Team "Bananas” presented a solution to solve "Problem C: Submitted a Tweet, Now What?" in the SCUDEM VI 2021 competition, bringing home top honors.

Team members were:

• John Laporte, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology & Bioengineering track; 
• Max Bobbin, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering & Sustainability track
• Catherine Wraback, Chemical Engineering, Traditional track

The team worked on their solution to the problem between 23 October 2021, when the problems were released, and 14 November when the videos were submitted. See the team's approach to solving this problem via YouTube. During this time, team members successfully managed their academic responsibilities with this and other co-curricular activities, including the National AICHE Jeopardy competition. 

The team received the highest rating of 'Outstanding' for their solution for Problem C. They were one of eight who received this rating among the 26 submissions for Problem C. Only 26 teams received outstanding marks among all 106 participating teams during this year’s competition.

SCUDEM — SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling is a 3-student group modeling challenge that runs over multiple days culminating in a 10 minute video which is reviewed by at least 3 judges. Teams and Coaches may meet remotely. Team submissions are judged to meet one of three outcomes: Outstanding, Meritorious, or Successful.

This is the third year CBEE students participated in the SCUDEM competition. Two teams participated in 2020, both earning a Meritorious rating. In 2019, three teams from CBEE participated at the in-person event at Bowie State and swept the podium (read more).

Excerpt from Program: 

Over the weekend, UMBC's American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) ChemE Jeopardy team returned to the National competition and came home with second place in the National Championship, for the second year in a row. 

The 2021 national competition team members were: 

• John Laporte, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology & Bioengineering track; 

• Sumana Peddibhotla, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology & Bioengineering track; 

• Erin Huber, Chemical Engineering, Traditional track; 

• Max Bobbin, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering & Sustainability track. 

To prepare for this year's competition, the team practiced virtually and in person regularly with other students in the department and were coached by Dr. Neha Raikar.

The AIChE ChemE Jeopardy team is part of the UMBC AIChE Student Chapter that houses ChemE Jeopardy, ChemE Car, and ChemE-Sports; co-advised by Dr. Mariajosé Castellanos and Dr. Neha Raikar.

The team reached the national competition after winning the AIChE Regional competition in April 2021. There are nine AIChE Student Chapter Regions, with approximately fifty teams total. UMBC belongs to the Mid-Atlantic Region. The national competition took place in Boston, MA at the 2021 AIChE Annual Student Conference. The team made it through two rounds of competition, including a tie breaker, to reach the finals. 

In the finals, UMBC faced off against Iowa State and University of Iowa. We are so proud of the UMBC-CBEE team members and the continued success in the AIChE Jeopardy competition! 

READ MORE

• continued success of UMBC’s AIChE ChemE Jeopardy Team.
• Learn more about the AIChE ChemE Jeopardy Competition
• UMBC News article