The University of Toledo College of Engineering will celebrate creativity, innovation and research excellence at its Design & Discovery Expo on Friday, April 25.
The free, public event is an expansion of the Senior Design Expo, a long-standing tradition and requirement for graduation in the College of Engineering, that also incorporates faculty research presentations and alumni and industry professional panels.
Activities run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the College of Engineering’s Nitschke Hall and North Engineering Building. Visitor parking is free in Area 20.
Registration is encouraged through the event website.
Josh Bell, a computer science and engineering senior, explains his intelligent traffic control project to fellow students Elijah Ingram and Tran Nguyen at the College of Engineering’s fall 2024 Senior Design Expo.
“The Design & Discovery Expo highlights the extraordinary talent and innovation within our college,” said Dr. Mohammad Elahinia, dean of the College of Engineering. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate both our students’ and faculty’s accomplishments, connect with alumni and industry and explore the future of engineering research and education.”
More than 25 teams of undergraduate students are set to participate in the Senior Design Expo, showcasing their creativity and ingenuity in self-guided projects that address real-life challenges, in some cases in collaboration with local partners.
Examples include a virtual reality tool to assess a person’s ability to use a motorized wheelchair in collaboration with Sunshine Communities, a survey and site layout of a parcel of land acquired by Habitat for Humanity of Wood County, and a fiber-reinforced concrete bowling ball that won first place in the aesthetics category at an American Concrete Institute competition in Toronto in late March.
Local high school students participating in UToledo’s Robotic Rubik’s Cube Challenge will also be onsite to showcase their puzzle-solving robots.
The Senior Design Expo is from noon to 3 p.m. on the first floor of Nitschke Hall.
Also included in the Design & Discovery Expo:
• Virtual Graduate Alumni Panel Discussion, 10 to 11 a.m. in Nitschke Hall Room 1027: Graduate student alumni will share how their UToledo education launched their careers.
• GRADIENT Global, 11 a.m. to noon in Nitschke Hall Room 1027: Anupam Saxena, an alumnus and professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, will introduce a new international initiative of the Graduate Alumni Network for Engineering and Technology.
• Senior Design and Research Expo, noon to 3 p.m. on the first floor of Nitschke Hall: Students will present senior design projects and research posters and will lead tours of newly renovated classrooms and laboratories at 12:30, 12:45, 1, and 1:15 p.m.
• Panel Discussion on Industrial Research, 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. in North Engineering Room 2108: Industry panelists will discuss applied research and collaboration opportunities with UToledo.
• Faculty Rapid-Fire Tech Talks, 3 to 4 p.m. in North Engineering Room 2108: Faculty will present one-minute overviews of future research plans around the theme “Industrial Research in the Future.”
• Reception and Networking, 4 to 5 p.m. on the second floor of North Engineering: Attendees are invited to enjoy refreshments and connect with faculty, alumni, students and industry professionals.
Free Continued Professional Development credits are available for registered professional engineers attending the Panel Discussion on Industrial Research and Faculty Rapid-Fire Tech Talks. To register, go to the event website.
