Competitions Sponsored by the Old Guard Committee
The Old Guard Committee is a group of experienced ASME members dedicated to helping engineering students and early career engineers. Recognizing that today’s mechanical engineering students and early career engineers will soon shape ASME’s future, the Old Guard Committee sponsors competitions and awards that help bridge the transition from college to professional practice. Old Guard programs continue to expand and reach an increasing numbers of students and early-career professionals.
The following competitions sponsored by the Old Guard take place during ASME’s E-Fests and EFx events.
The competition challenge: prepare and deliver a 12-minute technical presentation, typically about a design project, with the emphasis on oral presentation skills.
Elevator Pitch Competition
An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in what you and/or your organization does. Designed to create interest in a project, idea, or product... or in yourself!
Technical Digital Poster Competition
This competition is designed to emphasize the ability to present a clear, concise, and effective visual presentation, pertaining to some sphere in which an engineer is or should be involved
Graduate Student Video Competition
This competition is for graduate students to prepare and deliver a 5-minute video presentation dealing with a research project or other advanced technical field.
One of the Old Guard's signature programs, the Oral Competition, now called the Technical Presentation Competition, recently held its second round finals competition. The first round of competitions during the 2024-25 academic year were held at various EFx events worldwide. Recognition and prizes were awarded at each EFx that hosted the competition. Each first-place winner was invited to participate in the second round (finals), held virtually in October 2025. Several excellent presentations were delivered, with awards presented for First, Second, and Third Place, and Best Technical Presentation.
Congratulations to the winners:
- 1st Place: Alina Shah, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan, Topic: From Concept to Creation
- 2nd Place: Gemma Crowe, Christian Brothers University, Memphis, Tennessee, Topic: SAE Aero Design
- 3rd Place: Miles Teng-Levy, Union College, Schenectady, New York, Topic: Design of a 4WD/RWD Clutch System for the 2025 Union SAE Baja Competition Vehicle
- Best Technical Presentation: Alina Shah, National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan