A group of talented NDSU students will put their research and development skills on display during the 2015 Bison Microventure Public Symposium, scheduled Thursday, May 7, from 5-7 p.m. in 116 South Engineering.
The Bison Microventure is a unique learning experience that is offered as a one-credit elective course, repeatable for credit. Treated as a research project, the students focus on micro-technologies to develop new types of dental and bone implants. It is multi-disciplinary course, open to any student in any major.
This semester, the group included 17 students, representing nine different majors from five colleges. For the first time, a high school student participated.
"The Bison Microventurers are extraordinary young people – bright, motivated, creative. These people will be successful at anything they wish to try. They also represent one of the best pathways for NDSU to provide leadership in the growth of the economy of our state and region," said David Wells, professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering and principal mentor for Bison Microventure.
Wells is assisted by Lew Dailey, manufacturing engineering research technician.
The symposium's seven student presentations will include "Overview of the Pursuit of a New Concept in Bone Implants," "Emulating In Vivo Conditions for Osteoblast Growth in the Laboratory," "Experiments in Osteoinfiltration into an Open Structure Implant," "Permanent Antimicrobial Properties for Dental Implant Materials," "Library of Bone Characteristics and Models," "Geometric and Behavioral Replication of the Human Mandible," and "Development of a Purpose-built Three -dimensional Printer."
"When you can get bright young students to buy into the notion that they are empowered to think for themselves and when you simultaneously challenge them with tough problems, you will get some terrific results," Wells said. "Most of the potentially game-changing technologies being worked on by the Bison Microventurers are products of student minds, not those of the mentors."
Bison Microventure students include:
• Andrew Dalman, manufacturing engineering
• Melany Arceneau, mechanical engineering
• Lucas Budzien, mechanical engineering
• Kelly Howard, biochemistry
• Jacob Larson, manufacturing engineering
• Denielle Danielson, mechanical engineering
• Justin Paulson, manufacturing engineering
• Dakota Quimby, dietetics
• Samantha Yineman, psychology
• Jordan Brummond, microbiology
• Collin Gradin, microbiology
• Alexis Johanson, zoology
• Austin McCullough, biological sciences
• Cole Rehovsky, zoology
• Reed Erickson, Fargo South High School
• Benjamin Ferguson, mechanical engineering
• Anthony Kramer, mechanical engineering
According to Wells, during its 16 semesters, the Bison Microventure has enrolled 91 students. They have represented 21 majors, including students from Concordia College, Minnesota State University Moorhead, North Dakota State College of Science and Fargo South High School.
Past Bison Microventure participants have won two first prizes during NDSU's annual Innovation Challenge; a first place in NDSU's EXPLORE competition; three juried posters at international research conference; and a utility patent filing. Bison Microventure also has been awarded a product development grant from the North Dakota Department of Commerce.
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