Innovative spirit

Wright State University celebrated the innovative spirit of its namesakes and researchers working on campus with the 11th annual Wright Brothers Day on Oct. 5 in the Student Union Atrium.

Organized by the American Marketing Association at Wright State, Wright Brothers Day celebrated the anniversary of Wilbur Wright’s 39-minute flight on Huffman Prairie on Oct. 5, 1905. The flight demonstrated that Wilbur and Orville Wright had advanced their design to the point of a practical airplane.

“It was a moment in some ways has probably changed all of human history,” said Kendell Thompson, the superintendent of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Wright Brothers Day also highlights the Wrights’ pioneering spirit by featuring innovative research and demonstrations from Wright State faculty, students and programs and local organizations.

“It’s really nice to show the community and the students what we actually do,” said Evan Hannon, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering whose capstone project, an 18-foot scull-style boat that is powered by solar energy, was on display for students to see.

The event comprised of 18 researchers and innovators including:

• WrinkleFrinkle, founded by 2022 Wright State entrepreneurship graduate Christine Moser, who creates handmade items and won the 2022 Wright Venture competition
• Patient simulator, by the Nursing Learning Resource Center
• Direct, real-time sequencing of mRNA by the Center for Genomics Research
• Wright LIFE (Lifelike Immersion for Equity), by Thomas Wischgoll, Ph.D., professor of computer science
• Transonic dual-plane wing automation, by Zifeng Yang, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical and materials engineering
• Calamityville, a training, testing and research venue for military and civilian emergency first-responders
• Semiconductor training capabilities such as the cleanroom training experience and microfabrication lab, by Wright State’s Intel Initiative

The University Library’s Special Collections and Archives, which houses one of the most complete collections of Wright material in the world, tested participants’ knowledge of the Wright brothers with trivia questions.

Students tested a parachute simulator and a Leap Motion demonstration provided by The GRILL (Gaming Research Integration and Learning Lab) at the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The American Marketing Association hosted a Networking Station to help students connect with their classmates and discover opportunities to get involved on campus through Engage and other student organizations. The marketing club also collected resumes from students and distributed them to the companies participating in Wright Brothers Day.

“The club is really excited to bring this day back again this year for the students and faculty at Wright State,” said Lauren Miller, a marketing major and the president of the American Marketing Association at Wright State.