Hello! I’m Kenton, a sophomore at McMurtry studying mechanical engineering. I’m particularly interested in aerospace engineering. I’m a member of Rice’s SEDS CubeSat team, where we are currently working to build a small satellite and send it to space next year. I am also a flute player and game producer in the MOB (Marching Owls Band), because I love making music with others. Finally, I love cycling, and you may be able to find me working at Rice Bikes throughout the week.

A deconstruction of Team Petri-FI’s incubator prototype.

In all my experiences in the OEDK, I’ve really enjoyed building my teams’ creations and turning ideas into physical objects. Over this past summer, I worked on Team Petri-FI to create a portable incubator for E. coli that could be used to test water for fecal contamination. This project required the use of Arduinos, circuits, and laser cutting, and I am very proud of the skills I learned while working on that project. One thing that I have wanted to build for years is a mechanical clock, but I have not had the tools or the skills required to design such a device. Clocks seem to have a magical quality to them, so it would feel really incredible to design one of my own. During this semester, I really hope to improve my skills in CAD software, woodworking, and 3D printing. Above all, I hope to use this class to challenge my creativity and make things that I will be proud of. Here’s to a wonderful semester in ENGI 210!

-Kenton Roberts