On Nov. 9, California Baptist University’s Cardiac Engineering team traveled to Japan for the Heart Hackathon. CBU’s engineering academic team was the only American team to qualify for the Grand Finale, where they won second place.
Two years ago, CBU started this team with only six members, and within that short period, they have grown to have over 50 members. Members of this academic team work together to build an artificial heart. Those in CBUCE demonstrate drive and passion when working to create it.
Gianna Lawson, junior biomedical engineering major and vice president of CBUCE, finds it beautiful how passionate each member is about their work.
“We see a lot of passion with everyone who joins; it’s honestly so beautiful to see so many people with the same kind of passion and drive to do this great work. CBU is all about living your purpose, and we’re finding our purpose with this. It’s really nice to see so many people wanting to pursue this,” Lawson said.
The goal of any engineering academic team is to compete yearly at the Heart Hackathon. The Heart Hackathon is an annual international artificial heart design competition. Each team must go through different steps to get to the Grand Finale.
Dr. Matthew Rickard, professor of mechanical engineering and advisor of CBUCE, explained how a team can be picked to attend one of these competitions.
“In order to get to the finale, you have to submit a report and then they select eight or nine schools to show up and actually present,” Rickard said.
Last year, CBU placed third; this year, they placed higher, earning second. The team worked extremely hard to earn this place, even during summertime and breaks. Their passion shines within their work and placements during these competitions.
Josh Lute, senior biomedical engineering major and president of CBUCE, expressed how great it feels to earn second place and explained the type of teams they compete against.
“It feels really good. It’s something we worked really hard for. I’m really proud of our team. Most of the people we are competing against, most of them have R1 schools, which is D1 but for research. They have tons of people who have been in this field for 20 to 30 years. They have a lot of research and knowledge in the area. We are coming in as kind of the underdogs and then we are able to learn everything and still get podium. It takes a lot to catch up,” Lute said.
CBUCE has only been active for two years, and the team has a lot to still look forward to, such as progress. A big goal mentioned by the team is to place higher each year in the Heart Hackathon, as they have been receiving more recognition from the school.
Dr. Rickard conveyed his hopes for the future of the CBUCE academic team after placing second in Japan this year.
“I think what it really is is getting more recognition for the program. It’s really good for people in the community to see what the CBU Cardiac Engineering team is doing and what they are accomplishing,” Rickard said.
Winning second place for their hard work all year was a fantastic accomplishment for CBUCE. Being the newest academic team at CBU, they plan on continuing this hard work and growth throughout the years. To learn more about the team and see the latest updates, their Instagram is @cbu.cardiacteam. Congratulations, CBUCE, on this outstanding placement at the 2024 Heart Hackathon.
