Auburn Makersfest submissions due Oct. 18

If there’s an Auburn student who has made something — anything — then Auburn Makersfest could be the right place to show it off for a chance to earn money to keep moving forward. 

Auburn Makersfest 2024 is offering $2,000 in prize money to any Auburn student who has developed a product, written a song, or composed a poem – anything that was created – during a competition meant to stimulate creative thinking. Contest entries will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 18, and multiple winners will be announced on Oct. 31 during the Halloween Pitch Competition award ceremony. 

According to Adam Ficken, a doctoral student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the overarching spirit and intent of the competition is to foster and stimulate innovation and the entrepreneurial mindset among Auburn University students. 

“The only rules are that you have to be an Auburn student, and you have to have made something,” he said. “We have had singer-songwriters, fashion designers, poets, furniture designers, and diamond lathe creators all enter the same competition, just to name a few.” 

With their application, students will be required to describe their creation and what they appreciate about it in 1,500 words. Additionally, they will be asked to provide photos and a short video explaining what they made. 

Makersfest is sponsored by the Thomas Walter Center, with a $500 prize awarded to the winner. The remaining $1,500 will be distributed based on the judges’ discretion. Ficken said another objective is to encourage worthy concepts to further develop for entry into the Tiger Cage competition in the spring, which is the university’s premier student business pitch event, where up to $100,000 in start-up capital is up for grabs. 

Allan David, associate dean for research in the College of Engineering, said Makersfest is meant to inspire Auburn students to not only show off their sense of innovation but also to put their entrepreneurial spirit to work. 

“Makersfest is a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity and ingenuity,” David said. “It fosters an environment where innovative ideas can flourish and provides a platform for students to turn their concepts into reality. This competition highlights the best and brightest entrepreneurial minds within the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, encouraging them to push the boundaries of what’s possible.’” 

Makersfest is a collaboration between the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, the Harbert College of Business, the National Academy of Inventors and the Thomas Walter Center.