Over 50 students participated in the Forum’s tenth annual Engineers Week Student Competition, “Super Football,” held on February 22, 2017. The goal of the problem supplied by Fluor Corporation was to build devices to throw (quarterback/launching device) and catch a football (receiver).

The event sponsored in part by the Fluor Corporation gave the same challenge to its engineers on the same day at its facilities around the world. The competition’s main sponsor is the Rice Global Engineering & Construction Forum and Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering. Rice is the only academic institution that took part in the challenge.

The students, who didn’t have to be engineering majors to enter, did not know what the task would be before arriving for the competition, but quickly became immersed in a flurry of problem solving. With limited time to plan, construct and demonstrate their solutions, all under the watchful eyes of judges, the teams raced the clock and each other.

The lively competition was followed by pizza and soft drinks which were thoroughly enjoyed by competitors and judges alike. Judges from companies sponsoring the Forum participated in the event. Prizes awarded were for First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth places. Members of student team Star Boys 2 won $200 each by placing first with a score of 82,476; Team Beta claimed second place money of $150 each with 67,217; team Rice Poopcleaners Return placed third with 61,767 to win $125 each; team Average Plus was fourth with 61,518 to win $100 each; and team Chemechanical Engineers placed fifth with 13,020 to win $75 each. To view photos from the event, click here.

1st Place Team: Star Boys 2

2nd Place Team: Team Beta

3rd Place Team: Rice Poopcleaners Return

4th Place Team: Average Plus

5th Place Team: Chemechanical Engineers