Senior Design Expo 2019
The Senior Design Expo, held annually in May at Columbia University, is an opportunity for Columbia Engineering students to showcase what they have learned in their foundational math and science courses together with their engineering courses in innovative, creative, and purposeful designs and prototypes. Each year the Expo showcases more than 60 projects across all nine departments. Projects have included cutting-edge robotics, the New York City subway system, language technology, proposals for bridges to span the Hudson river, and much more.
The Senior Design Expo, held annually in May at Columbia University, is an opportunity for Columbia Engineering students to showcase what they have learned in their foundational math and science courses together with their engineering courses in innovative, creative, and purposeful designs and prototypes. Each year the Expo showcases more than 60 projects across all nine departments. Projects have included cutting-edge robotics, the New York City subway system, language technology, proposals for bridges to span the Hudson river, and much more.
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Welcome to Columbia University’s 6 th annual <strong>Senior</strong> <strong>Design</strong> <strong>Expo</strong> organized by the Fu<br />
Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.<br />
As a culmination of their education at Columbia Engineering, students undertake projects in their<br />
senior year to test their engineering mettle. Students form groups, identify a real-world problem<br />
and, over the course of the academic year, develop working prototypes or detailed design studies<br />
to solve those problems. Groups also receive dedicated mentorship from faculty along their<br />
arduous journey that has brought them to this <strong>Expo</strong> today. The spirit of Engineering for<br />
Humanity is exemplified in their efforts to make the world a better place.<br />
This year we have almost 60 groups representing the breadth and depth of Columbia Engineering<br />
who are excited to share their solutions with you. Groups have developed new methods of<br />
characterizing materials and even engineered greener materials for consumer products and more<br />
environmentally friendly cements. An engineering and economic analysis for producing<br />
methanol from syngas as a byproduct of electricity generation demonstrates its economic<br />
feasibility. Selection of hybrid crops for demanding environmental conditions has traditionally<br />
been a slow process, but with modern modeling techniques, crop-yield can be increased more<br />
rapidly to meet population demands. Improving the built environment can significantly reduce<br />
the carbon footprint of our urban environment; and multiple groups have proposed modern<br />
designs for NYC buildings, including those on the Columbia University campus, for lower<br />
environmental impact and greater comfort. Several groups have undertaken the challenge to<br />
provide novel solutions to improve health, including a device that uses acoustic vibrations to<br />
clear lungs of obstructions. Others have been rehabilitating historic musical instruments as well<br />
as exploring music composition with modern electronics, while others are thinking creatively<br />
about next-generation transportation including robust designs for exploring alien worlds.<br />
I encourage you to explore the <strong>Senior</strong> <strong>Design</strong> <strong>Expo</strong> and speak to the students to learn more about<br />
their exciting solutions to real-world problems – our students are doing amazing things!<br />
Barclay Morrison<br />
Vice Dean of Undergraduate Programs<br />
Professor of Biomedical Engineering<br />
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