Project SERVE

One of the most encouraging parts of this year’s National Design Competition was seeing how many women were helping lead the work.

More than half of the students participating in the competition were women, bringing their ideas, technical skills, research, and problem-solving abilities to projects designed for Team USA para athletes.

Across the competition, students spent months working directly with athletes to create adaptive solutions focused on mobility, comfort, performance, and accessibility in extreme winter conditions.

It’s exciting to see more women continuing to shape the future of engineering and human-centered design, especially in spaces where practical innovation can directly impact someone’s quality of life.

Thank you to Virginia Commonwealth University's College of Engineering for participating in this year’s National Design Competition!

The biomedical engineering seniors earned third place at this year’s competition, hosted by Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Tech, for developing a high-performance residual limb warmer designed to support winter para-athletes on Team USA competing in extreme cold conditions.

We appreciate the months of research, collaboration, and thoughtful engineering that went into projects like these throughout the academic year.
Read more on VCU’s blog: https://blogs.vcu.edu/engineering/2026/05/06/beyond-the-finish-line-vcu-students-engineer-safer-supports-for-winter-para-athletes/