UT TYLER >> News >> Press Release

UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

University Academy Students Present Winning Idea in UT Tyler Contest

January 13, 2020

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303

The University of Texas at Tyler announced today that five students from the UT Tyler University Academy – Tyler won the East Texas High School Idea Challenge, hosted by the University for students in grades 9 - 12.

High schools across East Texas were invited to participate in the tournament-style event, which challenged students to come up with innovative solutions for problems or start-up ideas for untapped markets. Eleven teams participated in the competition, held Jan. 10 at the Soules College of Business.

"This is our second year to hold this competition, and we continue to be impressed by the innovative talent displayed,'' said Dr. Laura Jackson, assistant vice president for government and community affairs.

The winning team, consisting of Mitchell Campbell, Haden Lafayette, John Kinser, Theoron Stroud and Alejandro Mejias from University Academy – Tyler, proposed a learning management system that would provide students and educators quick and easy access to assignments, grade books and other learning tools. The team was awarded $2,500 for their school, and each team member received a $5,000 scholarship to attend UT Tyler.

The runners-up were UT Tyler University Academy – Palestine students Evan Chen, Emily Kupetz and Ethan Huynh, who designed a chair with internal sensors to detect and display bioinformatic data. The team was awarded $1,000 for their school, and each member received a $2,500 scholarship to UT Tyler.

The competition was held in two rounds, with teams submitting videos of their elevator pitches during the first round. A panel of judges selected top teams from the first round to prepare launch plans for presentation during the final round.

The East Texas Idea Challenge is an annual competition for the region’s high schools. For more information, contact Brandon Reynolds.

A member of the prestigious UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler focuses on student success and innovative research in the more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered to nearly 10,000 students. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News and World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.