CAPSTONE DESIGN CONFERENCE
UT Dallas Hosts National Capstone
Design Conference
Four years was worth the wait, according to UTDesign® Capstone leaders who hosted the national Capstone Design Conference 2022 at UT Dallas in June.
The conference was postponed twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so members of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science spent four years planning for the conference. The event drew about 200 attendees representing more than 65 institutions from throughout the country to focus on best practices for hands-on engineering education and Capstone Design programs.
“The experience gave us an opportunity to show off our campus,” said Dr. Todd Polk, an event organizer and UTDesign director of bioengineering and an associate professor of practice in bioengineering. “Every time I participate, I learn something new, and because the conference is so hyperfocused, it gives us a chance to deep dive.”
The conference included a student Capstone competition, college student mentoring of high school students about the engineering profession, sharing of best practices in design among faculty members and tours of the UTDesign Studio, one of the largest in the nation of its kind, and of nearby corporate research facilities.
“It was an honor to be selected to be the host institution for this conference,” said Dr. Robert Hart, associate professor of practice in mechanical engineering and UTDesign director of mechanical engineering. “Going from being first-time attendees at the conference in 2012 to being the host institution a decade later shows how UTD has grown to become a national leader in Capstone Design education.”
The event kicked off with a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, dean of the Jonsson School, holder of the Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair in Electrical Engineering and professor of systems engineering, about why design teams should focus on inclusion through the design process to create the best, most functional products designed to serve the greatest number of people. The three-day event also included a keynote address by Douglas Moore, general manager, fuel cell solutions and business development at Toyota North America, about his career shift to centering on people and a process of continuous improvement.
A team of Jonsson School students won first place in the student competition, a three-way tie, for the fourth time in recent years of the biennial competition.
“UTDesign is the crown jewel of the Jonsson School as it demonstrates our commitment to real world learning and innovation through applied design,” Adams said.
Event Brights
Inclusive Design Panel
Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, Jonsson School dean and professor of systems engineering, began the conference with “Seeing Me In It: The Role of Inclusivity in Design and Making,” a panel discussion that included Dr. Sindia Rivera-Jiménez, assistant professor of engineering education from the University of Florida, Dr. Brooke Coley, assistant professor of engineering at Arizona State University, Ronnie Spellman, chief operating officer at Mbroh Engineering and member of the Jonsson School’s executive council, and Roslyn Barker, executive chief of staff at Toyota Motor North America.
The group discussed several reasons why design teams, particularly educational Capstone programs that prepare engineers for real world design, should focus on inclusion throughout the design process in order to create the best, most functional products designed to serve the greatest number of people. The group discussed how medical device failures have disproportionately impacted specific groups who were not included in device testing and manufacture, describing how a pulse oximeter did not accurately detect oxygen levels among people of color and perpetuated negative outcomes in medical care.
Audience participants also discussed how the success of new technology such as is employed in electric vehicles depends on an inclusive approach throughout the product development process and how new technology will be embraced very differently depending upon socioeconomic factors and infrastructure investment, in this case due to widespread availability of charging stations and a more affordable market for used electric vehicles. Overall, the panel highlighted the importance of inclusive, user-centered design, from initial concept to marketing.
UTDesign Team Wins Title
A team of University of Texas at Dallas student engineers won a first-place award at the 2022 Capstone Design Conference for developing a system that helps a corporate sponsor test its devices to prevent blood clots after surgery.
The team of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering students developed a pressure-sensing system for Precision Medical Products, a Carrollton, Texas, company that makes postsurgical devices to prevent deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms, usually in a leg.
The UTDesign team’s device, shaped like a human calf, serves as a surrogate leg for testing. Rows of intersecting copper tape on the device create more than 225 sensing points to make it possible to visualize the applied pressure, providing more than 400,000 unique data points per minute.
“The students’ ability to work as a team led to an exceptional outcome that absolutely exceeded our expectations,” said Tony Spyropoulos, Precision Medical Products’ executive vice president of product development. He said the UTDesign team’s device will help the company avoid the expense and delays of outsourcing its testing.
Biomedical engineering senior Edgar Acevedo accepted the award with Roger Decker III BS’22, the team’s leader.
The students said the project gave them valuable hands-on experience as they prepare for the job market.
“I gained a lot from my work on this project, but most importantly, I believe this gave me a huge insight into the working industry,” said Decker, who completed his degree in mechanical engineering last spring. “I’ve learned so much over the past year because of this project, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to participate and be part of this amazing team.”
Top Participants Mentor High School Students
College student teams from throughout the nation whose work had been selected through a rigorous process attended the event with their professors and presented their work during the poster competition.
Participant team members volunteered to meet with high school students from schools in the Plano Independent School District and Dallas Independent School District through a panel discussion and breakout groups that focused on opportunities in the engineering profession.
“I feel honored to be here representing The University of Texas at Dallas,” said Edgar Acevedo, a biomedical engineering senior who co-led the winning Capstone conference team. “We are representing our program on a national stage. It’s exciting to meet people of the same caliber who will go on to advance research.”
College students also discussed how their schools have built their programs, and many were impressed with the UT Dallas recent investments in its campus’ engineering buildings.
“UT Dallas is very high tech! Everyone’s been very nice and accommodating so far,” said Katie Platt, a student participant from the University of Florida. Platt’s team also tied for first place in the student poster competition, along with a team from the University of Michigan.
Highlighting the Best of UT Dallas
UTDesign leaders provided tours of the UTDesign areas, showing how the program’s industry partnerships and open access labs are set up to inspire innovation. Participants asked questions about topics ranging from ones about the tech structure including protection for companies who retain the intellectual property of the designs to setting up a fully equipped metal fabrication lab. Rod Wetterskog, UTDesign program coordinator, displayed the laboratory spaces and answered questions from the audience.
“Hosting in the studio was so eye-opening,” said Wetterskog, also assistant dean of corporate relations in the Jonsson School. “It’s very community oriented. How can we help each other improve? It’s all for the students.”
While UT Dallas has now earned a first place rank at the past four Capstone conference events, campus leaders understand that they are just beginning to reach their potential in terms of preparing students for the workplace where they will be responsible for designing products used by millions of people.
“We’re good at what we do, but there’s so much more to learn,” Wetterskog said. “It’s a thrill to host these great universities in the UTDesign Studio.”
Besides Polk, other UT Dallas organizers included Dr. Robert Hart, associate professor of practice in mechanical engineering and UTDesign director of mechanical engineering, and event co-chairs Dr. Shraddha Sangelkar of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana and Dr. Keith Stanfill from the University of Tennessee. UT Dallas staff members Anricka Ziller and Kathryn Grant were also key members of the local planning team.
Participants in the student poster competition joined a panel discussion and mentoring session with K-12 students from Plano ISD and Dallas ISD. Andrea Turcatti (center) from UTDesign EPICS organized the student outreach.
