The University of Georgia College of Engineering’s annual Capstone Design Showcase featured the innovative designs of 117 multi-disciplinary student teams collaborating with business, industry, non-profit, and community partners. Over the past academic year, these teams addressed real-world challenges through the college’s capstone course, testing senior-level engineering students on the concepts and skills they’ve learned and practiced during their undergraduate studies.
At the 2024 showcase, held on April 23 at the Classic Center in Athens, capstone teams presented their projects to clients, faculty, and the community. Congratulations to all the 2023-2024 project teams for their remarkable achievements. Special recognition goes to the award recipients listed below.
2024 AWARD RECIPIENTS
CREATIVE MACHINE DESIGN: EXTERNAL CLIENT
Best Project
Pool Protection Technologies
Client: Pool Protection Technologies
Student Team: Thomas Grant, Garrett Stigall, Guy Gober, William Griffin
Project Supervisor: Kevin Wu, M.S.
Primary Instructor: Kevin Wu, M.S.
Runner Up
Trading Card Game Shuffler
Client: MoonTrace LLC
Student Team: Drew Gilliland, Joseph Zimmer, Alexander Luu, Jasing Yang, Mark Driscoll
Project Supervisor: Kevin Wu, M.S.
Primary Instructor: Kevin Wu, M.S.
CREATIVE MACHINE DESIGN: UNIVERSITY CONNECTIONS
Best Project
Vibration Integrated Piezoelectric Experimental Research Payload – Mechanical Team
Client: University of Georgia
Student Team: Armando Rodriguez, Joshua. McLean, Hunter Haskins, George Hendrix
Project Supervisor: Adam Wineland, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Roger Hilten, Ph.D.
Runner Up
UAV Water Quality Collection System
Client: University of Georgia Precision Forestry
Student Team: Wyatt Maher, Hunter Gossard, Mason Barnett, Jacob Zipperer, Jonathan Moore
Project Supervisor: Kevin Wu, M.S.
Primary Instructor: Kevin Wu, M.S.
MANUFACTURED SYSTEM OR PROCESS DESIGN/ PROGRAM
Best Project
Design a Process to Remediate Per and Polyfluoro-alkyl Substances (PFAS) in Landfill Leachate
Client: UGA
Student Team: John Royal, Maura Porter, Macy Pfaffenbichler, Corianna Mayne
Project Supervisor: Jim Kastner, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Jim Kastner, Ph.D.
1st Runner Up
SMI – Utilizing Additive Manufacturing in Automotive and Aerospace Industry
Client: SMI Composites LLC
Student Team: Hannah Tates, Noah Gay, Jacob Foster, Karsen Kalen, Leon Valtchev
Project Supervisor: Jorge Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Jorge Rodriguez, Ph.D.
2nd Runner Up
Thermal Analysis of a Novel Heat Exchanger Design for Targeted Avionics Cooling
Client: Lockheed Martin
Student Team: Jaden Alcide, Taylor Reeves, Ashlyn Floyd, Caroline Davis, Jack Carlson
Project Supervisor: Eliza Banu, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Wayne Johnson, Ph.D.
MEDICAL DEVICE OR BIOLOGICAL PROCESS DESIGN
Best Project
Simulated Glucose Test System
Client: AU/UGA Medical Partnership
Student Team: Rosalyn Fraker, Tushita Jain , Robert Ledoux, Sara-Belle Ozburn, Alyssa Williams
Project Supervisor: Cheryl Gomillion, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Cheryl Gomillion, Ph.D.
Runner Up
Manufacturing the Next Generation of Vaccines: mNRA platform for the Influenza Vaccine
Client: University of Georgia
Student Team: Britney Williams, Jillian Lasting, Juliet Hayes, Abigail Haverland
Project Supervisor: Jim Kastner, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Jim Kastner, Ph.D.
INNOVATIVE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM OR SOFTWARE DESIGN
Best Project
Mixed Reality Flight Deck
Client: Gulfstream Aerospace
Student Team: Carson Jamieson, Benjamin Runyan, Sarah Pennewill, Sreya Bitra
Project Supervisor: Kyle Johnsen, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Renny Badra, Ph.D.
Runner Up
Augmented Reality Markerless World Alignment
Client: Gulfstream Aerospace
Student Team: Chris B. Hernandez, Dalton Poppell, Sidharth Chaudhary, Omer Cinar
Project Supervisor: Kyle Johnsen, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Renny Badra, Ph.D.
COMMUNITY IMPACT: PRIVATE CLIENT
Best Project
Greenwood 400
Client: Eberly & Associates
Student Team: Dessi Gonzalez, Thomas Hobbs, Brogen Ballew, Campbell Reed
Project Supervisor: Sonny Kim, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Stephan Durham, Ph.D.
Runner Up
Bridge Replacement for SR106 over Hudson River
Client: Michael Baker International
Student Team: Christin Jarrard, John Provence, Adeline Fitts
Project Supervisor: Mi Geum Chorzepa, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Stephan Durham, Ph.D.
COMMUNITY IMPACT: PUBLIC CLIENT
Best Project
Design of UGA’s Marine Coastal Flooding Mitigation
Client: University of Georgia
Student Team: Sarah Younce, Skylar Gray, Benjamin Smith, Clare Deberry
Project Supervisor: Felix Santiago-Collazo, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Stephan Durham, Ph.D.
Runner Up
Barrow County Natural Resource-Based Recreation, Scientific Study, and Environmental Education Farm
Client: Barrow County School System
Student Team: Elizabeth Ingraham, Zachary Beecham, Tyler Reiff
Project Supervisor: Stephan Durham, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Stephan Durham, Ph.D.
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
Best Project
Design a Process to Produce a Value-Added Product from Wood Pallets
Client: GreenClean Solar
Student Team: Catherine Grill, Jeongin Lee, Charlotte Williams, Karlie Kazmierczak
Project Supervisor: Jim Kastner, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Jim Kastner, Ph.D.
Runner Up
Fire Station #61 Biorention & Cistern (Site No.8)
Client: Jacobs/City of Johns Creek
Student Team: William Brock, Ahmad Syidi, Isabelle Versluis
Project Supervisor: Felix Santiago-Collazo, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Stephan Durham, Ph.D.
VIEWER’S CHOICE
Most Popular Project
Oconee St Bridge over North Oconee River
Client: Gresham Smith
Student Team: William Clark, Avni Patel, Nawoo Hong
Project Supervisor: Mi Geum Chorzepa, Ph.D.
Primary Instructor: Stephan Durham, Ph.D.