frame. James Emery, who manages mechanical systems and labs, said the team had about three weeks to design and build two steel trebuchets—an astonishing feat.  

“The biggest challenges were time, access to weights and access to a location to test. The other big issue is the weight of the trebuchets alone. They weigh roughly 600 pounds each,” Emery explained.

Talaga coordinated the project and liaised with numerous university departments in the process. Faculty and students overcame several obstacles as the deadline loomed.

“We had a lot of challenges with the release angle. Without consistent access to a testing field and the effort involved with moving the trebuchets, we did not have enough time to test and fine-tune the configuration,” Talaga explained. “The student practice evening was rained out and the students didn’t have much time to experiment with the trebuchets before the competition.” 

Through trial and error, the team found settings that worked well for baseballs. 

“Luckily the same settings worked for the pumpkins!” Talaga said.

For students like Jared Hilt ’21 (mechanical engineering and physics major, mathematics minor), it was a chance to work on a one-of-a-kind project while putting his skills into action. He calibrated settings on the release angle, arm length, sling length and weight. He also reloaded the trebuchet and made sure it was safe to be around before firing.

“Being able to work on the project was fantastic. It provides valuable experience working with others and optimizing designs,” Hilt said.

Chijioke Ezeani ’22 (software engineering major, mathematics minor) appreciated the chance to work with engineers from different fields of expertise.

“I worked on pre-testing and assembling the trebuchet. My teammates and I were also responsible for changing the counterweight and length of the sling in order to optimize trebuchet launch and projectile,” Ezeani said.

Sam Schoonveld ’22 (mechanical engineering major, mathematics minor) assisted with transportation, set-up and testing of the trebuchet.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to work on this project, and I think that being able to have hands-on experience in fabricating a complex system like a catapult can help translate the various courses we have to take as engineers. My teamwork skills improved due to having to work with multiple classmates and faculty throughout the project.”

Steve Spicklemire, director of engineering instruction and associate professor of physics, noted how the trebuchet project aligned with the R.B. Annis School of Engineering’s DesignSpine curriculum, which allows students to develop technical and professional skills along with an entrepreneurial perspective. 

“Learning how to produce a working prototype on very short notice is exciting!” he said. “This was a great project for engineering students and faculty working together to build something that actually works very quickly.” 

“It was also gratifying to know that there was a dimension of charity with this project that provided a great mission and purpose for all this effort beyond the joy of engineering and competition for its own sake,” Spicklemire added.

Engineering faculty say the trebuchets will be useful in many future engineering courses as experiments and optimization.

“These types of projects are great examples of real-world projects. Trebuchet dynamics have been well-studied but matching the simulator’s results to real-experimentation is important,” Talaga said.

The Top Dog Challenge raised more than $8,000 for Indianapolis Animal Care Services, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Imagine a data analytics tool to help universities demonstrate the value of higher education. Or an after-market device that alerts drivers to motorcyclists lurking in their blind spots. How about a better charging station for your electronic devices?

Students from the R.B. Annis School of Engineering at the University of Indianapolis presented plans for these ideas at the inaugural Business Pitch Competition held in April 2019.

As part of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering’s unique DesignSpine curriculum, students in the third year of the program work in interdisciplinary teams to design and pitch a product, process or service in collaboration with industry mentors. At the inaugural event, three teams presented their work to faculty from within and outside of the School of Engineering, including mentors from Citizens Energy Group, Huntington Bank, and Anthem NGS.

Following a “Shark Tank”-style competitive format, the teams presented prototypes for a multifunctional charging station, a motorcycle detection system, and an analytical software tool that explored the return on investment of university education. The team challenge is aimed at developing a mindset that combines design and entrepreneurship.

With more than 200 students now enrolled, the R.B. Annis School of Engineering offers an array of programs, including computer, computer science, electrical,  industrial & systems, mechanical, software and general engineering.

José R. Sánchez, associate dean of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering, refers to DesignSpine as the R.B. Annis School of Engineering’s “secret sauce” that informs students’ learning experiences throughout the program. The goal is to help students graduate with a multi-layered skill set that helps them stand out in a competitive workforce.

“We want to make sure our students are working in interdisciplinary teams as early as freshman year learning how to collaborate, be creative, think critically and, most importantly, become modern engineers and industry leaders,” Sánchez said.

Working closely with industry mentors to identify market demands, the teams collaborated throughout the academic year, consulting with School of Engineering and Department of Communication faculty.

During their presentations, students must demonstrate how their solution beats the competition; how the product works; how they will position themselves in the market and find channels to move the product to customers; articulate the revenue projections, as well as create an overall business plan. Faculty and industry mentors questioned the students and voted according to the criteria. The winner was the Eagle Eye, a motorcycle detection device.

David Olawale, assistant professor of engineering, said students work in interdisciplinary teams to learn skills that will set them apart as future business owners or employees.

“It is a joy to see the transformation in the students over the course of the two semesters in a bid to convert an idea into a viable venture,” Olawale said. “They move from being just technically focused to developing an entrepreneurial mindset whereby they see problems as opportunities, and where they focus on the customers and value creation.”

Richard Calvert ’16 (MBA), an energy distribution design manager with Citizens Energy Group, was one of several industry mentors who worked with the students throughout the year to provide advice and feedback.

“The work the students have produced is professional, polished, and practical. The process starts with a project concept discussion. The students do their work with periodic gate reviews that are very helpful and then a final presentation,” Calvert explained.

For the students, the experience has been transformational. Allison Zwickl ’20 (industrial & systems engineering), whose group presented the multifunctional charging station, went from being doubtful to confident in presenting her product.

“Even though it has been a challenging year for everyone, I really feel like it has changed us all for the better. For myself, it helped with my speaking skills. At the business pitch this year I was comfortable talking about our product,” said Zwickl.

Zwickl credits her new communication skills with landing her an internship at Sallie Mae.

“The most important thing they were looking for was not if you knew how to do technical things. They wanted to know how I could communicate with everyone around me. And ultimately my internship has a lot to do with communicating with a variety of departments, and I would not have that skill if it wasn’t for these classes,” she added.

Sánchez said the focus on communication is by design.

“Our goal is to create leaders who can communicate effectively to various audiences by the time students get to senior year,” he said.

Payton Staman ’20 (mechanical engineering) added, “The focus on entrepreneurship layered with the challenge to develop engineering solutions helped shift students’ perspectives to consider the business implications.”

“This project helped us develop our interdisciplinary competencies and the connection between our major and the sales and marketing sectors,” Staman said. “Igniting each engineer’s internal passions and an entrepreneurial mindset is the key to taking our professional careers to the next level!”

Learn more about the R.B. Annis School of Engineering

Written by Sara Galer, Communications & Content Strategy Manager, University of Indianapolis. Share your story ideas with newsdesk@uindy.edu.