On March 31, 2025, the School of Engineering hosted the third annual Senior Design Night in Heritage Hall, Father O’Connell Hall. Senior engineering and computer science students showcased posters about their Senior Design Capstone projects to alumni, students, faculty, and staff. Design projects in the School of Engineering are interdisciplinary, with most teams drawing on the talents of students from multiple majors. Project topics this year included 3D printing for casting and surgical planning, robot football, steel bridge design, model aircraft design, structural health monitoring, and designs for a new engineering academic building.
Students also had the opportunity to network with several companies and organizations in attendance, including Two Six Technologies and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, who helped fund several of this year’s student projects. Students discussed their plans for after graduation and their future career goals, and received insight from industry experts.
University President Peter Kilpatrick addressed those in attendance, applauding the accomplishments of this year's senior class and encouraging them to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned throughout their time at Catholic University, to their future academic and professional endeavors. Dean John Judge then introduced the 2025 Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award winner, Jose Latimer, Ph.D. 2004. Latimer—former Chief Engineer of the Asymmetric Operations Sector at The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory—spent close to 45 years at APL in various roles, leading efforts assisting government agencies responsible for the development and implementation of technology-based safeguards with the necessary capability to protect the United States against a variety of asymmetric threats (read more here).
Steven Brown, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, also addressed the audience, celebrating the accomplishments of Dean John Judge—who will be retiring as dean at the end of the academic year. Brown applauded Dean Judge’s leadership and thanked him for his significant contributions to the School of Engineering over his 8 year tenure as dean. Dean Judge was given a commemorative plaque by the School faculty, who voted to name a new Interdisciplinary Design Award in his honor, and was also given an appreciation award by the School of Engineering student organization leadership.
The evening was a reminder of the great academic and professional partnerships developed at the School, as well as the comradery and respect demonstrated by the members of this community. For more information on the Senior Design Capstone Project, visit the following website: https://engineering.catholic.edu/student-experience/senior-design23/index.html