Engineering seniors present posters and prototypes in school-wide expo

By Sarah D'Iorio

A one-dimensional, sensor-adapting CubeSat attitude control test bench designed for NASA-Goddard to serve as a physical platform for algorithm and control systems testing. A printed circuit board as an easy and compact way to transform a vintage-style electric guitar into an instrument that is capable of taking advantage of modern digital effects.

These are just two examples of projects that University at Buffalo engineering students performed during their senior design course this semester that were on display during the 2017 Engineering Senior Design Expo.

This year, over 120 engineering projects were presented by students from throughout the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The event was divided into three sessions. The first session featured industrial engineering projects, many of which involved engineering partners. Students were mentored by Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering faculty members Harrison Kelly and Victor Paquet.

The second and third sessions showcased a mix of industry-sponsored and self-defined biomedical, chemical, electrical, environmental, interdisciplinary (civil and mechanical) and mechanical engineering projects. Faculty advisors included: Lei Leslie Ying and Ciprian Ionita, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johannes Nitsche, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Martin Doster and Christine Human, Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, Liesl Folks, Qiaoqiang Gan, Zhi Sun and Jennifer Zirnheld, Department of Electrical Engineering, John Hall, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Andrew Olewnik, Director of Experiential Learning.

Now in its third year, the Senior Design Expo has experienced an increase in the number of projects and attendees with each passing year, and the event is expected to continue to grow.

“The expo is a chance for our students to present their work to a broad audience inclusive of fellow students, faculty and industry partners, while testing their technical thinking and communication skills,” said Andrew Olewnik, director of experiential learning in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “It’s also an opportunity to thank our industry sponsors and encourage discussion that continues to build opportunities for collaboration.”

The Senior Design Expo was partially sponsored by the Engineering Partnership Program, which provides exposure to the school’s 6,000 students, its 32,000+ alumni, as well as numerous prospective students, faculty and parents. The program strengthens the school’s relationships with local and national companies, both for their benefit and the benefit of our students and their employment futures. This year’s gold-level partners are Ascent Aerospace, ATTO Technology, Dresser-Rand, Lockheed Martin, Moog, National Grid, Northrop Grumann, Praxair, U&S Services, Unifrax, ValueCentric and Zodiac Aerospace. Silver-level partners are Apple Rubber, Edwards, LaFarge, LPCiminelli, Niagara Specialty Metals and Seabury.

The event was held on Friday, May 12, 2017 in Davis Hall on the University at Buffalo’s north campus.