Engineering Students Take Top Prizes at CREATE Symposium
Two teams of College of Engineering and Computing Sciences students traveled to Albany, N.Y., on April 8, where they took home first- and second-place prizes at the New York State Industries for the Disabled’s (NYSID) 10th annual Cultivating Resources for Employment with Assistive TEchnology (CREATE) Symposium.
Each year, the symposium pairs teams of college engineering students with nonprofit organizations supporting those with developmental disabilities. The goal is to design inventions to assist such people in their everyday work tasks.
Team Two, composed of Anila Khan, Josiah Turner, Winston Wang, and Pranaav Venkatasubramanian, scored a first-place win and received a $15,000 prize. Partnered with Spectrum Design, a custom item business creating employment opportunities for those with autism spectrum disorder, the team designed the Gamified Silk Screen Cleaner—an apparatus using electromechanical processes to clean screen-printing equipment more efficiently and in a more sanitary manner.
Spectrum Design creates custom apparel with a variety of methods, including screen printing. Employees currently use a rag and chemicals to manually clean the ink application equipment. Consequently, the job is tedious and messy. With the team’s device, a lid will prevent chemicals from reaching the workers, and features like a leaderboard, timer, and point system will foster better engagement with the task.
Brandon Castellano, Joanna Sroka, and Lincoln Dover comprised Team One, which secured a second-place win and received a $10,000 prize. Partnered with AHRC Nassau, which hosts services like employment readiness and job placement, the team created the SafeChef Cutlery System—a user-controlled knife-cutting system that limits the risk of cutting oneself during food preparation.
AHRC Nassau often provides catering services for New York State government events. However, any process involving knives is not performed by employees with disabilities out of concern for safety. But with the team’s invention, employees’ responsibilities will no longer be limited, as an alert system will preemptively warn users when they make unwanted contact with the knife, and supervisors will be notified of potentially dangerous usage.
“I could not be prouder of my students and the seven months of hard work they put into their designs,” says Michael Nizich, Ph.D., director of the Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC).
“The NYSID CREATE competition is an invaluable motivational experience for the student teams.”
The cash prizes awarded to the two teams will be split among the students, New York Tech, AHRC Nassau, and Spectrum Design.
More Features
![](https://www.nyit.edu/wp-content/uploads/News_20240627_GrowingLongIslandTechWorkforce_Hero-900x600.jpg)
Growing Long Island’s Tech Workforce
Alongside major partner Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York Tech is educating leaders for this booming technology corridor.
![Portrait of Eshan Kamel](https://www.nyit.edu/wp-content/uploads/news-staff-profile-eshan-kamel.jpg)
Faculty Profile: Ehsan Kamel
Associate Professor Ehsan Kamel, Ph.D., wants to find sustainable solutions for energy resources in our homes, on the road, in industry, and beyond.
![](https://www.nyit.edu/wp-content/uploads/news-faculty-promotions-tenures.jpg)
Highlighting Faculty Tenures, Promotions for 2024-2025
As New York Tech prepares for the 2024-2025 academic year, several faculty are recognized for outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service.
![](https://www.nyit.edu/wp-content/uploads/news-commencement.jpg)
Congratulations to the Class of 2024!
On May 19, New York Institute of Technology celebrated its 63rd commencement.
![A group of 7 people who are key players in the BRIIC building construction standing in one row.](https://www.nyit.edu/wp-content/uploads/news-alumni-briic.jpg)
Alumni Contributing Expertise to BRIIC Construction
School of Architecture and Design and College of Engineering and Computing Sciences alumni are among those developing a major new construction project on the Long Island campus.
![](https://www.nyit.edu/wp-content/uploads/news-ingenium-2024.jpg)
2024 Ingenium Awards
The College of Engineering and Computing Sciences’ annual Ingenium Awards brought together a tapestry of distinguished guests, accomplished alumni, and promising students.