Two Mechanical Engineering students, Miss Cheériche Eccles and Mr Ravi R. Maharaj, secured the winner awards in the Second Engineering Management Final-Year Student’s Project Competition held at The University of the West Indies (UWI), on Saturday May 21, 2005. The UWI Faculty of Engineering hosted the Competition Forum, in collaboration with the Engineering Management Society Chapter, the IEEE Trinidad and Tobago Subsection (IEEETT), and the National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (NIHERST).

The theme of the Competition was “Innovation in Engineering: Building Partnerships.” The primary aim of the Competition was to recognise and encourage the good project work from UWI graduates in their respective disciplines and the applications of concepts, techniques and skills in innovation and engineering management. It tackled the innovation issues which, as highlighted by Mrs Manchouck of NIHERST, is vital to our ability to not just enhance the energy sector, but to help us make the transition to a knowledge-based economy. The competition also addressed collaborative efforts between the University and stakeholders in Government, Business and Industry to build partnerships for national development.

Ten short-listed engineering projects were presented to a panel of judges representing academia and industry. The panel was led by Eng Eugene F. Tiah, the President of Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited, and comprised of Dr Keith Miller, Head of the Department of Surveying and Land Information, Dr Angelus C. Pilgrim, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Mr Stanley M.J. Lau, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.

These projects cut across a wide range of scope from the design, construction and testing of a Soil Dry Sieving Machine, a Motorised Go-Kart, a Pneumatic Gauging Device, a Microprocessor Based Motorised Telescope and an Automated Intercom System in the category of Innovation, to the implementation of Mechanical Welding, the integration of RCM into CMMS Systems, the improvement of the Process Efficiency, an analysis of Fatal Automobile Accidents and Electricity Tariffs in the category of Engineering Management.

Projects were judged on relevance, methodology, validation and presentation of project findings. After an interactive and competitive 3-hour presentation among contestants, the panel selected two best project winners along with other awardees as listed below:

For the Innovation Category:

Best Project Award Winner:

• Cheériche Eccles, BSc (Eng) Mechanical Engineering

For the Engineering Management Category:

Best Project Award Winner:

• Ravi R. Maharaj, BSc (Eng) Mechanical Engineering