Aida Ayuk and Ammar Barbee were both selected as winners of the Paul J. and Kathleen M. Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship’s Change the World Challenge competition for the fall 2020 semester. The two honorees each took home a prize of $1,000.

Ayuk ’22, architecture, won for Virtual Assist, an application designed to bring law enforcement training to a virtual platform to be used and tracked on a national level, ensuring all trainees are receiving the most up-to-date skills and techniques regardless of geographic location or department budget.    

Barbee ’24, mechanical engineering, earned the award for BraileCutter and BrailleCAM, a custom tool and software that can machine braille features straight into signage material, improving upon the existing solutions with durability and lower cost.      

A panel of three alumni judges was asked to rate each competitor on problem comprehension, customer validation, market analysis, and communication skills.

Honorable mentions were awarded to Lucas Marcotte ’24, architecture, Jassiem Robinson ’21, industrial and management engineering, and Clarke E. Thrasher IV ’24, business management.

Established in 2005 by Rensselaer alumnus and entrepreneur Sean O’Sullivan ’85, the Change the World Challenge competition supports innovative entrepreneurship education through awards, cash prizes, and other opportunities to encourage Rensselaer students to apply their talents in ways that will positively impact the world.