University of Akron students host regional robotics competition, inspiring next generation of engineers

Student engineers from The University of Akron (UA) will welcome more than 70 robotics teams from middle schools and high schools across the region to campus on Saturday, Jan. 10, beginning at 9 a.m., for an all-day event in the Jean Hower Taber Student Union, as UA hosts a VEX Robotics Competition organized entirely by UA students. 

The event is hosted by Akron Roobotics, the University’s student-led robotics design team in the College of Engineering and Polymer Science. The competition will bring together teams for a full day of problem-solving, innovation and hands-on engineering challenges.

“This is an event for a community we all came from,” said Akron Roobotics Team Captain Jacob Yost, a senior automated manufacturing engineering technology student. “Tournaments like this are what kept us engaged in robotics and engineering, and we hope to inspire the next generation the same way we were inspired.”

Akron Roobotics — formerly known as Phalanx Robotics — has earned national recognition for its performance and design excellence, including a strong showing at the VEX Robotics World Championship and multiple design awards in collegiate competition. This semester’s rebrand reflects the team’s growing role as ambassadors for engineering education in Northeast Ohio.

Faculty advisor Dr. Alper Buldum, professor of mechanical engineering, said the event highlights the power of student-led learning and mentorship.

“These students are not only applying advanced engineering concepts, they are building leadership skills and creating opportunities for younger students to see themselves in engineering,” Buldum said.

The competition is part of a broader ecosystem of experiential learning within the College of Engineering and Polymer Science, which supports 12 student design teams focused on real-world problem solving, innovation and industry-relevant experience.

Participating schools:

Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School
Triway High School
North Union High School
Firestone High School
Bellefontaine High School
Salem High School
East Community Learning Center
Trumbull Career & Tech Center 
Wooster High School
South Range High School
North High School
Mapleton High School
Mapleton Middle School
Akron STEM High School
Akron Roman Catholic Home Educators (ARCHE)
Jennings Community Learning Center
Beaver Local High School
Tallmadge Middle School
Ottawa Hills Junior/Senior High School

Media contact: media@uakron.edu