Engineering the Future

On October 8, the A&M-Commerce Field House was filled with a level of excitement usually found only at a sporting event. Complete with bands, cheerleaders, and fans, the next generation of designers, innovators, and problem solvers put their skills on display at the second annual BEST Robotics competition. Led by Dr. Brent Donham, department head for industrial engineering, the competition encourages area schools of any size or socioeconomic standing to engage their students in robotics, and provides them with opportunities to compete.

“Walking into the BEST competition for the first time was a bit overwhelming. It was fun seeing how much each team got into the spirit side of the competition. It's our first year in robotics, so we didn't know what to expect; we just wanted to do well. Now we're excited to get ready for regionals.” — Shelby Hauser, freshman at Greenville Christian School and member of the 2011 BEST Robotics championship team