UND Students Turn Cooking Oil Into Soap, Pain Into Data

At the University of North Dakota's Engineering & Mines Expo, first-year students are already solving problems that could change lives.

On April 28, the Memorial Union filled with future engineers presenting everything from pain-measuring AI to soap made from used cooking oil. These weren't just classroom exercises. They were real solutions to real problems.

Chemical engineering students Aleece Devine, Madeline Vetterl, and Blake Kajewski spent months perfecting a system that converts waste cooking oil into liquid soap. After filtering out impurities and removing discoloration, the oil reacts with potassium hydroxide in a saponification reactor to create a product they hope to sell. The process even produces glycerol as a valuable byproduct.

Meanwhile, freshman Claire Boynton tackled one of medicine's toughest challenges: measuring pain. "Pain is one of the main reasons people end up in the doctor's office, but the way we measure it right now is very subjective," she explained. Her team is building a machine learning model that interprets physiological signals to estimate pain levels objectively, especially helpful for patients who can't communicate.

Another biomedical team designed a wearable device to reduce chronic pain during sleep. Freshman Isabella Snobl said her group explored wireless energy options, including a pad under the mattress that could deliver energy to block pain signals without uncomfortable wires or batteries.

The Expo highlighted what makes UND's engineering program different. Students start hands-on projects their very first year, not junior year like at many schools. "We present pretty much every two weeks, so it really builds your skill set," Boynton said.

The Ripple Effect

This early immersion creates engineers who enter the workforce ready to contribute. Companies sponsor collaborative projects that simulate professional consulting environments, giving students career insights while companies identify future talent. "Companies get to test-drive students, and students get to test-drive companies," said Dominik Steinhauer, director of collaborative experiences.

The expo winners demonstrated the program's range. The best prototype used AI-enabled multi-sensor systems for threat detection in critical infrastructure. The best process redesigned a Grand Forks intersection using real civil engineering data.

Dean Ryan Adams reminded students how far they'd traveled: "You certainly couldn't have done what you're doing today when you started." For many seniors, the Expo marked the culmination of years of preparation, while freshmen got their first taste of what engineering can achieve.

From waste oil to wireless pain relief, these students proved that the next generation of problem-solvers is already at work.