Pitching Ideas with Purpose: How the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Senior Design Project Presentations Benefited Students and Industry Professionals

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science recently held senior design project presentations on February 24. The event was well-attended by department alumni and industry professionals, who provided critical feedback to the students.

One of the students, Duncan Marshall, found the experience to be helpful in pitching ideas. Although he felt a bit nervous, Marshall and his team were confident in the progress they had made on their project. During the presentation, they faced unexpected questions that were specific to their project, allowing them to learn and grow from the experience.

Daniel Schwartz, an alumnus and lead electrical engineer at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies, shared positive feedback about the event. He praised the teams for condensing the design work they had done over the last semester and a half. The presentations not only served as a way to evaluate students for future employment but also allowed industry professionals to see the projects students had been working on and draw parallels with their own work.

Presenting at the event helped Marshall improve his patience, speaking skills, and ability to clearly convey information. Despite some questions that were specific to safety concerns that they had planned to address after the presentation, they received valuable advice from experienced professionals to start addressing those issues sooner rather than later.

Arielle Williams, a controls engineering manager for Marshalltown and an alumni of the department, enjoyed attending the presentations. Having gone through similar experiences during her time in the department, she commended the presenters for a job well done. She also expressed her support for the students and was proud to see some of her former interns presenting at the event.

The students will have another opportunity to present their projects at the upcoming annual Engineering Expo on April 25 at Bud Walton Arena.

In conclusion, The senior design project presentations organized by Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science was well attended by both department alumni and industry professionals who provided critical feedback on student’s projects.

Duncan Marshall’s team received valuable advice from experienced professionals during their presentation which helped them address safety concerns related to their project earlier than planned.

Arielle Williams also expressed her support for students’ efforts while sharing her own experiences during her time in department.

Overall it was an excellent opportunity for students to test their public speaking skills while receiving constructive criticism from peers faculty members alumni