Explore our Day of Innovation
The CETA Design Expo is a biannual showcase of projects representing our project-based learning curriculum. First-year and second-year students will present their projects in the fall, and seniors present their Capstone design projects either in the spring or fall.
This event provides an opportunity to observe our students' skill development and innovative contributions. Many of these projects have been developed throughout the academic year and represent a culmination of student collaboration and design abilities.
Spring 2025 CETA Design Expo Held on May 2
Just before announcing the top projects, Dean Hisham Alnajjar had some advice for the participants: focus on communication.
At the spring expo, ten projects were singled out for exemplary work, with 25 students honored.
Paul Lavoie, chief manufacturing officer for the state of Connecticut, toured the expo to view the students’ projects. He also encouraged the participants to make their careers in Connecticut after graduation.
Dr. Hisham Alnajjar, Dean, CETAWe’re showcasing all engineering disciplines, and it’s also a chance to give feedback. It’s fun to see first- and second-year students with their projects because it’s unique to be designing projects that early in their college career.”
Inside the Expo
Project and Design Challenges
ES 143P: Engineering and Design—Introduction to the fundamentals of engineering, the engineering profession and engineering design with emphasis on guided design and problem-solving methodologies. Students will undertake practice-oriented group design projects.
ES 242: Engineering by Design—An in-depth study of the design process to include problem-solving methodologies, evaluation of alternate solutions, economic analysis, ethical constraints, group dynamics, and presentation techniques. Students undertake design projects specifically chosen to meet the objectives of this course.
Students work on projects in their field of study with faculty mentors or external project sponsors to design, fabricate, and/or test a device, process, or system. This is a major design experience based on applying the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier coursework and incorporating industry appropriate standards and realistic constraints.
Students participating are enrolled in:
ADT 489: Senior Design Thesis
BE 461P: Biomedical Engineering Capstone II
ECE 483: ECE Capstone Design II
ME 473: Capstone Design Project II
CE 420: Water Quality Engineering I
CE 465: Civil Engineering Design Project II
ECT 481P: Senior Design Project II for Engineering Technology
ROBO 483: Capstone Design II
AUD 481P/ECT 481P/ECE 483W: Senior Project II
Poster Evaluation Criteria
The following criteria will be used by judges to evaluate the projects and posters and to choose the winning designs/posters.
Performance: Successful task completion.
Creativity: How creative is the final product?
Level of Difficulty: How complex is the product?
Experimental Verification: Was the product performance evaluated according to a set of criteria?
Presentation:
- Poster: Is the project goal clearly illustrated?
- Oral: Are students well-rehearsed/prepared?
Design Expo Archive
The CETA Design Expo was founded in May 2015 when a group of CETA faculty and staff came together to discuss a way for students to present their final projects. It has since grown into a well-known event on campus that many students look forward to participating in. Walk down memory lane and read about our past expo highlights.