A team of nine Arkansas Tech University students from the ATU chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) finished top three in the 2025 IEEE Region 5 Robotics Competition March 28-30 in Wichita, Kan.
ATU students Isaac Broadway of Pocahontas, Charles Davis of Jessieville, Avery Feemster of Russellville, Zachary Giese of Vilonia, Joseph Gober of Ozark, Xavier Hernandez-Cervantes of Russellville, Avery Mahan of Bigelow, Adrian Tate of Russellville and Hugo Vasquez-Montoya of Fort Smith were accompanied at the competition by Dr. Zahra Zamanipour, ATU assistant professor of electrical engineering.
Davis said the ATU IEEE team created three sub-units — chassis design, programming and electronics — in order to construct the robot they took to the 2025 competition.
“Last year, we didn’t place well, and that really motivated everyone on the team to step up,” said Davis. “We put in a lot more time and effort this year, so finishing in the top three meant a lot to all of us. It’s been years since anyone from our school has placed in an IEEE student competition, so I’m incredibly proud of what we were able to achieve.”
After arriving in Wichita and viewing the set-up on the night before competition began, the Arkansas Tech delegation visited a home improvement store to purchase the materials necessary to create a practice course at the team hotel. They worked through the night to make last-minute adjustments to their robot and their strategy.
“One of the biggest highlights was seeing how hard our team worked during crunch time,” said Mahan. “Despite being exhausted after two days of constant preparation, we pushed ourselves to make crucial last-minute revisions. Seeing those efforts pay off was incredibly rewarding.”
ATU’s third-place finish earned the team a $300 check and the satisfaction of a job well done.
“None of this would have been possible without the teamwork and dedication of our entire group,” said Giese. “I’ve known most of my teammates since freshman year, and watching us grow from confused first-year students to a highly competitive team in our final year has made me incredibly proud. Seeing how everyone worked together, overcame challenges and contributed to the final product reinforced the importance of teamwork, leadership and adaptability—skills that are essential in both engineering and professional settings.”
Jacob Weidenfeller, ATU instructor of electrical engineering and lab director, serves as advisor to the ATU IEEE chapter. Dr. Carl Greco, ATU professor of electrical engineering, is program director for electrical engineering at Arkansas Tech.
The ATU Department of Engineering and Computing Sciences offers four-year electrical engineering degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree and the Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering. Both programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree may be completed with a biomedical option for students seeking careers in the medical field.
“When it comes to engineering at Arkansas Tech, I always say…you get out what you put in,” said Davis. “Tech offers plenty of extracurricular clubs for engineers, and IEEE is one of the best. I’ve learned so much about robotics and the design process through IEEE…far more than I could have by just taking classes. The skills I developed through IEEE also played a big role in my internship last summer, and I’m confident they helped me land a return job offer.”
Learn more at www.atu.edu/stem/engineering/electrical/index.php.
