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September 5, 2007 Contact: Amy Hewes Cal Poly Materials Engineering Students Earn Second Place SAN LUIS OBISPO – A team of Cal Poly materials engineering students designed a prosthetic hip component recently, winning second place in the American Society of Metals’ Materials Education Foundation 2007 Undergraduate Design Competition. The team’s design, a new shock dampening neck, could help ensure that fracture of ceramic components in a total hip replacement is less likely in the event of a traumatic accident. The project was completed as part of a required course in the Materials Engineering Department, taught by Blair London and Trevor Harding. Students were assigned the task of designing a new orthopedic biomaterial technology that improved the performance of a current implant and met all safety requirements set by the Food and Drug Administration. Team members included juniors Michelle Alexander from Carlsbad, James Burchell from Novato, Kurt Franchuk from Alamo, Matt Goebel from Fairfax, and Emily Norvell from Davis. ASM International is dedicated to providing information and promoting interaction among metals and materials professionals worldwide. The Undergraduate Design Competition is dedicated to recognizing the importance of design in undergraduate materials and related engineering programs. The second-place award includes a $1,500 cash prize and $500 to offset the cost of traveling to the annual ASM International meeting to be held this year in Detroit, MI. ###
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