IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2018 - 28

Pipelining
Attractive Programs for Women

From Passion
to Patent

with Bentley from conception to patent.
Their patent application for high-jump
technology, where a computer tells the
jumper where he or she is in real time
and when to kick up his or her legs, is
now published.
When asked why Richardson volunteered
to not only coach Bentley but
Raytheon track-and-field coach inspires STEM in sports
assist her with her patent idea, his answer
was simple, "I wanted to pursue it for
the STEM aspects and support women
in engineering. I wanted to prove that a
young woman can do this. I never intended for it to be entrepreneurial."
Richardson teaches his athletes the
he coached her. At the beginning of 12th
J.R. Richardson was a track-and-field
underlying physics and science of the
grade, Bentley met with Richardson to
high jumper in high school. But he
sport to empower them with
establish goals for the upcomdidn't excel at the field event until he
the knowledge. He calls it
ing track-and-field seareceived his engineering degree in col"STEM in Sports." He
son. It was during that
lege and learned the physics behind how
Their
encourages athletes to
meeting that Bentley
to get over the high-jump bar. Years
patent application
ask why if they don't
began to talk about
later, he took the engineering skills he
for high-jump
know why.
technology.
learned in college and decided to give
"Knowledge is
Bentley asked
back to his community by coaching track
technology, where a
power,"
he explains.
Richardson about
and field at a local high school.
computer tells the jumper
"By the time they
infrared beams
Now an engineering fellow for Transwhere he or she is in real
graduate, they can
for the jumper to
portation and Support Services, Richtime and when to kick
take control of anysee how high he or
ardson has coached high school track
up his or her legs, is
thing just by educatshe is above the bar.
and field for 20 years in Fullerton, Caliing themselves."
There was already a
fornia, about as long as he's worked for
now published.
Richardson is still
patent for that, but RichRaytheon. As a coach, he came across a
coaching high school track
ardson, having developed
special athlete, Makenna Bentley, who
and field. He has a few star athseveral patents himself, did some
implemented the science, technology,
letes, but one of them stands out-Bentresearch and made parts to work with
engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
ley's younger brother, Ryan. Makenna
Bentley's idea. When presented with the
knowledge Richardson taught her to
Bentley is now a freshman at Trinity
parts, Bentley asked, "Does it know where
patent high-jump technology.
University, where she high jumps, and
you are, and does it tell you when to kick
Eleventh grader Bentley had been
just earned the title of Conference Highout your legs?" At that moment, Richardhigh jumping throughout her high school
Jump Champion. Richardson continues
son thought, "That question could turn
career and had been marked as a highto coach Makenna Bentley via video chat.
into a patent!"
potential athlete. Richardson saw this
This was something no one had
potential during the two-and-a-half years
done. Richardson went back to the draw-Ayana Burch
ing board and contacted a patent lawyer.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MWIE.2018.2810400
He then spent more than 17 months
Date of publication: 8 May 2018

IEEE women in engineering magazine

JUNE 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2018