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As
a memorial, and in recognition of his outstanding contributions
to the development of integrated design education, the Bernt
O. Larson Project Design Awards in General Engineering were
established by the Department of General Engineering. The
awards are presented annually to senior
student project design teams judged by the faculty to
have produced the best engineering designs during a calendar
year. The award recognizes outstanding excellence in development
of a creative solution for a complex original engineering
problem. Each member of the first-place team receives $200,
and each member of the second-place team $100. Members of
these teams also receive certificates, and names of first-place
winners are inscribed on a bronze plaque in the department
office.
Professor
Bernt O. Larson earned a BSCE in 1938, a MSCE in 1949,
and was a General Engineering faculty member from
1938 to 1974. He had a distinguished career in the
army, including many engineering projects in the C-B-I
theatre, and work in China for which he received a
medal of honor from the Chinese government.
Bernt is widely remembered for having developed and
put into place the concept of a capstone senior design
course for General Engineering students, and for being
one of the first faculty members to understand and
to cultivate the educational links between the University
and private industry. His ideas have been instrumental
in helping ease the student transition from academics
to industry. |
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Today,
because of Bernt's vision, willingness to try something
new, and capability for understanding the needs of students,
our project design course serves as a College and national
model for senior design experiences.
In October 1973, Bernt received the Distinguished Alumnus
Award from the UIUC Civil Engineering Department, in recognition
of his contributions to engineering education and to the
profession, and “especially (for) his implementation
of outstanding student team project courses.”
Professor Larson was an inspiring leader for both faculty
and students in his pursuit of excellence in engineering
design education. He was a leader in the field from 1959,
when the first committee was organized to develop the sequence
of integrated design courses, until his retirement in 1974.
The Bernt O. Larson Award Fund was established in the U.
of I. Foundation of General Engineering honoring Professor
Larson for his nearly 37 years of service to the University
of Illinois. Others later increased the fund by contributions,
which may be continued by sending checks payable to the
U. of I. Foundation, Bernt O. Larson Award Fund, 224 Illini
Union, 1301 W. Green St., Urbana, IL. 61801. The awards
were presented in May, 1993 at the General Engineering Department's
22nd Annual Design Symposium.
Recipients:
2003
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
 Flash
Reduction in Crankshaft Forgings
Krupp Gerlach Company
Professor Henrique Reis
Cameron R. Croft
Robin E. McGowen
Obinna C. Orjih |
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
 Butt
Welder Structural Weldment Redesign
Holland Company L.P.
Professor Edward N. Kuznetsov
John M. Davidson
Amy J. Russell
Patricia D. Robbins |
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2002
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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Design
of an In-Line Industrial Water Gun
Ergo-Tech, Inc.
Professor C. Adam Senalik
Allen G. Demling
Thomas J. McClenahan
Daniel F. Posacki
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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Integration
of PocketZip to Handspring Visor
Iomega Corporation
Professor Ramavarapu S. Sreenivas
Theodore W. Elrick
Sarah L. Quoss
Erin S. Sullivan
|
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2001
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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Power
Cord Reel
Telefonix, Inc.
Professor Scott A. Burns
August W. Bockrath
Kevin T. Coonan
Matthew R. Walter
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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Redesign
of Folding Chair Hinge
The Folding Bleacher Company
Professor Henrique Reis
Lindsay A. Krussow
Marc. C. Lifshin
Rodrigo L. Valdez, Jr.
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2000
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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Gearmotor
Noise Testing and Evaluation
Bodine Electric Company
Professor Henrique Reis
Kevin D. Bollman
David M. Hinkle
Leo A. Wrigley
|
|
| Second
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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Enhancing
Cellular Phone Usability
Motorola Advanced Technology Center
Professor David E. Goldberg
Jung H. Hur
Robert D. Shin
Jason W. Smith
Mark L. Williamson
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1999
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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SciGolf:
Golf Swing Tracking System
SciGolf
Professor James Carnahan
Algis J. Baliunas
David M. Leder
Michael I. Lee
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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HMC:
Case Cutter Cost Reduction
HMC Products, Inc.
Professor David Goldberg
Ted R. Dodge
Patrick A. McDermott
Michael J. McNulty
|
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1998
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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Partition
Assembly Process Improvement
InnerPac, Inc.
Professor Yong Se Kim
Dennis Frantsve
James Haran
Jonathan Jewell
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Piston
Pin Weight Reduction
Cummins Engine Co.
Professor Edward Kuznetsov
Romano Floreani
James Fron
Paul Wieshuber
|
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1997
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Spurious
Response in Engine Knock Sensors
Eaton Corporation
Professor Henrique Reis
Ian Bruce
Marc Koeppel
Adam Lack
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Hammer
Velocity Meter
Gerb Vibration Control Systems, Inc.
Professor Henrique Reis
James Cribbett
Andrew Morin
Greg Speckhart
|
|
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1996
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Noise
Reduction in a Wet/Dry Vacuum Cleaner
The Eureka Company
Professor W. Brent Hall
Robert S. Barrett
Kimberly D. Meadors
John R. Umsted
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Hose
Assembly Modification
The Testor Corporation
Professor Wayne J. Davis
Mark C. DePoorter
Jami S. A. Thornton
Christopher K. Wyatt
|
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1995
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Design
of a Material Roll Lifter Using Pneumatic
Cylinders
Transparent Container Company
Professor Roland L. Ruhl
Jim C. Kirk
Dave B. Morr
Brian J. Ormaniec
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Automation
of an Instore Shipping System
The Testor Corp.
Professor Wayne J. Davis
Jeffrey J. Cantrill
Jason Z. Moline
Dana L. Wallace
|
|
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1994
| First
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Design
of a Two Position Turntable
Genesis Systems Group Ltd.
Professor Mark Spong
Bruce T. Atkins
Andrew Wang
Brad J. Whitmore
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
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Modification
of Material Handling for a Paint Kit Line
The Testor Corporation
Professor Wayne J. Davis
William R. Horvath
Jerome W. Jarvis
Jon J. Smejkal
|
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1993
| Second
Place: |
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Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Motorized
Table Height Adjustment Mechanism
Kenlin Enterprises
Professor Henrique L. M. dos Reis
M. R. Gogola
T. L. Lloyd
D. R. Nebl
|
|
| Second
Place: |
|
Project:
Sponsor:
Advisor:
Team:
|
Air
Intake Pre-Cleaner for a Modular Diesel Engine
Cummins Engine Co., Inc.
Professor Roland L. Ruhl
T. Kelley
M. Souden
D. Todd
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