UMD News

Director of Public Relations:
Susan Beasy Latto, slatto@d.umn.edu
315 Darland Administration Bldg.
1049 University Drive
Duluth, MN 55812
(218) 726-8830 Cell: (218) 348-5688
Fax: (218) 726-7413

December 6, 2001

Contact:
Susan Beasy Latto, Director of Public Relations, 218-726-8830
David Wyrick, Assoc Professor and Head, Industrial Engineering Dept. 218-726-7184

UMD will hold a reception December 10 at 3:30 p.m. honoring the Industrial Engineering students who took first place in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) International Student Design Competition held recently in New York City. The public is cordially invited to the reception in Griggs Center, located in the UMD Kirby Student Center, second floor.

Chancellor Kathryn A. Martin will preside over the program, and representatives from ASME will make a presentation to the student team. The students will provide demonstrations of their winning design and explain the process that went into the final product.

The student team includes:
Mike Anderson , Cloquet, MN
David Halverson, Waunakee, WI
Mike Lackore, Two Harbors, MN
Joe Higgins, Crystal Lake, MN

The engineering task of the four-member team was to design, build, and demonstrate a fishing rod and reel controlled by simulated "sip and puff" technology that would allow a quadriplegic person to accurately cast a fishing lure. Student advisor for the project is Associate Professor David Wyrick, Head of the UMD Department of Industrial Engineering.

The UMD group was one of only 13 in the United States selected to participate in the international contest which included participants from India and Japan. The UMD students previously won their regional competition representing a seven-state area.