Dallas College Team Triumphs in Community College Innovation Challenge at Texas A&M-Chevron Engineering Academy

LaTasha Starr, a professor at the Texas A&M-Chevron Engineering Academy at Dallas College, expressed elation as one of her student teams was chosen as a finalist in the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC), a competition organized by the American Association of Community Colleges in collaboration with the National Science Foundation. Their project, AMBER (Autonomous Monitoring for Blaze Emergency Response), aims to enhance fire monitoring and response using infrared technology and drones, inspired by a recent Texas Panhandle fire. 

Starr emphasized the alignment of the competition with her industry-based learning approach, which integrates technology, business, and entrepreneurship into the curriculum. The success of the Dallas College team, comprising Sebastien Vongkaseum, Peter Hansen, Anish Yakkanti, and David Navarro, underscores the value of diverse backgrounds and skill sets in problem-solving. Additionally, another team from Dallas College devised a system to combat distracted driving, showcasing the students' innovative solutions to real-world challenges and their development of crucial presentation skills.

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