Clay pigeons, privacy manager win contest
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 04/01/2008
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Biodegradable clay pigeons took first place in an entrepreneurial competition Friday.
John Mullen, a senior in the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences, started working on his business proposal for Purdue's Elevator Pitch Competition back in October. His project for the competition uses biodegradable materials in clay pigeons, which are used for practice on rifle ranges.
Last Friday, his team presented their product in two minutes and won the competition.
"I was extremely nervous and my heart was racing. I have done elevator pitches in a few entrepreneurship courses, but the competition was on another level," Mullen said.
Mullen's prototype, the EcoDisc, is a eco-friendly version of clay pigeons. Regular clay pigeons are not biodegradable.
According to Nathalie Duval-Couetil, director of Purdue's entrepreneurship and innovation program, the EcoDisc is made of soy, which is biodegradable and does not harm the environment.
Duval-Couetil also said many students came to their presentations well-prepared.
"The quality really went up this year."
The winner for the graduate division was Bob Caswell, a graduate student who developed the iPrivacy Manager, which monitors information people put on Web sites, such as Facebook.
The winners received an added bonus when judge Bruce Kidd decided to match each of the prizes given out during the competition. In total, Mullen and his team won $2,000 dollars. Caswell also received $2,000 for winning the graduate category.
After winning the competition, Mullen has advice to offer.
"Make the judges' hearts race as much as yours," he said. "If you can accomplish this, you will prosper."