Texas Students Win Best Video Overall Category in Engineering for You Video Contest; $55,000 in Prizes Given to Contest Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sun, October 04, 2015

Washington, DC, October 04, 2015 —

During its 2015 annual meeting, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced the winners of the second Engineering for You Video Contest 2 (E4U2), sponsored by the Exxon Mobil Foundation. Texas Student Television Digital Media Team -- Jason Weilee, Carson Taylor, and Ridge Liu -- won the Best Video Overall Award for their video, “The Personalized Teacher,” which engaged the Advanced Personalized Learning grand challenge using a playful, rhyming narration reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. Through their video the Texas team illustrated how alleviating one challenge created a stronger foundation for solving the other grand challenges. The E4U2 Contest is a part of the NAE’s effort to engage and inspire young people to become the engineers who will solve our world’s greatest challenges.

 

The Best Video Overall Award includes a $25,000 prize. Awards of $5,000 were given to the winners of the following categories:

 

Middle School and Younger Category Winner
“Engineering for You” by Maksim Tonyushkin

 

High School Category Winner 
“Making Solar Panels More Affordable” by Hans Voegeli

 

Tertiary Education Category Winner 
“Our Future Shines Above” by Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), Querétaro campus

 

General Public Category Winner
“Virtual Reality: The Next Technological Frontier” by Bonny Eagle Robotics Team #133

 

People’s Choice Award Winner
“Water Is Our Future” by Tyler Su

 

The contest invited participants to submit a 1-2 minute video illustrating how achieving one or more of the 14 Global Grand Challenges for Engineering would impact the world’s sustainability, health, security, and/or joy of living.  Contestants could utilize any video formatting they desired. Submissions varied with the use of stop motion, cartoon, and green screen elements.

 

“The filmmakers created inspired and inspiring visions for tackling our greatest global challenges through engineering,” said NAE President C. D. Mote, Jr. “The videos are a testament to the spirit of engineering and its relentless drive to create solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.”

 

More than 300 videos were submitted in four categories: middle school and younger (K-8); high school (grades nine-12); tertiary education (2-year college through graduate school, full or part time); and the general public. A judging committee chaired by Rob Cook, Pixar Animation Studios’ emeritus vice president of advanced technology, selected the winning videos based on the following criteria: (1) creativity in the selection and presentation of content, (2) anticipated breadth of public appeal and interest, and (3) effectiveness in highlighting how achieving one or more of the NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering will lead to a more sustainable, healthy, secure, and/or joyous world. The People’s Choice Award was chosen by the public through voting on the NAE’s YouTube channel.

 

All of the winning videos are available to watch on the Engineering for You website at http://www.nae.edu/e4u2/#linkPrints.

 

The mission of the National Academy of Engineering is to advance the well-being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology. The NAE is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine -- private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter.

 

Randy Atkins
Contact Randy Atkins
Senior Program Officer
Phone202-334-1508
atkins@nae.edu
Nicole Flores
Contact Nicole Flores
Media Specialist
Phone202-334-2226
nflores@nae.edu