A reactor to convert waste rubber tires to useful products such as CO and H2, was investigated in a university undergraduate design project. The student worked individually with mentorship from a faculty professor who aided the student with professional critique. The student was able to research the background of the field and conceive of a novel reactor design to carry out the process. The material and energy balances across the reactor and an economic assessment showed potential success. Laboratory experiments to obtain thermodynamic and kinetic information about tires were performed and their results provided input to an AspenTM simulation. Both the details of the project and the effect on the student's education are presented.