BROOKINGS Technological prowess and creativity were on display Tuesday at SDSU during the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineerings Engineering Expo.
More than 40 student teams spent the day showcasing unique pieces of machinery the results of months spent applying classroom lessons to real world problems.
We invite engineers from the community to come in and evaluate the senior design projects, John VerSteeg, SDSU mechanical engineering lecturer, said. There will be prizes identified for some of the winning teams in different categories. But for the most part, the most important deliverable for the senior design teams is the feedback from the judges. They have a rubric theyre evaluating, theyre asking questions and theyre giving their thoughts on what the senior design teams have done.
Not all the visitors were judges. Students from other SDSU programs attended, as did high schoolers from Sioux Falls OGorman, Harrisburg and Britton-Hecla.
There are high school students who are invited in, and part of their process is to walk through and see some of the projects and talk to the senior design students, VerSteeg said. It also gives the underclassmen engineering students a glimpse of how their future could look as a senior what sorts of projects they could work on. It gives underclassmen students from other colleges within the university a chance to see engineering projects and get a sense of what others are doing.
He said students get a chance to practice explaining technical concepts to non-engineers.
As a senior engineering student, you are used to talking primarily with other people in the college of engineering, VerSteeg said. Having the opportunity to talk about your senior design project with other people that are from outside that community and might have a variety of different technical backgrounds is a great opportunity. They get to explain how cool the thing that theyre working on is, how much it contributes to the state of the art, or how it helps people.
He said the best part is just seeing students grow.
I have the pleasure of teaching sophomore mechanical engineering students, VerSteeg said. They are so much more mature as seniors than they were as sophomores. They have participated in a big design project that really brings together a lot of their education. Its fun to see them have something to show for all their work and to see them as the young professionals they have become. Its easily the most rewarding part of the day for me.
Todd Letcher is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at SDSU and said the expo holds special meaning for both students and faculty.
The best part for me is seeing them so excited talking about their projects and explaining all the hard work theyve done for nine months, Letcher said. This is my favorite day of the whole entire year. Its definitely my favorite day spent with the students. Its a closing chapter of their college experience, and it feels good to have them all enjoy such an experience.
The expo judges will later award prizes to the top six student teams.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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