Students show their stuff at Senior Design Project Showcase
“I’ve always been a big fan of students doing projects because that’s where you learn engineering,” says Charles Volk, vice president and chief technologist at Northrop Grumman’s Navigation Systems Division. “It’s the best way to see what students are capable of.”
Judging by the responses to the fourth annual Senior Design Project Showcase, which was held April 19, 2013, in the University Student Union, CECS students are capable of a lot, and they really shine when they have to translate what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world applications.
The Senior Design Project Showcase is a chance for senior engineering and computer science students from each department to display their capstone projects, which are a major part of their education, and compete for prizes. A panel of 20 distinguished judges from industry determines the winning projects. The projects have been growing steadily in sophistication, and the event has gained momentum every year since its inception. This past year, in addition to moving to a larger venue, the showcase attracted generous sponsorships from industry partners Anheuser-Busch, Boston Scientific, Canoga Perkins, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (now Aerojet Rocketdyne) and Verizon. The funds from the sponsorships go to support the student projects.
While the top prize went to the Assisted Gripping Rig, designed by a team of manufacturing systems engineering and management majors to augment the grip of a variety of users with restrictions on movement, all who completed a senior design project and took part in the showcase came out winners simply by participating in an experience that significantly advanced their understanding of their field and laid a solid foundation for their future careers.
“It’s really a wonderful event. I look forward to it. There’s so much energy and excitement, and the teams are really into their work. It’s a great competition, and it highlights the hands-on capabilities of the engineers at CSUN. They are great with theory, but they shine with the hands-on applications. As judges, we interview each team and do a review, and we don’t know who’s going to win until we count every vote. One of my favorites each year is the Human-Powered Vehicle. It’s great to see what they come up with.” ―Chris Erickson, Aerojet Rocketdyne; judge, sponsor
“Every year I have been there, I have been impressed by the capabilities of the students and the level of sophistication of some of the projects. One that impressed me quite a bit this past year was a tool distribution facility. The students surveyed local businesses as to their needs and what would serve their purposes. They really put some deep thought into building something that served a need. In the estimate of several of us, they created a project that could quite easily be turned into a product. There were a number of projects of that caliber. The high level of creativity of these individuals is what we ultimately look for in employees.” ―Charles Volk, Northrop Grumman; judge, sponsor
“What’s interesting about the showcase is that it affords me the opportunity to review the work of students that truly are tinkering outside of mainstream academia. At CSUN I have had a chance to meet with very bright students, and that’s what I find really exciting. I would be happy to serve as a judge again. I have a high regard for the CECS program at CSUN.” ―Bill James, Avery James, Inc.; judge
“It was refreshing to see students really excited about technology and engineering, and there were some really creative projects. A lot of ideas were very futuristic, and very likely we will see some of them live. One team had crafted a robotic vehicle that could take instruction from someone disabled. I was also thoroughly impressed with the students, who were very professional and able to articulate what the projects were. I would encourage people who have heard of the showcase but never taken time to stop by to make time to check it out.” ―Julia Cooksey, Verizon Southern California; sponsor
“The thing that impressed me was the diversity of the projects. It gave me a really good idea of what the school was teaching the students. The teams were asked to look at financials and schedules and markets, which was unique. The whole event showed how much the professors care about their students. The students should appreciate the amount of time and education these guys give to them.” ―Naomi Palmer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; judge
“The most impressive part is the completeness of the projects. They aren’t just student-type projects that end with the end of semester, but the things they do like the race car, like the aerial vehicles, are complete designs that are actually functional, practical and very useful.” ―Felix Rabinovich, Amgen; judge
