“They say all good things must come to an end, but I’ve learned that what stays forever is the knowledge, the friendships, and the experience you carry with you” 

Welcome to my final blog entry from the SEED 2025 program at Rice University. If you’ve been following my journey from the beginning, thank you! And if this is your first stop, I highly encourage you to visit my previous blog to witness the full transformation of ideas into impact. This final week was a whirlwind of hard work, emotional highs, and unforgettable memories as we wrapped up our projects and celebrated seven weeks of innovation, collaboration, and growth.

Week 7 Overview: Finalizing for the Grand Showcase

This final week of the SEED 2025 program was all about wrapping up. But wrapping up in this context didn’t mean slowing down; in fact, it was the opposite. It was a week of tying up loose ends, polishing our designs, stress-testing our solutions, practicing our delivery, and preparing to share our work with the world at our final showcase. The goal for the week was straightforward yet complex: finalize our prototypes, ensure our solutions prepared over 7 weeks were both presentable and functional, and get ready for the grand finale showcase. We had to be sure that our presentations were not only technically accurate but also professional and engaging.

For our EARTI project, we took our prototype to full scale. The client had requested a 70-inch vertical range, and we delivered just that. This wasn’t just an upscaling task; it was an exercise in precision and optimization. We had to be sure that the newly scaled solution would still meet all client requirements, which included constraints on space, humidity resistance, UV tolerance, and functionality. Our belt-driven camera system underwent rigorous testing, and we also focused on ensuring the replicability and scalability of our design for future adoption.

 

Meanwhile, on the Drain Saver project, we focused on refining our prototype. A major task involved organizing and insulating the wiring system to prevent water contact and reduce the risk of entanglement, thereby increasing the safety and durability of the system. We also received and installed a new fin and four portable fans for the final display. Our previously attached fan-fin system had been fixed with thermal glue to ensure optimal heat conduction.

 

Presentation Practice & Teamwork

To prepare for the final presentation, we held practice sessions to perfect our group presentation and ensure a smooth flow during the showcase. These rehearsals helped us coordinate as a team, especially since each of us contributed to both projects and had to juggle multiple roles. It was a reminder that innovation isn’t just about building, but also about communicating your solution with confidence.

 

The Final Showcase: Thursday, July 24, 2025

The grand finale at the SEED 2025 Showcase was a moment of triumph. Presenting seven weeks of innovation in about 10 minutes felt daunting, but we managed to pull it off with grace and precision. We showcased our fully functional prototypes, the culmination of countless iterations, moving from initial constraints to polished, working solutions. As team members working on both EARTI and Drain Saver, I rotated between stations, seamlessly stepping in and out to present both projects. The audience, including our clients and guests, applauded our achievements, marveling at what we accomplished in just seven weeks. Their congratulations and encouragement were a testament to the hurdles we overcame, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team’s resilience and creativity.

 

Friday: A Bittersweet Farewell

Friday, July 25, 2025, marked the final day of our SEED journey in Houston. We wrapped up documentation, cleared our workstations, and reflected on the incredible experience. The day took an emotional turn as we headed to Local Foods for our final SEED 2025 lunch.

 

Surrounded by my fellow interns, the reality hit that I might not see these faces again for a long time, or perhaps ever. Dr. Holmes shared heartfelt words of motivation, and Michelle surprised us with thoughtful take-home gifts provided by Rice360 and Chevron that I’ll cherish forever. Later, Gabriel took us to ROSS for some final window shopping, a lighthearted moment amidst the bittersweet farewells.

That evening, Jason, a constant source of inspiration at the OEDK, treated Abraham and me to a late dinner. It was one of my favorite moments in Houston, sharing stories, laughing, and soaking in the city one last time. We returned to Martel late that night for a final tour of Houston, packing our luggage and preparing for my 11 AM flight back to Nigeria the next day.

 

A Heartfelt Farewell

As I sit here reflecting on SEED 2025, my heart is full of gratitude, pride, and a touch of sadness. This journey has been transformative, pushing me to grow as an innovator, collaborator, and global citizen. The skills I’ve honed, the friendships I’ve forged, and the experiences I’ve gained will stay with me forever, shaping my future in ways I can’t yet fully comprehend.

 

I owe an immense thank you to Rice 360 for creating this life-changing platform and to the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) for providing a space where ideas come to life. To Michelle, your warmth and surprises made this experience unforgettable. To Dr. Holmes, your guidance and encouragement pushed us to exceed our limits. To the UI Design Studio(Prof Coker, Engr. Shola, Engr. Mayowa, Miss Iteanu & other design studio staff), thank you for supporting and recommending me to this creative process. To my sponsors, Chevron, your investment in young minds like mine has opened doors to innovation and global impact. Thank you for believing in us.

To my incredible teammates on Team EARTI (Eniola, Dohoon, Lauren, Helena, & Jolina) and Team Drain Saver (Maria, Rahma, & Tasia), your brilliance and dedication made every challenge surmountable and every success sweeter. To all the SEED interns, not forgetting Erin, Santiago, and Jason, your guidance and inspiration made this journey a joy. And to the countless others who supported us along the way, your contributions are etched in my heart.

This may be the final blog, but it’s just the beginning for me. I leave here with not just skills, but a new mindset. SEED 2025 may have ended, but its impact will ripple through my life forever. Here’s to carrying these lessons, connections, and dreams forward to my home country.

 

See you in the next chapter. 💚
— Olatinwo Daniel (SEED 2025 Intern)
Undergraduate, Industrial & Production Engineering | University of Ibadan, Nigeria

 

Pitching Our Projects – Poster Presentations to the Student Shop Managers Team

We kicked off the week by preparing our project posters for a showcase hosted by the student shop managers at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. It was a valuable crash course in communicating complex ideas visually and concisely. With feedback from our mentors and a few late-night iterations, we proudly presented at the O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science. The audience, comprising shop technicians, engineers, and design mentors, provided insightful feedback that helped refine our technical direction for the final stages of prototyping. It was energizing to see their curiosity and to realize how much our work resonated with people from different disciplines.

A Visit to Chevron – Innovation Meets Industry

On Friday, we had the incredible opportunity to visit Chevron’s Houston offices, where we were warmly hosted by Sucheta Tiwari, Mamadou M. Blondin Beye, and their team. The visit was more than just a corporate tour—it was an open dialogue on how industry leaders are investing in innovation and how our generation can be part of building sustainable and impactful technologies. Chevron’s support of the SEED internship through Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies was made deeply evident by their genuine interest in our work. I left the visit feeling both inspired and empowered to take the lessons and momentum from this summer back home to Kenya and build something even greater.

Photoshoot

Mid-week, we had a photoshoot where and took photos for the whole SEED team and also took photos with our different project members.

 

NASA Johnson Space Center – A Childhood Dream Realized

Last Sunday was pure magic, we visited the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston! For a kid who grew up curious about how the world works (and maybe dreamed a little about space), it was an unforgettable experience.  In the Space Vehicle Mock-Up Facility, we saw life-sized modules and training replicas of spacecraft used by astronauts, including the Crew Dragon and Orion capsules. It was surreal imagining astronauts rehearsing missions in those very same mockups. The interactive exhibits took us even deeper into space science, robotics, space suits, and Moon rock collections. I was especially captivated by the real SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the enormous Space Shuttle Independence, which was mounted on top of a modified Boeing 747. It’s hard to put into words how awe-inspiring it was to stand next to machinery that once breached Earth’s atmosphere. I also did a career test inside the Boeing space shuttle carrier.

This week was easily the most challenging yet. Preparing for two major presentations while continuing hands-on project development really tested my time management, creativity, and stamina. But it was both stressful and incredibly fulfilling. If you’re new here, you’ll be able to catch up on my previous posts to see how we got from sketches to a working prototype.

Monday: Poster Crunch & Photo Shoots
We kicked off the week by finalizing and printing our posters for both the EARTI and Drain Saver projects, just in time for the Student Shop Managers Consortium (SSMC) 2025 hosted at the Ralph S. O’Connor Engineering Building. Dr. Holmes provided us with some critical feedback, which we quickly incorporated to refine our poster.

Later that day, we had a professional photoshoot with all SEED interns, plus individual and team shots for our project documentation, definitely a highlight!

EARTI: Streaming, Control, and Scaling Up
This week, our team made significant progress on the EARTI camera system, a solution designed to help farmers remotely monitor crop growth in vertical hydroponic systems. Our main focus was on enabling live-streaming functionality and building a user-friendly interface that allows remote users to control the camera in real-time. After multiple iterations, we successfully got the live video feed running with minimal latency. We also developed the first version of a web-based interface where users can:

• Pan the camera up to 270°
• Control its vertical movement along a 70-inch track,
• And soon, activate preset positions to automatically scan each hydroponic tray with a single click.

This milestone brings us one step closer to empowering remote monitoring for high-density indoor farming, saving time and ensuring better crop oversight.

Looking forward to our final week, we’ll be:

• Refining the user interface to ensure it’s intuitive and accessible for first-time users,
• Adding preset movement controls to simplify repetitive scanning,
• Upscaling our prototype to 70 inches, as requested by our client, so it fits within the actual EARTI machine and is ready for real-world use.

It’s exciting to see our solution come to life, and next week, we’re determined to finish strong!

Drain Saver: Long-Term Testing & Data Logging
This week, our focus for the Drain Saver project shifted to long-duration performance testing and data analysis. We conducted extended test runs — five hours each, over three different days — to capture real-time temperature fluctuations during autoclave operation. Using our cooling system (which combines passive fins and active fans), we tracked how well our design handled the high-temperature steam cycles.

The data revealed some key insights:

• Noticeable temperature spikes still occur during certain moments in the cycle,
• But our current solution is able to cool those spikes more effectively than unassisted setups.
• We now understand how long it takes to reach safe temperature levels after each cycle.

 

Next Week Plans
As we approach the final showcase, we’re aiming to:

• Tackle the remaining cooling delays during temperature spikes by adjusting airflow and fan timing
• Expand our solution to multiple autoclaves to test scalability and consistency,
• And finalize our setup and visuals for Thursday’s big presentation.

Every test gets us closer to our goal: reducing water consumption in autoclave rooms by offering a sustainable, air-cooled alternative. We’re excited to wrap things up strong next week!

 

SSMC 2025 Presentation: Sharing Our Story
Wednesday was our big SSMC poster session, and what an experience it was! We had the chance to walk attendees through the challenges we tackled, the design process, and our outcomes. People asked insightful questions about our prototypes, materials, and decision-making. It was amazing to share what we’ve been building for the past six weeks — and to see others genuinely excited about our work.

 

Chevron Visit: Innovation Meets Industry
As I mentioned in last week’s blog, we were invited to visit Chevron’s Downtown Houston office, and this week, we made it happen! We met four Chevron representatives, key sponsors of Rice360 and the SEED program, and gave updates on our projects to show how their support is making an impact.

 

They were impressed by our progress and encouraged us to keep pushing, and most importantly, to take our learnings home to Africa, to spark innovation and drive change in our local communities. We also connected with fellow Chevron interns from Texas Medical Center, learned about their projects, and shared a great lunch. I’m truly grateful to Chevron for investing in young talent like us, it’s opportunities like this that change lives.

Weekend Vibes: House Party with the SEED Fam
After a packed week, Saturday brought some well-earned fun. I attended a house party hosted by Dohoon, Erin, and a few other SEED interns. We played games, laughed a lot, and got to meet new friends outside the program. It was a refreshing reminder that while we’re here to build and learn, we’re also here to connect and grow as people.

 

To all SEED interns, Dr. Holmes, OEDK staff, sponsors, and the Rice360 team, thank you and I’m proud of how far we’ve come.

One more week to go. Final blog episode coming soon, stay tuned!