Seniors Build Up CSUN’s Engineering Trophy Case

  • CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison (left) listens to graduating senior Vladimir Arutyunov, team captain (center), and graduating senior Kevin Hudelson, head of "ground control station," explain the mechanical engineering and design behind their award-winning Aero Design model aircraft. The 2014-15 team, made up of 18 undergraduates and supervised by Professor George Youssef, placed first in oral presentation and third overall among a field of more than 70 teams, for their model "heavy-lift aircraft" (a plane designed to lift comparatively heavy loads) at the Society of Automotive Engineers' International Aero Design West competition in Van Nuys. "Engineering isn't just about the product, Arutyunov said later. "You also have to present it well. Today was probably the best presentation of my life — thanks to preparation and having a great partner (fellow senior Aurora Varela)." Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison (second from right) and engineering dean S.K. Ramesh (center) meet members of the 2014-15 undergraduate Aero Design Team. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison (far right) and S.K. Ramesh, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, listen to engineering students describe their senior project, May 8, 2015. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • The Aero Design West advanced class' model "heavy-lift aircraft" design. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • Graduating senior Vladimir Arutyunov (team captain) and his presentation partner, fellow senior Aurora Varela, explain the mechanical engineering and design behind their award-winning Aero Design West model aircraft — to volunteer, professional engineers from local aeronautical firms. The presentations were part of the Senior Design Project Showcase, May 8 at the Northridge Center. "Team 218," made up of 18 Matador undergraduates and supervised by Professor George Youssef, placed first in April 2015 in oral presentation and third overall among a field of more than 70 teams at the Society of Automotive Engineers' International Aero Design West competition in Van Nuys. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • CSUN College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean S.K. Ramesh (left) helped greet visitors at the most recent Senior Project Design Showcase in May. Ramesh is one of 102 university deans who are leading the way toward more diversity in engineering careers, according to a letter released today by the American Society for Engineering Education during the White House's inaugural Demo Day. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • Members of the award-winning 2014-15 CSUN Aero Design Team. All are mechanical engineering seniors, and most have accepted job offers with regional industry giants such as Northrop Grumman and Lockheed. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • CSUN's Intelligent Ground Vehicle student team for spring 2015 shows off their finished product at the Senior Design Project Showcase, May 8, 2015, at the Northridge Center. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • CSUN's award-winning, student-built human-powered vehicle. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • In April 2015, the CSUN Human Powered Vehicle Challenge team — a perennial powerhouse in national competitions — placed first in the "innovation" category at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' annual competition. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison (second from right) chats with mechanical engineering seniors about their 2015 award-winning human-powered vehicle, as dean S.K. Ramesh looks on. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • The CSUN Human Powered Vehicle Challenge student team, with faculty advisors, May 8, 2015, at the Northridge Center. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • CSUN's 2014-15 Formula One design team, made up of mechanical engineering seniors (most of whom graduate this spring), show off their finished race car, May 8, 2015 at the Senior Design Project Showcase. Photo by Victor Kamont.

  • The Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula One car, is a perennial favorite project for senior engineering students at CSUN. The 2014-15 car is tricked out with Hoosier tires, made and tested in — you guessed it — Indianapolis. Photo by Victor Kamont.

Promise, passion and purpose hung heavy in the air at the Northridge Center at California State University, Northridge’s University Student Union on May 8. Perhaps it was the anticipation of Commencement 2015, which will take place May 15-18. Or, perhaps it was the very real offers of employment accepted by hundreds of Matador seniors graduating this month from the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Whatever the reason, the pride was palpable as the students and their faculty advisors showed off their culminating projects after months — sometimes semesters — of work in CSUN’s mechanical, structural and other engineering departments.

The annual Senior Design Project Showcase, which was open to the public, spotlights senior capstone design projects — judged entirely by a panel of industry experts, including those from local firms Northrop Grumman and Lockheed. Once again this spring, Matador engineering students quietly racked up the awards at international and national engineering competitions, elevating the reputation of their school, the CSU and the San Fernando Valley. In April, the CSUN Aero Design team placed first in oral presentation and third overall among a field of more than 70 teams, for their model “heavy-lift aircraft” (a plane designed to lift comparatively heavy loads) at the Society of Automotive Engineers’ International Aero Design West competition in Van Nuys.At the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Human Powered Vehicle Challenge West, also in April, the CSUN team placed first in the innovation event, fifth in the endurance event and sixth overall among 36 schools. The Matador team’s prize-winning vehicle is a tube-shaped recumbent bicycle — picture a pedal-powered bobsled.

“For us to place as high as we did in [Aero Design West] is a tremendous accomplishment, especially considering that we haven’t participated in this competition for a decade,” said S.K. Ramesh, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “It’s a fabulous accomplishment for our students. Congratulations also go to the professors, Aram Khachatourians, who worked on the Human Powered Vehicle, and George Youssef, who did the Aero Design Competition.”

Staff from the statewide Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists (through the state Department of Consumer Affairs) attended the May 8 showcase and sent a glowing report of the CSUN students’ work to the organization’s entire board. The engineers’ board representatives also plan to attend the college’s annual Tech Fest event in the fall, they said. The board, based in Sacramento, plans to provide information sessions at the Tech Fest to help students learn about the path to professional licensure as engineers.

“Capstone projects are the highlight of many undergraduate engineering students’ educations, because they give senior students an opportunity to work in teams to tackle real world applied research and design projects,” wrote a spokeswoman for the state engineers’ board, in a prepared statement.

As they showed off their award-winning projects to the professional engineers who served as volunteer judges — most were based in the San Fernando Valley — for the design showcase as well as to their peers, the seniors had the opportunity to share their work with CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison and Dean Ramesh. The president toured the showcase, asking the graduates-to-be about their methods, materials and plans after commencement. Below are a few photos from the May 8 showcase.

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