Spring CETA Design Expo Puts Innovation on Display

From civil engineering to robotics to acoustical engineering to architecture, students in a wide range of disciplines participated. They submitted more than 100 projects ranging from an automatic curtain rod to a hydraulic analysis for the replacement of a bridge in East Lyme.

Students from first-years to seniors not only display their projects-they pitch them to a group of judges that include industry professionals, faculty and staff, and student ambassadors. It's a chance for students to experience how CETA's project-based curriculum translates to the real world.

The projects are judged according to six standards:

• Performance: Was the task successfully completed?
• Creativity: How creative was the final product?
• Level of difficulty: How complex was the product?
• Poster Presentation: Was the project goal clearly illustrated?
• Oral Presentation: Were students well prepared and rehearsed?
• Experimental verification: Was the product performance evaluated according to a set of criteria?

In the end, 37 students took home honors for 13 projects.