Ohio State Marion engineering student team wins in university-wide competition

Ohio State Marion engineering student team wins in university-wide competition

On December 4, 2025, a student team from Ohio State Marion put their engineering design skills to the test with engineering students from across the university to compete in the autumn semester College of Engineering's Fundamentals of Engineering Design Showcase.

The team of Joshua Anderson, Carson Creasy, Dillion Downing and Varun Puchha from Ohio State Marion's Engineering 1182 Fundamentals of Engineering II course, taught by Assistant Professor of Practice in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Chandika Annasiwatta, won first place in their course category.

According to Annasiwatta, ENGR 1182 students undertake a semester-long project emphasizing the engineering mindset and design process. They begin by identifying a user group and addressing pains associated with one of their daily tasks. Then through market characterization, they identify opportunities to create value. Students then follow the engineering design process to develop a solution, incorporating user feedback throughout. By the end of the semester, they produce a functional prototype design.

"In a project titled 'GreenTech: Enhancing Plant Life Through Automation,' students designed a planter with an automated watering system integrated into the pot," said Annasiwatta.

"I believe this hands-on design experience, coupled with the opportunity to present their work to a broader community, provided an excellent foundation for their journey as engineering undergraduates," he added.