Empowering Electrical Engineers: How Senior Design Project Presentations Boost Confidence and Refine Pitching Skills

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science recently held senior design project presentations on February 24. The event was well-attended by department alumni and industry professionals. During the presentations, students had the opportunity to showcase their projects, practice their public speaking skills, and receive valuable feedback from their peers, faculty members, alumni, and industry professionals.

One of the students who presented, Duncan Marshall, found the experience to be very beneficial in terms of pitching ideas. He mentioned feeling a bit nervous initially but ultimately felt confident in the progress his group had made throughout the project. Marshall also noted that they received unexpected but important questions specific to their project, which helped them prepare for future presentations.

Presenting at the event also taught Marshall important lessons about patience, clear communication, and addressing concerns promptly. Despite some questions regarding safety that they planned to address later, the feedback from experienced professionals emphasized the importance of starting early on such critical aspects of the project.

Arielle Williams, a controls engineering manager for Marshalltown and a graduate of the department, expressed her enjoyment of attending the presentations. She applauded the presenters for their excellent job and reflected on her own nervousness during presentations as a student. Williams also appreciated the opportunity to support current students and see her former interns presenting their projects.

The next opportunity for students to showcase their projects will be at the annual Engineering Expo on April 25 in Bud Walton Arena. This event provides another platform for students to share their work with a broader audience and further refine their presentation skills.

During senior design project presentations on February 24th, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science students had an excellent opportunity to showcase their projects while practicing public speaking skills.

Students received valuable feedback from peers, faculty members, alumni and industry professionals during these presentations.

Daniel Schwartz praised teams for effectively summarizing design work from past semester and half highlighting it as an excellent opportunity for evaluating students for potential employment.

Marshall learned important lessons about patience clear communication when presenting his project at this event.

Williams enjoyed attending these events as she reflected on her own nervousness during presentations while supporting current students.