Howard University Engineering Students Named NSBE 50 Student Competition Winners
Updated: June 20, 2024
Howard University engineering students were named student competition winners at the National Society of Black Engineer’s 50th annual convention. Chemical engineering rising sophomore Oluchi Emenike and electrical engineering rising sophomore Nathaniel Crosse won first place in the Let’s Debate: Generative AI Competition in which they debated the pros and cons of generative AI.
Emenike defines generative AI as “software that produces images, text or video that is developed from any number of prompts”. With a passion for debating and intellectual discussion, she was determined to join the competition at the renowned annual convention.
For each of the four rounds, the flip of a coin would decide whether a contestant would be debating the pros or cons of generative AI. It was easy for Emenike to support her argument for the practicality of AI and its ability to increase efficiency and productivity as well as the societal implications of bias in AI.
Emenike attributes her win to her growth mindset. “Don’t limit yourself to your major. You can be STEM-inclined but always push yourself to express the best version of you so that you can shine.”
Another win for Howard University was the third place win in the Entrepreneur Pitch Showcase. A team of three computer science rising seniors Charlie Seigler, Sydney Stokes and Richard Stowe took the win for their innovative app – The ScholarShop.
“The NSBE pitch competition was a thrilling experience that showcased ScholarShop's potential to make a meaningful impact on college campuses. Inspired by my own experiences as a student entrepreneur at Howard University, I recognized the need for a platform dedicated to supporting student-run businesses. ScholarShop aims to empower my peers by providing them with a space to showcase their talents and offerings, fostering entrepreneurship and community engagement,” said Seigler. “Winning the NSBE pitch competition reaffirmed our vision and validated the importance of our mission to create a vibrant, self-sustaining campus economy. We're excited for what the future holds and eager to continue our journey of empowering student entrepreneurs.”
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. NSBE, founded in 1975, supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology.
With more than 600 chapters and more than 24,000 active members in the U.S. and abroad, NSBE’s mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.