On Wednesday, March 20th, 2024, the School of Engineering hosted the Spring 2024 Senior Design Night. Engineering seniors presented the progress they have made on their capstone design projects, answered questions about their work, and received constructive feedback from alumni, faculty, staff, and project sponsors. Students also networked with those in attendance, discussing their plans for after graduation and their future career goals.
Design projects in the School of Engineering are interdisciplinary, with most teams drawing on the talents of students from multiple majors. Project topics include biomedical prosthetic devices, structural health monitoring for naval vessels, steel bridge design, bioprinting, facial recognition, model aircraft design, and glucose monitoring.
During the event, the Honorable Dr. William LaPlante was recognized as the 2023 Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Dr. LaPlante is the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisitions and Sustainment, in which capacity he advises the Secretary of Defense on matters concerning acquisitions, logistics, and materiel readiness. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the School of Engineering in 1998, and previously served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and as President and CEO of Draper Laboratory.
In his opening remarks, Dean John Judge congratulated Dr. LaPlante, commemorating his many decades of national security leadership and outstanding contributions to enhancing our nation’s security capabilities and efficiency. Dean Judge and Provost Aaron Dominguez presented the award to Dr. LaPlante, who humbly accepted his award and offered some words of appreciation for The Catholic University of America and the School of Engineering. He also addressed the engineering students in the audience, reiterating the importance of engineering and its ultimate purpose in serving our society. He emphasized that the world truly needs engineers, especially those who are willing to step up and demonstrate leadership to promote positive change for the future.
This event was a showcase of the many achievements of the Engineering Class of 2024, as well as a celebration for what lies ahead in their academic and professional journey. It was also an evening that exemplified what engineering can accomplish and the importance of inspiring interest and wonder in our next generation of engineering leaders. Students’ final design presentations will occur on Senior Design Day on April 29th in the Pryzbyla Center.
For more information on Dr. William LaPlante, the 2023 Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient and Senior Design Capstone Projects, please visit the following websites:
https://engineering.catholic.edu/alumni-and-giving/alumni-awards/distinguished-alumni-award/2023-distinguished-alumni-award.html
https://engineering.catholic.edu/student-experience/senior-design23/index.html