During this spring semester, the university’s design students took part in and won at a number of competitions sponsored by large-scale companies. One of the largest wins that a student at the University of Bridgeport received was at CTIA Wireless 2006 in Las Vegas on April 7th. Senior industrial design student Manon Mannenawa won the first-ever $10,000 “Fashion in Motion” Scholarship for his Triple Watch Cell Phone design.
CTIA Wireless 2006 was a premiere global event representing the complete wireless, mobile computing and wireless Internet industries and the largest wireless show in the world. Sponsored by the international association for the wireless telecommunications industry, this convention gathered all industries within the communications ecosystem and all those affected by wireless technology.
More than 35 products were displayed in the “Fashion in Motion” competition, where the Triple Watch Cell Phone was on exhibit in the final runway show. This model is designed as a wrist watch that can be transformed into a cell phone. Through taking out the unit from the wrist watch band, it can be extended to resemble a regular cell phone, similar to the popular ultra-thin Razr phone. The phone has a speakerphone button in wrist watch form, allowing the user to answer the phone and hang up (hands-free) while driving. This cell phone is also accompanied by a Bluetooth headset.
Maneenawa was both “surprised and happy” for winning at the show, commenting, “I was working right to the last minute on that model, and racing around to Home Depot and crafts shops to find materials.”
Chairman of the design program, Richard W. Yelle, commends Maneenawa, “The award is a perfect example of the rewards of working hard and long. Manon deserves to do well.” Furthermore, two other UB industrial design students, Jeff Becker and David Salonen, entered the competition and received consolation prizes.
Two Industrial design students were also recognized as top honors in a joint project entry into Luraline Products Company’s fifth annual “It’s Your Light” student design competition. For their winning entry, senior industrial design students, Luke Johnson and Jonathan Walsh, received a $1,500 cash prize along with their honors.
Their entry was called, “RhythmiGlow,” an RLM lighting fixture designed for lighting in upscale nightclub and entertainment venues. The design is operated on an electroluminescence (EL) system, where a flashing sequence of lighting patterns occur either randomly, under a pre-set format, or in response to sounds in the environment. Their entry was chosen from over 100 entries for its creativity. Judge Gregory Perez of Delta G Engineering believes, “This lighting fixture would make a great conversation piece in the trendiest of bars and nightclubs.” Judge Mindy Graves of Gresham Smith & Partners design firm affirms that their design “encompasses more than light itself, by going beyond a simple fixture to create a mood.” “It’s Your Light” is an annual competition, which features original design concepts of lighting fixtures submitted by design and architecture students from all over the nation.
Senior industrial design student, Sal Pietrzyk, took second place and a cash prize of $2,000 for submitting his vertical oil-filled heater entry in this year’s International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition in March. Judge Angel Rosario noted, “This design is very practical and easy to assemble.” Pietrzyk explained, “The core features innovative inner fins, which provide extra surface area and make the heater more efficient.”
Industrial design students Raymond Cardito Ayoub and Scott Marrone won first and second prizes of 5,000 and 2,500 dollars respectively in the National Auto Safety Competition this spring.
Richard Yelle, Chair of the Department of Art and Design, states, “We believe that students from the UB Industrial Design program have won an award in this competition every year for the last eight years.”
Yelle comments further, “We have a long history of winning competitions. In fact, some students have won so many awards that they were able to help pay for their college expenses.” Yelle indicates that since the students enter as early as sophomore year, they build a lot of real world experience and also compile great portfolios through entering and winning in so many competitions. He encourages all students to view the senior show in the University Gallery on the ground floor of ABC
University of Bridgeport
Monday, July 14, 2025