Design Showcase
Every semester in May and December, students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering present their work at the Undergraduate Research and Design Symposium. This event allows students to showcase their work to the public and engage with their colleagues to discover what they’ve been working on.
Department Design Awards
In spring 2024, ME alumni Tim Smart and Tom Smart sponsored the inaugural Smart Brothers Design Awards to celebrate student achievements. These awards, consisting of Best Overall, Best Prototype, and Most Significant Impact, seek to acknowledge the outstanding work of young engineers. Teams self-nominate to be considered for these awards and then the Smart Brothers spend time with each group reviewing and judging the teams’ projects. After careful review and consideration, the top teams are recognized for their success.
In spring 2026, ME alumnus John White sponsored the inaugural Juan Blanco Medical Design Innovation Award. This award seeks to acknowledge teams developing products and services used in the medical field to treat or improve the health of patients.
2026 Smart Brothers Design Awards
Best Overall: BUCK-E
Alex Aquino, Gavin Chang, Akash Deepak, Brian Vazquez Sanchez
Best Prototype: Vibe Control
Connor Dethloff, Jack Littlejohn, Matthew Poynter, Alec Ukkola
Most Significant Impact: Eggnition
Josef Kloiber, Charles Luther, Ian Malone, Ted Seidenberg
2026 Juan Blanco Medical Design Innovation Award
BERR Exo
Ryan Hogan, Rory Koperski, Ben Levy, Eliza Robinson
