AME Alum Pays it Back at Design Day

For many College of Engineering students, the Craig M. Berge Design Day isn't just about experience, but forming industry connections. Some engineering students go on to judge future Design Days, and others even sponsor student projects. Judge Gary Spangenberg, a 2001 mechanical engineering alum, participated in his own capstone project with Sargent Aerospace. That project led to an internship and then a career at Sargent, where he has worked for more than 20 years. Now, he is paying that opportunity back.

“I feel a sense of responsibility,” Spangenberg said. “In addition, I get to see the best and the brightest show off their hard work, and that is very exciting. The young engineers seem to get smarter every year, and their projects continue to get more mature and polished.”

Sargent Aerospace sponsors Design Day’s $2,500 Voltaire Design Award, inspired by the French philosopher’s idea that “the best is the enemy of the good.” The award goes to the team that effectively meets project goals with as simple and robust a design as possible.

“You can fix wrong, but you can’t fix indecision,” Spangenberg said. “The judges are interested in what the students got out of this process, not just in the end result.”

The 2023 Craig M. Berge Design Day takes place May 1 at the University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom and on the University of Arizona Mall.