48-Hour Student Competition

Panthers Invent is a weekend long innovation experience. This competition gives students the opportunity to solve rigorous problems that are seen in the real world. In this competition, the name of the game is innovation and it’s all about creativity and communication! Students will form teams and put their skills to the test.

Each competition brings a different theme specific to a particular industry. These industries will include computer engineering, healthcare, electrical engineering, architecture, and animal science just to name a few. Throughout the competition, the teams are mentored by faculty and experts from industry leading firms. Teams will compete for monetary awards and be recognized for their innovative talents

Panthers Invent Resources

FAQ

Locate the registration link on the Panthers Invent website. Complete the Eventbrite registration. You will be notified if you are selected.

Yes. Please email us at innovation@pvamu.edu and let us know that you are interested in participating, sponsoring, or providing us with a need statement.

No! We welcome all students regardless of their major. Panthers Invent will vary in themes from one competition to the next.

Yes. We encourage both undergraduate and graduate students to apply. Graduate students have the opportunity to be participants or mentors.

Students who register will be provided a survey via email. Students will be evaluated based on their survey answers. We are looking for motivated students with a variety of skills at multiple levels (freshmen through doctoral candidates) who are good at solving problems and want to take those solutions to market. One week before the competition, you will be notified if you were selected as a participant.

On Friday afternoon, we will gather, have an introduction, and then form teams around the need statement. You will select your own team with a small bit of guidance. Each team will be no larger than 6 students each. The teams will consist of multi-disciplinary, multi-level students.

A need statement is a problem that has been identified by an industry or agency partner that they want to be solved. These are open-ended, real-world problems that you will be challenged to solve. Need statements come to us without intellectual property restrictions – so the solution is yours.

Yes. On Sunday, teams will give their final presentation in front of a panel of judges.  Each team will be evaluated based on their solution to their need statement, presentation, and market appeal. The first place team will be awarded $1,000, second place will be awarded $750, and the third place team will be awarded $500.

Yes. Participants will be well fed throughout the weekend.

Yes.

Contact Us

Bobby Melvin
Email Address:
bdmelvin@pvamu.edu
innovation@pvamu.edu
Phone: 936.261.1556

Wilhelmina Fitzgerald Delco Bldg., Suite 120
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View, Texas 77446

Innovation, Commercialization, Entrepreneurship, and Community Development (ICEED) is a part of The Division of Research & Innovation.