Annual Capstone Design Conference to showcase student innovation and creativity

student holding 3D printed prosthetic

Penn State Harrisburg senior engineering students will showcase their capstone projects at the annual Capstone Design Conference on May 3, 2019.

Credit: Penn State Harrisburg

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Penn State Harrisburg’s School of Science, Engineering and Technology will hold its annual Capstone Design Conference from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 3, on campus.

Senior engineering students are required to complete a capstone project, which combines classroom learning with real-life applications, and is the culmination of their educational experience. In addition, students often collaborate with industry sponsors on projects of interest to those businesses. More than 50 projects in various disciplines will be on display at this year’s conference.

Innovative and creative student-designed projects to be displayed and demonstrated at the event include an app for patients with osteoporosis, allowing them to take surveys on their condition and send to their healthcare provider; a fall-detection system that determines when a fall has occurred within an individual’s home; an automated fluid resuscitation device designed to aid in the emergency care of burn injury victims; a customizable and adjustable lower-limb prosthetic pylon made using 3D printing; a medical device prototype to treat implant associated infections; a hand-pedal tricycle for pediatric therapy patients to use in transition of therapeutic programs for improving upper body strength, coordination and cognitive/executive functioning; and many more.

Marjorie Meyers, senior principal product development engineer of TE Connectivity; and Jeffrey P. Merritt, president of Reynolds Construction and COO of Reynolds Enterprises, will be the featured speakers at the event.

The schedule of events is as follows:

  • 7:30 a.m. — Breakfast (Gym, Capital Union Building)
  • 8 a.m. — Welcome: Rafic A. Bachnak, director, School of Science, Engineering, and Technology
  • 8:10 a.m. — Featured Speaker: Marjorie Meyers, senior principal product development engineer, TE Connectivity
  • 9 a.m. — Student Presentations (Olmsted Building)
    • Civil Engineering/Structural Design and Construction Engineering Technology: Room C211; C213 Auditorium
    • Computer Science: Room E209; E219
    • Electrical Engineering/Electrical Engineering Technology: Room E212; E218
    • Mechanical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering Technology: Room E240; E243; E244; E257; E261; C212
  • Noon — Lunch (Gym, Capital Union Building)
  • 12:30 p.m. — Featured Speaker: Jeffrey P. Merritt, CPM, CPC, president, Reynolds Construction and COO, Reynolds Enterprises
  • 1:30 p.m. — Student Project Exhibition and Demonstrations (Educational Activities Building, and Engineering Laboratory)
  • 3:30 p.m. — Order of the Engineer Ring Ceremony (EAB 102)
  • 4 p.m. — Awards Ceremony (EAB 102)

For information, visit the Capstone Design Conference website. The conference is supported in perpetuity by an endowment created by TE Connectivity. 

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