May 15, 2024 Spring 2024 Mechanical Engineering Design Showcase Written By: Caitlin Scott Departments: Mechanical Engineering Categories: Students|Undergraduate ME alumni Tim and Tom Smart sponsored the inaugural ‘Smart Brothers Design Awards’ in spring 2024, pictured with ME Chair Darryl Thelen Forty-six project teams made up of 187 mechanical engineering senior level students presented their work at the spring 2024 design showcase event earlier this month! “The Showcase displayed a diverse group of projects (from Industry, Community Service, Research, and Student Design Competitions) that represent the diverse interests of our student body and the discipline of mechanical engineering, which is what makes this event so engaging,” shared course instructor and Assistant Teaching Professor Michael Cheadle. Over the ten years that Cheadle has been running the course, the ME senior design program has seen incredible growth. This spring showcase featured ME alumni Tim and Tom Smart debuting the inaugural Smart Brothers Design Awards! Best Overall – The RowbotsMadeleine Beauvais, Kristian Bacarro, Noah Foster, and Aaron Beckman Best Faustin-Prinz Research Project – Ethan Mohr“Devolopment of a Na Solid State Seawater Battery for Renewable Energy Storage” Best Prototype – American JetdawgsKevin Nuno, Sam Beffa, Ethan Burton, and Nick Nass Most Significant Impact – Bucky’s Bionic RunnersJamie Wolpert, Caroline Gillis, Logan Fitzpatrick, and Nicole Salata Special thanks to the project judges Tim Smart, Tom Smart, Lennon Rodgers, Jesse Darley, Jay Bowe, Joey Andrews, and Xiaoping Qian for their time, expertise, and appreciation for the hard work of our students! Recent senior design stories March 22, 2024 Bucky’s Bionic Runners pass the baton March 5, 2024 A look at aerospace engineering in senior design Featured image: The crowded atrium at the May 2, 2024 showcase event.