JPL Annual Invention Challenge - 2009

Inside von Karman Auditorium on a rainy day, a packed room with more than 300 people watched an exciting, fun, chaotic, "three-ring" JPL Invention Challenge.  It was hard to keep up with the amount of activity that took place during the event.  Three simultaneous stations for loading the cardboard bridges to destruction kept onlookers busy just trying to capture the action.  I was pleased to see the fantastic turnout for this exciting event.  We had 20 student teams and 9 JPL teams show their answer to the set of rules that were posted back in August.  The variety of solutions proved to be most entertaining to the 300 or so onlookers at this year's JPL Invention Challenge.  It was nice to see that many of the students were proudly wearing their custom made "Ton of Bricks" T-shirts to the finals event.

I wish to thank all of the volunteers (listed below) that put on the show. Without their help, the event would not be possible.  A special thanks goes out to Kim Lievense and her Public Services team, headed by Maggie Porter, for organizing all of the entry and release forms and processing more than 160 student badges for all of the student teams.  I also wish to acknowledge the talented work performed by Robert Denise for fighting off a head cold and being the announcer and master of ceremonies during the "three-ring circus" contest.  My sincere thanks go to Gay Hill, Jess Doherty, Carolina Carnella-Martinez, and the rest of the Media Services staff.

4800 Oak Grove Drive
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mail Stop 126-347
Located in Building 126-336
Pasadena, CA 91109

Paul MacNeal
paul.d.macneal@jpl.nasa.gov
Phone: (818) 354-7824