The idea of creating an event to feature SCSU’s engineering and computing projects came about with the announcement of the new College of Business, Engineering, and Technology. Every year students complete Senior Design and Capstone Projects during their final year. Highlighting these projects in one event seemed like a natural idea.
This year’s inaugural Engineering and Technology Expo featured 22 poster and oral presentations from 66 student presenters with a total of 95-100 people attending the event—not only faculty and students but many industry representatives as well. Students presented from fields in Construction, Cybersecurity, Education, Information Systems, and Engineering (Electrical, Computer, Manufacturing, and Mechanical).
The event’s main sponsor, DeZURIK, tabled, gave a presentation on their work, and provided engineering judges. Park Industries and the Central Minnesota Manufacturer’s Association provided food and prizes to make the event well rounded and incentivize students to deliver quality presentations. In fact, not only did local industry representatives attend, but people from the Twin Cities, Mankato and numerous towns in the region made the trek to the event. Furthermore, 11 companies sponsored various student projects by offering the initial challenge and offering industry expertise.
One of the evenings highlights was Gabrielle Zaeska, who was the keynote speaker and an alum of the MS Regulatory Affairs program. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President for Regulatory Affairs at AngioInsight. From her keynote speech students learned about her career journey from SCSU to her current success, and lessons learned along the way.
Prior to the student presentations, the legendary engineering company, Siemans, delivered two workshops in ISELF aimed at engineering professionals. The workshops focused on how sound and vibrations affect materials, which are vital to the automotive, motor sports, and aerospace industries. Not only did professionals attend from Minnesota, but others flew in from Colorado, Illinois, and Indiana. Several SCSU faculty and students also participated in the workshops. Siemens and all the participants commented on the excellent facilities, the beautiful campus, and ease of traveling to St. Cloud.
Building off the success of the first Engineering and Technology Expo, the College of Business, Engineering, and Technology will look to expand this event even further next year to highlight the incredible work of our students and the value of our engineering and technology programs.
Awards
Best Oral Presentations: Rafaela Prendi – A Graphic Login System with Audio Cues to Prevent Shoulder Surfing – Advisor: Dr. Abdullah Abu Hussein; andXiaowen Jiang – Improving Energy Efficiency in Minnesota Housing: A Policy Framework to Address the Split Incentive Problem – Advisor: Dr. Mark Schroll
Honorable Mention Oral Presentations: Natalie Gneiser – Quality Short Training Videos – Sponsor: Blattner Company – Advisor: Dr. Mark Schroll; and Alayna Thompson – Integrating CNC Machining into Secondary Technology Education – Advisor: Dr. Mark Schroll
Best Poster Presentation: Esther Kreutzfeldt, Alli Schultz, Peyton Krumrei, Abdul Wahid – Motorized Smart Wheelchair – Dr. Aiping Yao
Honorable Mention Poster Presentations: Erica Kaonga – Medical Device Design and Development – Advisor: Dr. Cathleen Krier; and Madison Anderson, Leviticus Evans, Grayson Grundahl, Ezra Kortan, Gavin Nordin – Conversion of a Hydraulic Clamping System to Electric System for Clean Room Use – Sponsor: Pezo Solutions – Advisors: Dr. John Mirth and Bryan Parks
Project Sponsors
- Blattner Company
- Emerson
- Glenn Metalcraft
- Kolacia Construction
- Land O’Lakes
- NorthStar Pontoons
- OX Delta
- Pace Industries
- Pezo Solutions
- Premier Marine
- Safran Test Cells
