Student Excellence

Engineering Team Wins Multiple Awards at NASA MINDS Competition

A group of engineering students from McLennan Community College recently brought home three awards in the Underclassmen Division of the NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovative New Designs for Space (NASA MINDS) Challenge.

The team placed 2nd overall and earned 1st place in Research Poster, 2nd place in Overall Build, Design, and Demonstration, and 3rd place in Technical Paper. They were the only two-year college in the nation to place!

Their project focused on developing and testing strategies to reduce the harmful effects of lunar regolith, a highly abrasive and toxic dust that threatens long-term structures and habitats on the Moon and Mars. Through their work, the students gained experience in applied research, design, and presenting their findings to NASA engineers. This effort supports MCC’s strategic plan by giving students meaningful, hands-on learning that connects directly to real-world challenges. Their success shows that MCC students can compete and win on a national stage.

The team consisted of Mike Baker (team lead, Electrical Engineering), Mason Vanek (Mechanical/Aero Engineering), Brady Vanek (Mechanical/Aero Engineering), Jordyn Winter (Mechanical Engineering), Kandace Brown (Mechanical Engineering), and Vince Iwunze (Biomedical Engineering) and their faculty April Andreas (Engineering) and Larry Benton (Chemistry).

Congratulations to these students and faculty for this amazing accomplishment!