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| Home | Monthly E-Newsletter | March 2008 |
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Donor Spotlight
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Seniors Huy-Van Nguyen, Wee-Chian Lee, and Peter Vu elected to create a remote operated vehicle for their final design project; however securing the necessary parts was one of their most difficult challenges. Built to the particular design and system requirements set forth by their instructor, Raresh Pascali, associate professor of mechanical engineering technology, the team worked countless hours on their ROV. The final design was projected to cost over $6000 upon completion. Grainger assisted the students with the cost by offering to donate a hydraulic pump with an approximate value of $1500. This part was integral to the project’s success, as it was needed to operate the thrusters and robotic arm of their vehicle. "We are very proud of our project and realize without Grainger’s generosity it would not have been possible to make it a success," said Nguyen. Grainger formally presented the pump to the students during their senior design class. During which time the team also gave company representatives Rick Oehring, district branch services manager, Brian Saenz, branch manger, and Matt Pryor, customer service manager, a visual presentation about the project. "I am very proud to be part of a company like Grainger that has had such a long tradition of supporting the communities where our employees live and work. I am even more proud that as a graduate of the College of Technology’s logistics technology program I am able to be part of such a generous donation to my own university," said Pryor. The team has entered the vehicle in the 7th annual MATE International ROV Competition which is being hosted by Ridge 2000 at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of California, San Diego in June 2008. |
The final academic task of all students in the UH College of Technology’s mechanical engineering technology program is to produce one creative and complex senior design project that combines much of what has been learned over the years. This is an undertaking which can be extremely expensive if not for the generosity of donors. Recently, one great company, Grainger, Inc., a local distributor of facilities maintenance supplies, stepped up to help a very driven student team reach its goal.