AME undergrads pick projects at Design Day Open House
‘These capstone projects really set us up for career and networking opportunities with professionals and mentors of the engineering program,’ says aerospace engineering senior Riley Mays.
More than 400 University of Arizona engineering seniors set their sights on capstone projects at the 2025-2026 Craig M. Berge Design Day Open House. The event gives College of Engineering students the opportunity to better know sponsors and the projects they might spend the final leg of their U of A education working on. At this year's open house, students met 111 sponsors representing 38 companies.
Eager to land one of his top picks among the 66 Interdisciplinary Capstone projects, aerospace engineering major Andrew Avalos arrived at the University of Arizona Grand Ballroom early.
“I’m super excited about networking and getting my name out there to open doors for a possible career,” he said. “My top project is 26036, where you work with drones and disaster recovery systems.”
The open house gives students and company representatives a chance to connect before project match day, the following Monday, when students either accept invitations from sponsors to join their teams or submit their final project preferences. Avalos accepted an invitation from sponsor Sandia National Laboratories, another top project choice, to develop a drone that senses and tracks other drones.
The capstone course, a graduation requirement for all engineering seniors, serves as a bridge between academic studies and professional careers.
“When our students go out and interview, this experience really gives them a competitive edge,” said David W. Hahn, the Craig M. Berge Dean of the college, opening the annual event. “The fact that you all come together to bring industry-relevant problems to our students and combine it with years of mentorship experience is empowering and a game changer for their careers.”