ETSU student Joel Braddock, a digital media major from Chattanooga, displayed his creativity and ingenuity by submitting the second place entry in a national poster contest.
His entry was designed as part of a project for the Raster-Based Imaging class taught by Tara Maxwell, assistant professor in the digital media program.
In addition to winning a cash prize, Braddock hopes to see his work displayed in schools as a method of encouraging young students to consider a career as an engineer.
Classmate Cameron Smothers of Kingsport received honorable mention for his entry, “Engineers Shape Our World . . . How Will You?” North Carolina State University has purchased rights to his poster to mass produce and display in guidance offices across the state.
The contest was sponsored by the Engineering Education Service Center in Eugene, Ore., a company “dedicated to the advancement of the engineering profession.”
According to biomedical engineer Celeste Baine, who is EESC director, entries were required to display inspiration, excitement, wonder and curiosity. Entries were to be fun and motivational while “inspiring students to pursue degrees in engineering, technology and science.”
She said Braddock’s winning entry “topped our ‘fun’ category with its ability to portray engineers as superheroes.”
Braddock notes that the contest theme, “Engineers Can Do Anything,” gave him the needed inspiration.
“I started thinking about what I would do if I could literally ‘do anything,'” Braddock said. “I’ve always liked flying, so I started imagining what an engineer would make to be able to fly.
“The ideas of engineering, flight and superheroes led me to the heroic jetpack idea, which was an immediately appealing and fun possibility. I made sure that more than one aspect of engineering was represented through the use of a blueprint city and circuitry in the background.”
Baine said that engineers make lives safer, more economical and more efficient, “from clean drinking water to reduced pollution, we are healthier due to the superhero types of efforts of engineers.”
The winning posters can be viewed at http://photolab.etsu.edu/images/PosterWinners/
For more information, contact Braddock and Smothers through the ETSU digital media program in the Scott M. Niswonger Digital Media Center at 979-3156.

Author