Category Archives: Engineering
AECOM takes home the win for Engineering Excellence – American Journal of Transportation
Last night at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) 58th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards, AECOM was honored with the coveted Grand Conceptor Award for its work on the Grand Central Madison project on behalf of the New York City MTA.
Grand Central Madison is a massive infrastructure undertaking for New York City and the Long Island Rail Road, creating a more efficient connection between Long Island and Manhattan while broadening the talent pool for Long Island businesses. The project included 40 miles of new tracks, a new terminal, and extensive excavations deep below Park Avenue. The project has led to a 41 percent increase in the use of the LIRR. Watch a video describing the project in more detail here.
SVP and Regional Business Line Leader Samuel Donelson, VP and Program Executive Michael Pudjak, AVP Manzi Pierre, and Construction Director Peter Malvese were on hand to accept the award on behalf of AECOM. Program Executive Judith Kunoff accepted on behalf of the MTA.
Grand Central Madison was among the top 8 awards presented at last nights gala event. Also awarded in the Grand Award category were:
The Engineering Excellence Awards are the American Council of Engineering Companies annual celebration of the years greatest accomplishments in engineering.
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AECOM takes home the win for Engineering Excellence - American Journal of Transportation
US anchors 1800-foot-long floating platform to ferry aid to Gaza – Interesting Engineering
United States Central Command personnel have announced the completion of its floating bridge to the Gaza Strip. Completed at 7:40 a.m. (Gaza Time) on May 16, the bridge will transport humanitarian aid to the region.
While largely completed a few weeks ago, bad weather prevented the final anchoring to the shore. These works are now officially completed, meaning the 1,800-foot (549-meter) long pontoon bridge is ready to ferry aid.
The bridge is anchored to a temporary pier on Gazas beach. Israeli Defense Force engineers completed the land-based engineering works in preparation for the connection.
While not considered an alternative to cheaper land-based delivery, the pontoon will bring much-needed aid to displaced Gazan civilians.
Pentagon officials have announced that no U.S. troops will set foot on Gazan soil as part of the aid operations. They have also stated that the fighting in Gaza has not directly threatened the shoreline of offshore infrastructure and personnel.
However, the site did receive mortar fire during its construction phase a few weeks ago. But this did not impede or damage the operation in any way. Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days, the command said.
The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza, they added. It is not immediately obvious which U.N. agency would be involved.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that Israeli forces will be responsible for security on the shore. Two U.S. Navy warships, the USS Arleigh Burke and the USS Paul Ignatius, are also on station in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Both destroyers carry a wide range of weapons and capabilities to protect American troops offshore and allies on the beach should they need it.
Israeli military spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani confirmed that the pier had been anchored. He also confirmed that Israeli engineering units flattened the ground around the area and surfaced roads for trucks.
We have been working for months on full cooperation with (the U.S. military) on this project, facilitating it, supporting it in any way possible, Shoshani said. Its a top priority in our operation, he added.
The first cargo ship, MV Sagamore, loaded with 475 pallets of food, left Cyprus last week to meet with a U.S. military ship, the Roy P. Benavidez, off the coast of Gaza. The pallets of aid were then transferred from the MV Sagamore onto the Benavidez.
Military officials have stated that aid delivery will commence gradually to ensure the systems effectiveness. Initially, approximately 90 truckloads of aid will be transported daily via the sea route, with this number expected to increase to around 150 per day in a short period.
The new sea route involves delivering humanitarian aid to Cyprus, where it will undergo inspection and security checks at Larnaca port. The aid is then loaded onto ships, mostly commercial vessels, and transported approximately 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the large floating pier constructed by the U.S. military off the coast of Gaza.
Aid groups will gather the supplies for distribution on the shore, while the U.N. collaborates with the U.S. Agency for International Development to establish a logistics hub on the beach.
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Christopher McFadden Christopher graduated from Cardiff University in 2004 with a Masters Degree in Geology. Since then, he has worked exclusively within the Built Environment, Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Consultancy industries. He is a qualified and accredited Energy Consultant, Green Deal Assessor and Practitioner member of IEMA. Chris’s main interests range from Science and Engineering, Military and Ancient History to Politics and Philosophy.
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US anchors 1800-foot-long floating platform to ferry aid to Gaza - Interesting Engineering
Cold plasma seed treatment system developers expand engineering and sales teams – hortidaily.com
James Seaman takes on the role of Director of Engineering, and Nathanael Dannenberg joins as Sales Manager. Zayndu prepares for the rapid expansion of its cold plasma seed treatment and priming process into the global controlled environment agriculture sector.
Zayndu has developed a cold plasma seed treatment system, ActivatedAir. The process treats and primes seeds, resulting in synchronized germination and enhanced plant growth. The firm sees huge potential for its solution and is growing its team to meet the market's demands.
The new Director of Engineering is James Seaman, who joins Zayndu from FireAngel Safety Technology. James's initial focus will be establishing global best practices in Zayndu's manufacturing facility, ensuring the company can meet the demand for ActivatedAir systems.
"Sales interest is running at an unprecedented high worldwide," says James. "Scaling manufacturing faster than customer demand is a huge focus for us. I aim to get ahead of customer orders and build stock of the systems so we don't hold back growers from accessing our revolutionary technology."
James also leads the development of next-generation initiatives, such as SeedCloud, Zayndu's cloud-based platform that remotely monitors the performance of every system globally. SeedCloud recently won Zayndu a gold award for digital technology innovation at the Made in the Midlands awards.
James Seaman and Nathanael Dannenberg
"With SeedCloud, every Zayndu machine worldwide is connected to our monitoring service. The system monitors every single treatment our systems apply, continuously reporting back over 160 parameters from each machine.
"This enables us to monitor the health of the plasma and mechanical systems, diagnose any issues, and even identify training requirements for operators."
Nathanael Dannenberg is well-known in the UK horticulture sector, having been the UK and Ireland Horticulture Commercial Leader for Philips Lighting. He has extensive experience introducing the latest growing technology to glasshouses and vertical farms.
Having come from retail lighting into horticulture, Nathanael has become passionate about the sector.
"There are all these challenges around energy prices, labour shortages, and disease, and yet growers are doing some amazing things," says Nathanael. "It's a great industry to be part of, and Zayndu's technology represents some of the most exciting technology on offer to growers now.
"The UK's AgTech space is really strong. Considering how influential the Dutch have been historically, some of the more exciting technology is coming from the UK now."
Nathanael's initial focus will be on UK customers, but with growing interest in Zayndu's technology in North America and the Gulf states, he expects to work with customers in these markets in the near future.
Ralph Weir, CEO of Zayndu, welcomed the new appointments. "Zayndu is growing at such a rate that we have to hire the best people to support our ambitions and our customers' enthusiasm," announces Ralph. "James and Nathanael's experience is invaluable; they are joining at a very exciting time."
For more information: Zayndu+44 (0) 1509 276225 [emailprotected] http://www.zayndu.com
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Cold plasma seed treatment system developers expand engineering and sales teams - hortidaily.com
CoLab’s collaborative tools for engineers line up $21M in new funding – TechCrunch
Engineers Adam Keating and Jeremy Andrews were tired of using spreadsheets and screenshots to collab with teammates so they launched a startup, CoLab, to build a better way.
The two met as undergraduates at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where they studied mechanical engineering together. While they were completing their last internships prior to graduating (Andrews at Tesla, Keating at health startup Reflexion Medical), they noticed that professional engineering teams were relying on clunky tools namely spreadsheets and PowerPoint decks to get collaborative work done.
We experienced firsthand the downsides of piecing together critical design reviews by sending screenshots of designs back and forth over email, Keating told TechCrunch in an interview. It led to frustratingly long review cycles, endless admin work and issues slipping through the cracks, despite everyones best efforts.
Being entrepreneurial types, Keating and Andrews decided to start a company, which they called CoLab, to build the mechanical engineering collaboration suite that they themselves would want to use. The companys tools, which Keating says are now being used by teams at Ford, Johnson Controls and Schneider Electric, let engineers review design files, capture and track feedback and document issues from a single dashboard.
Using CoLab, multiple engineers and cross-functional stakeholders can review designs together and build off one anothers feedback, Keating, now CoLabs CEO, said. CoLab pulls together design discussions previously lost in emails, spreadsheets and notebooks into a platform that integrates back into enterprise systems like product lifecycle management, making it easier for engineers to focus on decision making with the right data available.
CoLab stores customer design data, such as 3D models and engineering drawings, in its cloud. Built-in sharing tools allow engineers to send files to one or more suppliers while keeping select info, like feedback and comments, private.
AI isnt currently a major part of the CoLab experience, but Keating says it will be in the next few months. CoLab plans to use its growing customer data in an anonymized and privacy-preserving way, Keating pledges to build AI models that help engineers make more informed decisions while automating routine tasks and admin work.
CoLab has a large volume of user-generated natural language data design feedback that doesnt always get captured in other enterprise systems, Keating said. As a result, CoLab can explain and analyze why designs evolve based on human insight. CoLab not only understands how a design changed, but also why it changed.
In the meantime, Colab, which operates on a software-as-a-service model, appears to be doing just fine financially; Keating says that revenue has doubled in the past six months. He expects paid add-ons set to be released this year and next to boost profits even further.
CoLab today announced that it raised $21 million in a Series B funding round led by Insight Partners with participation from Y Combinator, Killick Capital and Pelorus VC.
The $21 million, which brings CoLlabs total capital to $40 million, was specifically raised with the intention of half of it accelerating the scale-up of the existing go-to-market motion and the other half being invested in bigger bets like AI, he said. Much of the investment will go into expanding the team after building a very efficient business in the past few years.
CoLab aims to grow its workforce of 86 people, most of whom are based in Newfoundland, CoLabs headquarters, to ~120 people by the end of the year as the company expands to Canada and the U.S.
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CoLab's collaborative tools for engineers line up $21M in new funding - TechCrunch
An engineer made history as Georgia Tech’s first Black graduate; 59 years later, he passes the torch to his granddaughter – Yahoo! Voices
Nearly 60 years after Atlanta native and engineer Ronald Yancey overcame barriers to become Georgia Institute of Technologys first Black graduate, he presented his granddaughter with her diploma as she followed in her familys footsteps.
Deanna Yancey, who is among a few of her relatives to have attended the public research university also known as Georgia Tech, graduated with a masters degree in electrical and computer engineering at Fridays spring commencement ceremony.
As she walked across the stage at the universitys McCamish Pavilion, she greeted her grandfather with a smile and a hug, and he handed her the hard-earned diploma, an Instagram clip from Georgia Tech shows.
The elder Yanceys June 1965 achievement was recognized on-campus with a sculpture of him dedicated in 2019, according to Georgia Tech.
The university says it was the first in the Deep South to integrate peacefully and without a court order. Georgia Tech admitted its first Black students in 1961.
Deanna Yancey, who earned an undergraduate engineering degree from Penn State University in 2020, says she didnt initially tell her family she was applying for an online masters program at her grandfathers alma mater, according to a news release from Georgia Tech.
When I got in, I got to read the acceptance email to my grandfather, Deanna Yancey said in the release. He was so happy. He almost started jumping; he was so excited.
She acknowledged her grandfather as a trailblazer at Georgia Tech.
Its a different world to be known for something especially as powerful as a movement as he was able to start, the new graduate said in a video clip played at Fridays ceremony.
Ronald Yancey was rejected twice from Georgia Tech in the 1960s, and he and his family were told he did not fit the Tech model for success, according to a 2015 news release from the university.
In the meantime, he attended Morehouse, a historically Black college/university. Morehouse did not have an engineering program, though, so in the spring of 1961, Yancey again applied to Tech, the release stated.
He was accepted upon the condition that he retook the SAT and passed a summer class, according to Georgia Tech.
Once on campus, (Ronald) Yancey was cautioned against using public transportation or attending any athletic events for his own safety, the news release said. He endured isolation; no one would sit near him in the classroom. He never had a lab partner. He did all of his papers and exams in ink so he could not be accused of cheating or have his work tampered with.
Ronald Yancey also had to complete graduation requirements not asked of other seniors, who were exempt from taking final exams. He, however, spent his last three weeks at Georgia Tech taking 18 exams across five classes, according to the university.
To ensure that he made the grade, he requested and was given an additional six-hour exam for extra credit. He also had to write a 30-page paper on transistor theory, the release stated.
Ronald Yancey defied the odds and earned his electrical engineering degree from Georgia Tech 59 years before his granddaughter would achieve a similar feat.
We are extremely proud that Deanna took the initiative to select her field, to quietly and quickly apply, arrange her curriculum and follow through with the completion of her matriculation, the elder Yancey said in the news release. Deannas graduate degree is truly an impressive achievement.
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Top 3 universities for Aeronautics and Astronautics engineering postgraduate programmes – Study International
Aeronautics and Astronautics, the engineering fields that propel us through the air and into the cosmos, remain ever-relevant. From the commercial airliners that crisscross the globe, like Boeings 787 Dreamliner, to the ingenuity behind SpaceXs Falcon 9 rockets launching satellites, these disciplines are constantly pushing the boundaries of flight.
Research-based graduate programmes in Aeronautics and Astronautics offer a chance to go deeper, equipping students with advanced knowledge in aerodynamics, propulsion, and spacecraft design. This specialised knowledge skillset is crucial for tackling challenges like improving fuel efficiency for aircraft or designing the next generation of deep space probes.
Graduates with these qualifications are highly sought after by industry giants such as Airbus, NASA and private spaceflight companies like Blue Origin. They play a vital role in shaping the future of transportation, communication, and scientific exploration, ensuring humanity continues its ascent to new heights. If this is something that you aspire to achieve, here are three leading universities that you can consider:
At Purdue University, students can conduct hands-on research into propulsion technologies at Zucrow Laboratories, the largest university propulsion lab in the world. Source: Purdue University
Founded in 1869, Purdue University, a top-ranked public university in West Lafayette, Indiana, is renowned for its rigorous and experiential programmes that prepare students for successful careers. The School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University is exemplary of this. It ranks sixth in US News and World Reports list of top aerospace graduate programmes.
Graduate programmes offered here include the MS non-thesis, Professional MS with Engineering Leadership focus, MS thesis, and PhD programmes. Whichever programme you choose, youll learn from world-renowned experts conducting cutting-edge research in Aerodynamics, Aerospace Systems, Astrodynamics and Space Applications, Autonomy and Control, Propulsion and Structures and Materials.
Pair that with Purdues world-class research facilities, and youll have an enriching experience and education here. The Zucrow Laboratories complex is the largest university facility in the world for studying aviation and aerospace propulsion. The school is at the forefront of hypersonics research and is expanding its facilities with cutting-edge innovations. There are also exceptional resources in composite materials, including an industrial-scale manufacturing and testing facility. One of the largest, if not the largest, indoor Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) test facilities in the world, is here too.
With such programmes and facilities, many graduates go on to make giant leaps in their careers. Purdue produces the most aerospace engineering graduates in the US with many going on to succeed in the field. For example, Sirisha Bandlas journey from a Purdue graduate to a commercial spaceflight pioneer is a testament to the career-making opportunities the school provides. Another graduate, Julie Kramer White, is now director of engineering for NASAs Johnson Space Center and was chief engineer on the Orion capsule that will send humans back to the Moon and Mars. To follow in their footsteps, apply to the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics today.
The graduate programme in the University of Tokyos aerospace engineering offers in-depth studies and advanced research across Fluid Dynamics, Structures and Materials, Flight Dynamics and Control, and Propulsion. Source: University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyos Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics boasts a rich history. Established in 1918, it was briefly closed after World War II before being reorganised and expanded in 1954 to keep pace with the rapid advancements in aeronautics and space technology. Today, the department offers robust graduate programmes that reflect the growing sophistication of the field.
Approximately 70% of graduates pursue further studies at the departments esteemed graduate school. The remaining graduates succeed in national research labs and relevant industries, including aircraft and space, automobile, and heavy industries.
Here, students can pursue a two-year Masters degree or a three-year Doctorate programme, with an intake of around 15 doctoral students per year. The department focuses on the science and engineering behind aircraft and spacecraft, encompassing fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, V/STOL vehicles, rockets, and space vehicles. Recognising the fields rapid evolution, the department offers up-to-date courses in aerodynamics, propulsion, flight dynamics, instrumentation and control, structural mechanics, materials science, and system design.
To cater to individual interests, the department provides specialised courses in Aerospace Engineering and Aerospace Propulsion. The graduate programme goes beyond classroom learning, providing opportunities for in-depth research. Students actively participate in cutting-edge research projects. The programme is further structured into four research groups: Fluid Dynamics, Structures and Materials, Flight Dynamics and Control, and Propulsion.
The departments Center for Aviation Innovation Research takes a holistic approach, examining aviation advancements from technical, policy, and economic perspectives. The centre also hosts international seminars, workshops, and symposia. Whats more, students benefit from the departments exceptional faculty and access to state-of-the-art facilities like shock tube, hypersonic wind tunnel, transonic cascade tunnel, aerospace environmental testing facilities and many more.
The Aeronautical and Astronautical engineering programmes at the University of Southampton are accredited by the Royal Aeronautical Society. Source: University of Southampton/Facebook
The University of Southampton has a rich history in aerospace engineering, offering programmes since the 1930s. This legacy extends to its graduates, some of whom made aviation history three decades later with the worlds first human-powered flight. Today, Southampton continues to produce highly sought-after graduates who significantly contribute to the space industry, aerospace, and defence sectors.
The universitys four-year aerospace engineering programme equips students with a strong foundation for future endeavours. The first two years focus on theoretical knowledge, covering subjects like aircraft aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, and structural design. As students progress, the programme transitions to a more practical approach. They gain hands-on experience through workshops, design studios, and industry visits. These opportunities provide valuable insights into potential career paths and the realities of the field.
Programmes offered here include the MSc in Aerodynamics and Computation, MSc in Race Car Aerodynamics, and MSc in Space Systems Engineering. Take the MSc in Space Systems Engineering for an example. Developed by the universitys world-renowned Astronautics Research Group and endorsed by the UK Space Agency, this programme equips you with the expertise to design entire space systems. Whats more, you will gain in-depth knowledge of how various subsystems function and interact to create a cohesive whole.
Academic rigour is just one facet of the Southampton experience. Students are actively encouraged to participate in individual and group design projects, as well as conduct their own research projects. The best part? Youll do all these honing with the support of world-class facilities that include a spacecraft propulsion laboratory, wind tunnels, an autonomous systems test bed, and a shaker table.
For Oliver Hitchens, a graduate of the Aeronautics and Astronautics / Spacecraft Engineering (MEng) course, however, the best thing about Southampton was meeting a diverse range of people that I can now call my friends.
*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International
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Eric Brey named dean of the UTSA Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design – The University of Texas at San Antonio
A professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering, Brey joined UTSA in 2017 as professor and department chair after 13 years at the Illinois Institute of Technology. As department chair he oversaw a time of unprecedented growth in faculty, research expenditures and new programs. In addition to his teaching and administrative roles, Brey is co-director of the UTSA Institute for Regenerative Medicine and directs research focused on the fields of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and biomaterials. He holds the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. Endowed Chair in Mechanics.
Brey is recognized internationally for his innovative research approach to engineering vascularized tissues, and for developing novel imaging methods to analyze and monitor engineered tissues. His research has culminated in more than 150 publications and over 7,600 citations, and he has received more than $25 million in grant funding to support his research from organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense and the San Antonio Medical Foundation.
Brey is also dedicated to engineering education, especially how undergraduate research and disciplinary cultures impact a students career trajectory. He has contributed to innovative training programs, including in his current role as associate program director for the Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD), a three-year research professional development program backed by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences that guides PhD students as they adjust to doctoral training and advance in their scientific careers.
He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Rice University, B.S. and M.Eng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Louisville and was a NIH post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center.
I am honored and excited about the opportunity to lead the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design into its next chapter of growth and innovation, Brey said. Klesse College is an incredible environment with exceptional students, faculty and staff. I look forward to collaborating on the development and implementation of a vision focused on being a role model of an urban-serving college with excellence in research, distinctive educational programs, collaboration across disciplines, and service to the community.
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STAX Engineering Partners with AMPORTS to Offer Emissions Capture Services – The Maritime Executive
[By: STAX Engineering]
STAX Engineering, a pioneer in maritime emissions capture and control, is proud to announce an exclusive service agreement with AMPORTS, a major player in the North American auto processing industry. This landmark agreement will bring STAX's cutting-edge services to all auto carriers at berth at the Port of Benicia, marking the fourth such agreement signed by STAX in just eight weeks.
The Port of Benicia is a critical point of entry for vessels from Asia, Europe and Mexico and exporting vessels bound for Asia. At the Port, AMPORTS handles roughly 260,000 imported vehicles annually, about 20% of the vehicles imported by sea into California.
Addressing at-berth exhaust emissions is an opportunity for many vessel owners and operators, as well as the greater Benicia port community, to be environmentally responsible, Vee Kachroo, Chief Executive Officer, AMPORTS. We are excited to announce this partnership with STAX and offer accessible, no maintenance emissions capture and control services so that all stakeholders can bring their environmental goals within reach.
STAX, a grantee of theCalifornia Air Resources Board(CARB), is the only provider authorized to service both container vessels and auto carriers in California; service for auto carriers began in early April 2024 and is available everywhere STAX has a presence. International shipping leader,NYK Line,recently announced its partnership with STAXto service its auto carrier vessels at the Port of Benicia and other ports around the state. STAX currently provides service at the Ports of Benicia, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland.
As a readily available and environmentally friendly option, STAX offers land- and barge-based, mobile emissions capture and control technology to shipping terminal and fleet operators for a nominal hourly fee. STAX's patented, flexible exhaust capture system is designed to fit all ships without modification, even in the most congested ports. The exhaust is filtered once it is captured and funneled into the STAX system. STAX removes 99% of particulate matter (PM) and 95% of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) before being released as purified gas. To date, STAX has treated 62 at-berth vessels for a cumulative of 3,200 hours and 23 tons of pollutants controlledand counting.
Weve seen so much success in such a short time because our partners recognize that STAX technology makes maintaining compliance and improving local air quality accessible and straightforward, says Mike Walker, Chief Executive Officer, STAX. Every port and port community in the world stands to benefit from affordable, accessible emissions capture and control services. While our sights are set on California in the near term, we hope to expand our presence across North America and abroad as quickly as possible.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
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STAX Engineering Partners with AMPORTS to Offer Emissions Capture Services - The Maritime Executive
Engineering Students Share Yearlong Research Projects During Senior Design Demo Day – UConn Today – University of Connecticut
Cameron Hubbard 24, Kanisha Desai 24, Hailey Tam 24, and Ethan Krouskup 24 shared their project Spirit of Sobriety: Of Non-Alcoholic Brews during Senior Design Demo Day.
While chemical engineers may more commonly be known for working in areas of pharmaceutical development, materials processing, and petroleum industries, Kanisha Desai 24 (ENG) is brewing up her own innovative idea for putting her chemical engineering degree to use.
Desai, along with engineering classmates Cameron Hubbard 24 (ENG), Hailey Tam 24 (ENG), and Ethan Krouskup 24 (ENG), debuted their projecta non-alcoholic beer brewing processduring Senior Design Demonstration Day on April 26 in an energy-buzzed Gampel Pavilion. (View the photo gallery online here.)
We wanted to solve a problem that most people wouldnt normally classify as an engineering problem, Desai says. Brewing has always been a fascinating topic to us as chemical engineers, and since many people love the taste and creative flavors of craft beers, but dont want the added alcohol, this project allows us to help small breweries develop a thriving alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer brewing business.
The teams project, Spirit of Sobriety: Of Non-Alcoholic Brews, was among 242 student-led endeavors showcased during the 2024 Senior Design Demo Day. Sponsored by the College of Engineering (CoE) and under the mentorship of Associate Professor in Residence Jennifer Pascal, the project took first place of all senior designs from the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department.
Senior Design is two-semester capstone course where faculty and industry engineers mentor students as they work to solve real-world engineering problems for university and company sponsors. Through the experience, students learn about the principles of design, how ethics affect engineering decisions, and how professionals communicate ideas. In addition, they acquire valuable teamwork skills and professional skills while interacting with industry professionals and other mentors.
Each year, dozens of leading manufacturing companies, pharmaceutical and medical firms, consulting practices and utilities present the College of Engineering with design challenges or problems they are encountering in their business, explains CoE Dean Kazem Kazerounian. For a modest fee, the companies suggest a particular problem and our senior engineering students, under the joint mentorship of engineering faculty and practicing experts from the sponsoring entities, work to properly frame the problem and develop meaningful solutions.
Senior Design Demo Day provides the soon-to-be UConn graduates an opportunity to share the results of their independent research projects with fellow students, faculty, alumni, and community members.
For our students, this experience is the culmination of their undergraduate education, and an opportunity to showcase their skills and education as they venture into the next steps of their careers, says Daniel Burkey, associate dean for undergraduate education and Castleman Term Professor in Engineering Innovation. Even after Demo Day, some students continue working on their project, especially if they accept a job with their project sponsor.
While the Spirit of Sobriety team also implemented a pasteurization process on a home-brewing scale to ensure the safe drinkability of the non-alcoholic beer, materials science and engineering majors Charlotte Chen 24 (ENG), Sanjana Nistala 24 (ENG), Jenna Salvatore 24 (ENG), and Allison Determan 24 (ENG) designed a Joint-On-A-Chip to emulate the in vivo environment of a knee joint affected by osteoarthritis. The chip mimics the immune response and mechanical strain that cells in an affected joint experience in the human body.
Through their Senior Design project, Deblurring of Digital Images, electrical and computer engineering majors Andrew Feliciano 24 (ENG) and Colby Powers 24 (ENG) evaluated blur reduction or removal algorithms that could be implemented on imaging systems found on United States Coast Guard ships and naval vessels.
And Gary Zhu 24 (ENG), Jack Crocamo 24 (ENG), Ryka ChandraRaj 24 (ENG), Alicia Chiu 24 (ENG), Ryan Mercier 24 (ENG), and Donny Sauer III 24 (ENG) completed a systems engineering project titled, Data Collection and Analysis for an Autonomous Electric Vehicle System. With the support of sponsor Pratt & Whitney, the team developed a data analysis framework capable of precisely predicting a self-driving vehicles reactions to input directives. The foundation of this initiative rests upon a data-driven control system tailored for electric vehicles, harnessing the power of machine learning algorithms.
Solving Problems Statewide
One of the goals of Senior Design is to help solve problems on a local level.
In Madison, Conn., the Connecticut Department of Transportation wants to expand a rest stop along the heavily traveled Interstate 95. Environmental engineering majors Rory Cavicke 24 (ENG), Kelsey DiCesare 24 (ENG), and Alexander Brita 24 (ENG) worked with industry sponsor CHA Consulting to design a septic system and stormwater infrastructure for an expanded tractor trailer rest stop. The team developed their designs in accordance with the CT Public Health Code 2023 Technical Standards and the CT Stormwater Quality Manual.
And in Woodstock, residents are working to restore and preserve the historic Chamberlin Mill, which produced wood shingles in the 19th and early 20th centuries. For their senior design project, mechanical engineering majors Alexander Guzman 24 (ENG), Will Goss 24 (ENG), and Vinicius De Souza 24 (ENG) conducted a mechanical analysis and working CAD model of the mills 1860s shingle machine, which will be used by the mill to teach future STEM students.
Catalyzing Campus
Other projects focused on benefiting UConn itself.
Under the guidance of faculty advisor Shinae Jang, civil engineering majors Joshua Maccione 24 (ENG), Christian Maignan 24 (ENG), Connor Behuniak 24 (ENG), Ryan Baj 24 (ENG), and Darren Lin 24 (ENG) designed a multi-story, modernized building to accommodate the expanding engineering programs within the newly designated College of Engineering. The team obtained geotechnical data from past construction projects and identified an optimal new location for this proposed facility on campus. The design incorporated composite and non-composite beams, along with a combination of steel and braced frames. Their project, Proposed College of Engineering Building at the University of Connecticut, took second place of all civil engineering senior designs.
Also, mechanical engineering majors Christian Bjork 24 (ENG), Alanna Barzola 24 (ENG), and Nicholas Trottier 24 (ENG), along with electrical engineering majors Patrick Place 24 (ENG) and River Granniss 24 (ENG), collaborated on the design, development, and analysis of a scaled-down, concentrated photovoltaic/thermal system (CPV/T) that could be integrated into a greenhouse roof at UConn. Photovoltaic and thermal systems are considered conventional green energy methods used to power a greenhouse, however combining them is relatively new concept. Because photovoltaic systems can become inefficient when they reach high temperatures, for this project, the team proposed cooling the photovoltaic system with a combined thermal system while simultaneously producing thermal energy to heat the greenhouse.
Their project, Design and Development of PV/Thermal System for Greenhouses was advised by Wajid Chishty, Nathan Lehman, and Ravi Gorthala and sponsored by Sonalysts, Inc. It received first place in systems engineering projects and third place in mechanical engineering project.
For Grannis, the senior design process proved to be challenging, but rewarding. With his electrical engineering knowledge, Grannis was tasked with making the systems sun tracking device operate correctly, in a minimal amount of time.
The tracking system design we ended up using was not finalized until about a month into the second semester of senior design. After that, I spent all of my time working on the electronics and software for the tracking system pretty much until Demo Day, Grannis says. The biggest thing I learned was coding in C++ for Arduino. In many cases the hardest parts of the project were not the most interesting to present, so learning to show off what is interesting while continuing to work on the hard stuffwhile also informing sponsors and advisors about what difficulties there areis a balance that needs to be found early on. The most important thing Senior Design reinforced is how important interpersonal communication is, even in engineering where things are heavily results-driven.
A Little Competition
Demo Day isnt the only venue students share their novel projects. For Senior Design, Ashley Sciacca 24 (ENG), Nathan Garala 24 (ENG), Ryan Maguire 24 (ENG), and Spencer Alsup 24 (ENG) fabricated a fully electric-powered, waterproof boat. Along with other members of UConns Promoting Electric Propulsion team Christopher Capozzi, Andrews Marsigliano, Ian Pichs, and Xavier Purandahthe group competed in a five-mile course in Virginia, sponsored by the American Society of Naval Engineers. Students designed the boat using a simulation software and combined this data with test results to determine power requirements.
This was the first year of competition for the UConn team, and of 39 schools, we finished in the top 10, which is a great accomplishment, said project advisor Vito Moreno, professor in residence of mechanical engineering.
Similarly, electrical and computer engineering majors Matthew Silverman 24 (ENG), Spencer Albano 24 (ENG), and Nicholas Wycoff 24 (ENG) participated in a Software Defined Radio (SDR) university challenge in Ohio with their Senior Design project, Physical Layer Network Slicing. They created an access point that can establish a network and communicate across both Wi-Fi and Zigbee (a Wi-Fi alternative) devices. The competition, hosted by the Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) and Air Force Research Laboratory, encouraged hands-on skill building and explore experimentation through SDR hardware. UConns team was among the top 8 finalists and received the Most Outstanding Project Award. Shengli Zhou, professor of electrical and computer engineering, served as the teams advisor.
There are some routers that can communicate over both Wi-Fi and Zigbee but are typically two separate devices bundled in the same enclosure, Albano explains. Having one device that communicates across both standards provides ease to a network administrator that can manage devices in both standards. The benefits include efficiency, flexibility, and security.
And the Winners Are
Senior Design Demo Day began more than 40 years ago. Today, it features the projects of students majoring in biomedical engineering, chemical and biomolecular engineering; civil and environmental engineering; electrical and computer engineering; environmental engineering; materials science and engineering; systems engineering; management and engineering manufacturing; multidisciplinary engineering; the School of Computing; and the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering.
Each CoE department and school awarded prizes for the best poster presentations. The 2024 winners are:
Biomedical Engineering
1st place: Joint-On-A-Chip Osteoarthritis Disease Modeling for Evaluating Anti-Inflammatory Drug Performance, by Charlotte Chen (MSE), Sanjana Nistala, Jenna Salvatore, and Allison Determan. Advisor: Syam Nukavarapu. Sponsor: UConn Biomedical Engineering Department.
2nd place: Singular Part 3D-Printed External Prosthetics for Mastectomy Patients Without Reconstruction, by Yukti Ummaneni, Ashwini Patel, Mia Haynes, and Jamie Trinh. Advisor: Liisa Kuhn. Sponsor: Beekley Lab for Biosymmetrix
3rd place (tie): Circuit and Sensor Design for Smartphone-Based Electroretinography, by Rory Harris, Rodrigo Tuesta, and Yuexi Hao. Advisor: Hugo Posada-Quintero. Sponsor: UConn Biomedical Engineering Department.
3rd place (tie): In Vitro Model for the Study of Traumatic Brain Injury by Mark Cristino, Rudin Lloga, and Kaiya Pringle. Advisor: Kazunori Hoshino. Sponsor: UConn Biomedical Engineering Department.
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 1st place: Spirit of Sobriety: Of Non-Alcoholic Brews, by Cameron Hubbard, Kanisha Desai, Hailey Tam, and Ethan Krouskup. Advisor: Jennifer Pascal. Sponsor: UConn College of Engineering.
2nd place: Design And Optimization Of A Multi-Effect Desalination Unit Integrated With A Gas Turbine Plan, by Wasif Zaman, Katelyn Honegger, Alanna Smith, and David Gan. Advisor: Burcu Beykal. Sponsor: UConn College of Engineering.
3rd place: Redefining How to Process Body Wash: Creating A More Efficient and Agile Supply Chain, by Aadil Shahzad, Samantha Miel, Megan Shiring, and Matthew Silver. Advisor: Anson Ma. Sponsor: Unilever.
Civil Engineering 1st place: Blue Line Extension, by Anson Lau, Yuanlong Dai, Helen Pruchniak, Nicholas Vestergaard. Advisor: Wei Zhang. Sponsor: Construction Industries of Massachusetts-Labor Relations Division (CIM-LRD).
2nd place: Proposed College of Engineering Building at the University of Connecticut, by Joshua Maccione, Christian Maignan, Connor Behuniak, Ryan Baj, and Darren Lin. Advisor: Shinae Jang. Sponsor: Slam Collaborative.
3rd place (tie): Design of Pedestrian Walkway For The Gold Star Memorial, by Shaun McGuire, Kayla Turner, Steven Anderson, Juan Javier Mejia. Advisor: Manish Roy. Sponsor: HNTB Corporation.
3rd place (tie): Worcester Union Station Center Island Platform Project, by Conor Murphy, Harley Jeanty, Jakub Patrosz, Benjamin Ragozzine. Advisor: Wei Zhang. Sponsor: HDR, Inc.
Environmental Engineering
1st place: Remedial Design of a PFAS Contaminated Site in Connecticut, by Valentine Falsetta, Wilmalis Rodriguez, and Nicola Bacon. Advisor: Alexander Agrios. Sponsor: Amine Dahmani.
2nd place: Stormwater/Septic Design, by Rory Cavicke, Kelsey DiCesare, and Alexander Brita. Advisor: Alexander Agrios. Sponsor: CHA Consulting, Inc.
3rd place: Stones Ranch Road Drainage Upgrades and Erosion Control, by Grace Carravone, Amanda Jacobson, Sara Makula, and Jason Contreras. Advisor: Manish Roy. Sponsor: Connecticut National Guard.
School of Computing 1st place: Solubility Data Management, by John Bogacz, Connor Brush, Maniza Shaikh, Jianhua Zhu, Walson Li, and Peter Filip. Advisor: Qian Yang. Sponsor: Boehringer Ingelheim.
2nd place: Light Scattering Automation, by Zachary Hall, Nikolas Anagnostou, Alden Dus, Jacob Montanez, Avaneesh Sathish, Zakarya Zahhal, and Nikolas Kallicharan. Advisor: Qian Yang. Sponsor: UConn School of Computing.
3rd place: Responsive Multimodal Care Coordinator (MCC) Development, by Randy Yu, James Frederick, Betul Agirman, Cameron Ky, Quincy Miller, and Mir Zaman. Advisor: Suining He. Sponsor: University of Connecticut and Bastion.
Electrical and Computer Engineering Projects 1st place: Robotic Perception Sensor Characterization Platform, by Hritish Bhargava and Samuel Gresh. Advisor: Shan Zuo. Sponsor: Draper Laboratory.
2nd place: Air Force Research LaboratorySoftware Defined Radio(SDR) University Challenge: Physical Layer Network Slicing, by Spencer Albano, Matthew Silverman, and Nicholas Wycoff Advisor: Shengli Zhou. Sponsor: UConn Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.
3rd place: Automated Angle Table for AS5, by Alexander ReCouper and Mitchell Bronson. Advisor: Liang Zhang. Sponsor: OEM Controls.
Materials Science and Engineering 1st place and Student Choice Award (tie): Joint-On-A-Chip Osteoarthritis Disease Modeling for Evaluating Anti-Inflammatory Drug Performance, by Charlotte Chen, Sanjana Nistala, Jenna Salvatore, and Allison Determan. Advisor: Fiona Leek. Sponsor: UConn Biomedical Engineering Department.
2nd place and Student Choice Award (tie): Citric Acid Passivation Process Development, by Kevin Li and Matthew Maramo. Advisor: Alexander Dupuy. Sponsor: ARKA.
3rd place: Bio-Based Material Commercial Door Components Footprint, by Yuexuan Gu and Jaclyn Grace. Advisor: Fiona Leek. Sponsor: ASSA ABLOY.
Management and Engineering for Manufacturing 1st place: Enhancing Smartfood Popcorn Line Efficiency to Reduce Downtime And Boost Production Performance, by Anna Lidsky, Valeria Nieto, Isabelle Bunosso, and Lauren Hart. Advisor: Craig Calvert. Sponsor: PepsiCo Frito-Lay.
2nd place: Modernizing Raw Material Marking and Inventory System To Enhance Traceability, by Nimai Browning, Quinn Reelitz, Steven Jaret, and Austin Muzzy. Advisors: Craig Calvert and Rajiv Naik. Sponsor: HORST Engineering.
3rd place: Reliability Testing and Design Risk Assessment to Enhance Product Quality and Business Sustainability, by Alex Domingo, Madeline Corbett, Brett Pierce, and Alexander Pearl. Advisor: Rajiv Naik. Sponsor: Belimo Americas.
School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering Professors Award: Designing and Operating An Experimental Facility To Study Non-Premixed Flames Of Pre-Heated (And Pre-Vaporized) Reactants, by Al-Yaman Zoghol and Tyler Dickey. Advisor: Francesco Carbone. Sponsor: UConn College of Engineering.
1st place: Multifunctional Metamaterial to Attenuate Acoustic and Elastic Waves, by Evan Kluge and Lindsey Japa. Advisor: Osama Bilal. Sponsor: ACC Masters.
2nd place (tie): Improved Performance of Magnetic Speed Sensor Analyzer, by Kristen Angeli and Emily Root. Advisor: Farhad Imani. Sponsor: AI-Tek Instruments.
2nd place (tie): Belt Based Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission Prototype, by Ajeeth Vellore, Luka Ligouri, Ethan Wicko, and Ryan Zwick. Advisor: David Pierce. Sponsor: Transcend Bicycle LLC.
3rd place: Design and Development of PV/Thermal System for Greenhouses, by Christian Bjork, Alanna Barzola, Nicholas Trottier, Patrick Place and River Granniss. Advisors: Wajid Chishty, Nathan Lehman, and Ravi Gorthala. Sponsor: Sonalysts, Inc.
Systems Engineering 1st place (tie): Robotic Perception Sensor Characterization Platform, by Isabella Fabrizi, Liam Mohan, Samuel Gresh, Aveline Mills, Gerardo Robles-Luna, and Hritish Bhargava. Advisor: Osama Bilal. Sponsor: Draper.
1st place (tie): Design and Development of PV/Thermal System for Greenhouses, by Christian Bjork, Alanna Barzola, Nicholas Trottier, Patrick Place and River Granniss. Advisors: Wajid Chishty, Nathan Lehman, and Ravi Gorthala. Sponsor: Sonalysts, Inc.
Multidisciplinary Engineering In addition to the Demo Day awards, six seniors were honored for being among UConns first multidisciplinary engineering majors: Edward Wilkinson, Matthew Koniecko, Sean Tan, Patricio Salomon-Mir, Josephine Luby, and Kelly Russell.
Distinguished Educator Engineering Award (nominated by students) Jasna Jankovic, associate professor of materials science and engineering, and Manish Roy, assistant professor in residence of civil and environmental engineering.
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Engineers Will Explore Green Future for Food Processing at WSU-hosted Conference – Morning Ag Clips –
When you make food on an industrial scale, you need a wide range of technologies, from drying and freezing to pasteurization and packaging, to bring it from the field to final product to the consumer, said CoFE 24 co-organizer Shyam Sablani, professor at WSUs Department of Biological Systems Engineering. Food engineers create these technologies for everything from dairy products to pasta to ready-to-eat meals. (Photo: Wes Lewis, Unsplash)
PULLMAN, Wash. Food engineers from Washington State University will host the upcoming Conference of Food Engineering (CoFE 24), August 25 to 28 in Seattle, Wash., to spark new ideas for a more efficient, sustainable global food industry.
Launched in 1991, the biannual conference brings together food engineers and technologists from across industries, academic institutions, and government to discuss emerging challenges and potential solutions for delivery of safe, nutritious, and sustainable foods. The WSU-hosted event is CoFEs first visit to Washington.
When you make food on an industrial scale, you need a wide range of technologies, from drying and freezing to pasteurization and packaging, to bring it from the field to final product to the consumer, said CoFE 24 co-organizer Shyam Sablani, professor at WSUsDepartment of Biological Systems Engineering. Food engineers create these technologies for everything from dairy products to pasta to ready-to-eat meals.
This years conference, to be held at Seattles Westin Hotel, explores a green future for the food industry, including the goal of achieving zero net emissions, under the theme Advancing Science and Engineering for Sustainable Food Manufacturing and the Supply Chain. Experts from within and beyond the engineering community will discuss university and industry developments that boost efficiency, minimize emissions and waste, and are on the road to adoption.
Products are generally sold in large quantities in retail markets, and the profit margins for the food industry are low per item, Sablani said. But consumers are increasingly more willing to pay for healthier and more environmentally friendly products. That could help offset the costs of adopting new machines and materials.
Food companies have begun the transition from fossil-fuel-driven steam boilers to electric devices that can be powered from renewables. Sablani and colleagues around the world are experimenting with electricity-based technologies such as microwaves and electric pulses, instead of using natural gas, that can more efficiently cook or pasteurize products with minimal loss of eating quality.
At WSU, Sablani studies coatings, films, and semi-rigid packaging that combine biodegradable materials. Utilization of high oxygen barrier polymers and incorporation of oxygen-scavenging chemicals into packaging could reduce the volume of synthetic packaging. Other coatings help paper and cardboard cups, trays, and meal boxes stand up to hot beverages or moist foods.
Diet is part of our health, Sablani said. If we develop more efficient technologies, we can produce foods with minimal processing that are free of chemical preservatives. That could contribute to better health for all people.
Organizing the conference, Sablani, conference chair Gustavo Barbosa-Canovas, fellow WSU food engineer Juming Tang, and Oregon State University colleague Yanyun Zhao won a $50,000 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and AgriculturesAgriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI)to enhance the upcoming event. Grant funding will pay for travel by national and international experts in sustainability, circular economies, public policy, nutrition, and other fields.
The grant also funds travel by students and early career scientists, allowing these learners to take part in the discussion.
This conference is our platform to discuss major needs, current developments, and solutions for tomorrow, Sablani said. Its a way for food engineers to promote research across our different disciplines and inspire the next generation to pursue new ideas. We are excited to make this first CoFE experience in Washington happen.
To learn more about CoFE 24, contact Shyam Sablani, professor, WSU Department of Biological Systems Engineering, at ssablani@wsu.edu or visit theconference website.
WSU CAHNRS
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