In their finals days at Windsor Central High School, a group of seniors got a crash course in preparation and product pitching at Binghamton University. Seniors in the Engineering and Design Development course presented their Capstone Projects to BU Professor Dr. Paul Chiarot and about ten of his doctoral students.  

 

 

“Public presentations require students to do higher-quality work and give them the opportunity for real-world experience,” said Engineering and Design Development teacher Mark Wentka.

Zach Carlson, Desmond Martinkovic, Chad O’Connor and Alex Quinn presented their vertical hydroponics project. This project would make the vertical farming system accessible to schools and communities, so its design focus was to make it as easy to use as possible. 

“Part of the feedback was that we could have included more mechanical aspects to make it more automated,” said Quinn, who will study Mathematical Physics at the University of Buffalo.

The BU group also suggested to Quinn and his classmates that their presentation include more images to be more engaging.  

Cole Greenfield and Harrison Peterson pitched their digital wrist coach, a device that would allow a football coach to wirelessly submit plays to a quarterback while also providing a 25-second play clock monitor. Peterson, who will study Mechanical Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology, said going through the engineering design process helped sharpen the focus of his project.

 

 

“When you pitch it you have to have a clear idea of what to do,” said Peterson.

“It’s a super-effective process,” said Quinn. “If done correctly, you can get through a project quickly and get feedback quickly to make the most optimal project.”

This year marked the first time members of the EDD class presented their Capstone Projects outside of Windsor Central High School. The EDD course is the culmination of the District’s Project Lead the Way engineering pipeline. 

“In industry you have to present to an unfamiliar audience and do so in a way that creates more opportunity for you and your firm,” said Mr. Wentka. 

Mr. Wentka said that Dr. Chiarot is interested in continuing the relationship with Windsor’s EDD class. One option for next year’s class is to continue the projects that were presented this year to bring them closer to completion.