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    Competitions Sponsored by the Old Guard Committee

    Old Guard Competition

    About the Old Guard Committee

    The Old Guard Committee is committed to helping tomorrow’s engineering leaders thrive. Made up of experienced ASME members, the committee supports engineering students and early career professionals through competitions, awards, and programs designed to ease the transition from university life to professional practice. Through these initiatives, the Old Guard creates meaningful opportunities for students and emerging engineers.

     

    Competitions Sponsored by the Old Guard

    Competitions sponsored by the Old Guard take place during ASME’s E-Fests and EFx events.

    efx 2026


    Technical Presentation Competition
    Students deliver a 12-minute technical presentation, typically on a design project, showcasing strong oral communication skills. Judges also evaluate the ability to respond effectively during a 7-minute Q&A session.

    Elevator Pitch Competition
    Students present a 90-second pitch highlighting your ideas and skills to engage a decisionmaker and encourage follow-up conversation. Competitors receive the challenge statement prior to the event.

    Technical Digital Poster Competition
    Students develop a clear, concise, and visually compelling digital poster on an engineering topic, emphasizing effective visual communication of technical content.

    Graduate Student Video Competition
    Students create a video presentation that communicates with an advanced research or technical topic in a clear, engaging, and accessible way. Presentations should resonate with a broad audience, including individuals with limited technical background.  

    Awards Administered by the Old Guard Committee

    Duane P. Jordan Early Career Award
    Established in 1994, this award honors exceptional early-career engineers who have demonstrated rapid professional advancement, a commitment to continued education, leadership within ASME, including those involving engineering students and early career engineers, and active volunteer service in their communities.

    Arthur L. Williston Medal
    The Arthur L. Williston Medal established in 1954 recognizes an engineering student or recent graduate for “fostering civic service.” The recipient(s) demonstrate considerable leadership in activities that “stimulate, foster or develop increased interest in, sense of responsibility for, or urge [others to] participate in social-service, civic, or public-spirited activities for the benefit of society.”