From Student to Professional: The Benefits of Senior Design Project Presentations in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science recently hosted senior design project presentations on February 24. The event attracted a large crowd, including alumni and industry professionals. During the presentations, students had the chance to showcase their projects, practice their public speaking skills, and receive valuable feedback from peers, faculty members, alumni, and industry professionals.

One of the presenting students, Duncan Marshall, found the experience highly beneficial for pitching ideas. Although he felt a bit nervous at first, he became more confident as his group made progress throughout the project. Marshall also noted that they received unexpected but crucial questions specific to their project that helped them prepare for future presentations.

Daniel Schwartz, an alumnus and lead electrical engineer at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies, praised the teams for effectively summarizing their design work from the past semester and a half. He emphasized the event’s importance in evaluating students for potential employment and identifying parallels between their projects and industry work.

Presenting at the event taught Marshall important lessons about patience, clear communication, and addressing concerns promptly. Despite some questions regarding safety that they planned to address later, feedback from experienced professionals highlighted the need to start early on critical aspects of the project.

Arielle Williams, a controls engineering manager for Marshalltown and a graduate of the department, enjoyed attending the presentations. She applauded the presenters for doing an excellent job and reflected on her own nervousness during presentations as a student. Williams also appreciated the opportunity to support current students and see her former interns presenting their projects.

The next opportunity for students to showcase their projects will be at the annual Engineering Expo on April 25 in Bud Walton Arena. This event provides another platform for students to share their work with a broader audience and further refine their presentation skills.

In summary, senior design project presentations held by Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science were well-attended by alumni