Annual Emerging Engineers Expo Showcases Student Growth from the First to Senior Years

The annual Emerging Engineers Expo bookends the undergraduate student experience at Western New England University, showcasing SMART products developed by first year students, and Senior Design Projects that embody the culmination of each students' evolution to becoming a career-ready professional.

Held on May 4, the event welcomed industrial sponsors, local high school students, representatives from area colleges, faculty and staff, students, and proud families to the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center. The Expo was cosponsored by Hampden Engineering Corporation (a longtime supporter of the College of Engineering) and the College of Engineering. Projects were judged by leaders, and in many cases alumni, in the engineering industry such as General Dynamics, Electric Boat, and Cardinal Health.

The first-year projects showcased the students' growth over their first two immersive learning semesters. Several projects were joint efforts of Engineering and Business Honors students.

First-Year Innovation Project Presentation Winners:
1^st Place – Matthew Barros, Maxwell Brown, Nicholas Gasperini, Paul Henderson, Zachary Killoran, Brady Ronalter, and Derek Wood with their project Approaching Emergency Vehicle Alert;

2^nd Place – Jacob Bardinelli, Zachary Handler, and Jaden Scharen with their project Blind-Deaf Love Phone – From Improbable to Unstoppable;

3^rd Place – John Flannery, Leonardo Kwasnik, Mark Scolari, and Benjamin Synol with their project C.L.E.A.N. – Cleaning and Light Emitting Autonomous Navigator.

The engineering seniors in Biomedical, Civil and Environmental, Electrical and Computer, Industrial, and Mechanical engineering programs presented a wide range of capstone design projects, mostly sponsored by industry. Senior projects were judged by the WNE faculty and awards were presented at the Senior Appreciation night the following evening.

Senior Poster Presentation Winners:
1^st Place – Madison Jakielaszek, Aiyana Mcneill, and Leah Mikkelson with their project Blood Testing Platform for Cardiovascular Disease;

2^nd Place and Best IE Senior Project – Sarah Fischer with her project Assembly Automation of Cassette Fabrication for Dehydration of Biorefinery Plants;

3^rd Place and Best CEE Senior Project – Frank Costa, Kyle Dias, Sean Farland, Brian LeClair, and Archer James Parker with their project Preliminary Design of a 34-acre Warehouse Development with Porous Pavement in Parking Areas.

Other awards included:
Best BME Senior Project – Giovanni Santucci and Nelson Brunette with their project Development of an Automated Balloon Manufacturing Process;

Best CPE Project – Brian Hinger with his project AI Prompt Generated Music and Art;

Best EE Project – Cameron McLaughlin with his project The Laster Synth (Synthia);

Best ME Senior Project – Joshua Jones with his project Auto Belay Device for Lead Climbing;

Design solution with the most impact in a global, economic, environmental, and/or social context – Evan Blake, Christa-Elizabeth Cicerone, Jonathan Couture, Maxfield Phaneuf, and Christopher Spinazola with their project Preliminary Design of a 34-acre Site with Transit Oriented Development Using Two Stormwater Management Ponds; and