Do you remember your senior-year engineering project? Chances are, if you graduated ten or more years ago, today’s Senior Design, a two-semester course where student project teams solve real-life engineering problems for industry and government sponsors, is a far cry from your experience. In Senior Design, students learn the principles of design, and more, including how ethics affect engineering decisions, how to effectively communicate their ideas and the day-to-day implications of intellectual property. It’s a vital and challenging experiential learning practicum.
Senior Design Day, a grand exhibition of these capstone projects, affords parents, alumni, friends and project sponsors the opportunity to view project outcomes, interact with students and faculty and learn more about the School of Engineering. Judges evaluate projects and cash prizes are awarded for excellence to top performers.
This year, 475 students will display and demonstrate 154 projects in Gampel Pavilion on Friday, May 2nd, and we invite you to join us. Beginning at 1pm, stop by the engineering alumni welcome desk located on the mezzanine level to register and collect your gift and exhibition guide. From there, depart for a self-guided tour of exhibits blanketing the entire stadium. At 3pm, return to the welcome desk to depart for an optional Engineering Ambassador guided tour of engineering buildings and labs.
Friends & Family Welcome
Invite your family, friends and colleagues to join you. Call an old classmate for an impromptu reunion. This is a great opportunity for children to meet students and faculty, learn about UConn School of Engineering departments and programs and get a sense of the Storrs campus energy and vibe.
Dr. Lynwood Crary (B.S, M.S., Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, ’89, ‘92, ’04) shared his personal reasons for attending last year. “With at least one potential future UConn engineering student amongst my 12-year-old triplet children, we made our visit to Senior Design Day as a family affair, taking advantage of this great opportunity to expose them to the types of projects investigated by the various engineering disciplines – all under one (very large) roof.” He continued, “We also had a chance to visit with several members of the faculty and staff, and the campus tour, specifically the engineering buildings, was an added bonus. I may be guilty of reminiscing a bit that day and telling a few too many stories about my memories as a student, but I know we were all glad that we had taken the opportunity to attend, and came away impressed with all we had experienced.”
Joe D’Agostino (B.S., M.S. Civil Engineering, ‘82, ‘86), P.E., Assistant Vice President at Parsons Brinckerhoff and a Senior Design regular, attends because he’s “a huge supporter of the UConn School of Engineering and very proud of it and what it’s grown into.” He also thinks that “it’s very important for practicing engineers to share what they know, any tidbit of information, to help grow our profession and to help grow, especially, our students into solid professionals.” He also leverages the opportunity professionally, meeting promising students who might join Parsons Brinckerhoff as summer interns and employees. Two graduating seniors have already started working at the firm and three interns will join this summer. Mr. D’Agostino said, “We want our engineers to remain with the firm for five or more years. In our experience, hiring new graduates is the most effective, least risky way to realize that goal.”
Après Tour
At the end of the day, relax and reminisce with your family and friends at Ted’s or check out the new shops and eateries in Storrs Center. Storrs Center is a mixed-use town center featuring an eclectic mix of restaurants, shops, offices, homes, walkways and green spaces located along Storrs Road (Route 195) at the southeast university entrance, across the road from Fine Arts. Dining options include: Moe’s Southwest Grill, 7-Eleven, Froyoworld, Dog Lane Café, Subway, Insomnia Cookies, Mooyah Burgers & Fries, Geno’s Grille, Haru Aki Café, Sweet Emotions Candy and Husky Pizza.
Do you have a sweet tooth? Visit the Dairy Bar for a Sundae of the Month or buy some delicious hand packed ice cream to bring home. Stock up on the latest Husky gear at the UConn Co-op on Hillside Road or the new satellite store in the Storrs Center complex. While you’re there, check out the newly opened Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry.
For more information and to RSVP, visit engr.uconn.edu/SeniorDesign.
