UConn

UConn Engineering Students Showcase Designs

NBC Universal, Inc.

More than 800 University of Connecticut engineering students participated in the Senior Design Demonstration Day, showcasing innovative designs for some of Connecticut’s largest employers.

Students, making up more than 200 teams, worked directly with sponsors to solve an engineering problem. Companies invest real money in the projects, some as much as $10,000, according to UConn.

Companies involved this year include Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, NASA and Collin’s Aerospace.

"Sometimes, depending on the company, they come in and say we want you to create something new or we want you to solve a problem,” said Eli Freund, a spokesperson for the UConn School of Engineering. “Sometimes it is a way for companies to come in and really have the opportunity to see the next generation of engineers. A lot of times they hire the engineers that work for them."

The projects showcased in Gampel Pavilion for the design day varied. A group worked on a flood wall for the city of Bridgeport. Virtual reality projects and drones were on display as well.

Another group of students designed their own beer and were handing out samples, discussing the chemical engineering that went into the brewing process. 

“If you think about a technology, it’s here right now,” said Freund. It was the first year since 2019 that the design day was held in person.

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