On April 26th, 29 computer science alumni served as judges at the Engineering Projects Expo, providing valuable insights to current students on their senior capstone projects. The judges, who represented a diverse range of industries and professions, spent half an hour with three different groups each, offering feedback on their presentations, demos, and code architecture.
One of the judges, Ryan Dowell from the class of 2011 who works at industrial textile machine company Melco, was impressed by the scale and variety of projects created by the students in collaboration with their capstone clients. Dowell emphasized the importance of understanding the transition from academic projects to commercial-focused work. He shared his own experience with fellow judges and encouraged them to support future professionals in the field of computer science by attending events like this one.
Another judge, Erika Bailon from the class of 2020 who now works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, felt nostalgic attending the event. She expressed delight in seeing how much progress had been made since her time in school and highlighted the significance of female representation in computer science. Bailon hoped to inspire others to pursue careers in this field by being a judge at this expo and sharing her experiences with others.
Derek Rieger from the class of 1999 who works at Accelerate Learning also found judging these capstone projects enjoyable on multiple levels. He was inspired by the students’ passion for their work and urged others to make time for supporting events like this one. Rieger emphasized that contributing to events like this one can have a significant impact on developing future professionals in computer science.
Overall, this Engineering Projects Expo was an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their hard work and receive valuable feedback from experienced professionals in their respective fields. The event also provided inspiration for those interested in pursuing careers in computer science and encouraged them to be part of events like these that support future professionals in this field.
