The Mechanical Engineering
de Florez Award Competition
Passion for Invention and Innovation
 

Overview | Awards | Application | The Competition | About Admiral de Florez | Past winners

MIT alum Luis de Florez discussing training equipment. He is recognized as one of the early invention/innovators in training equipment. Admiral de Florez established a trust to support the MIT awards that carries his name.

Invention award:
Recognize students that conceptualize/develop a new principle, concept, element, approach etc… that enables an engineering solution that would otherwise not be possible with existing knowledge and/or technology. 

Innovation award:
Recognize students that conceptualize and realize a solution to an engineering problem wherein the enabling nature lies in the unique combination of existing knowledge and technologies.

Accepted applications will be announced May 04th by 9pm. Contestant prepare an electronic version of a poster in power point (template will be provided in acceptance email) and submit this to Prof. Culpepper via email by May 06th, 5pm.  Prof. Culpepper will have your poster printed and brought to the competition.  The poster is your ticket to compete, it is required!

Contestant will be allotted a half table (~30x36 in2) for their poster/demo. This will be an 'open' poster/demo presentation wherein the attendees/judges will move at their leisure between posters/demos. You'll need to 'man' your demo during the contest.  During your interactions with attendees/judges you must be very clear on what your contribution/innovation was and why it was important. This is your chance to "toot your own horn," but don't sound like a used car salesman.

Use whatever you feel best as the means to get your point across - for example by showing the hardware, talking about the project and using a few audio/visual aids (e.g. poster board).  If you wish to do a power point presentation to show small groups at the table, have your own computer there for this purpose.  I would not have more than a 5ish slide presentation however.  Please arrive at 12.30 sharp if you have demonstrations to set up.

During the contest, you must demonstrate a working prototype of your entry via video or 'in-person' (exceptions allowed under certain circumstances)! If it is impractical to show the work via the preceding methods, the contestant MAY be allotted time to give the judges a short tour of the work if it is within a few minutes walking distance. If you desire to use this option, you must state so on your application.

A panel of faculty/graduate students will name the winners. Winners will receive the award and be recognized at the ME Undergraduate Awards Luncheon on May 14th (time, place TBD).

ABOUT LUIS DE FLOREZ
March 4, 1889 - November, 1962

Admiral de Florez

He received:
  1. The 1943 Collier Trophy – One of the most prestigious awards for aeronautical achievement in the United States for his work in training combat pilots and flight crews.

  2. The Legion of Merit in June 1945

Admiral de Florez, was the first director of technical research at the CIA.  The main building complex at the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division is named after him.   Admiral de Florez died in 1962.  He was found in the cockpit of his airplane, which was primed and ready for take-off.