USask Engineering student design projects create industry and community impact

The University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Engineering recently hosted its annual Capstone Design Showcase, bringing together students, industry partners, alumni, faculty and community members to showcase and celebrate the achievements of final-year engineering students.

The showcase featured the top 14 capstone projects that address real-world challenges across the college’s 8 disciplines, including the general engineering capstone class, which includes multi-disciplinary teams. The projects reflect the breadth and impact of the engineering profession.

The Capstone Design Showcase marks the culmination of students’ undergraduate experience. Through capstone design courses, students apply the technical knowledge, teamwork and problem-solving skills they have developed throughout their degrees. Working alongside industry partners and faculty mentors, they deliver practical solutions with real-world relevance.

Capstone projects often create pathways to future opportunities, including employment, continued research, and student-led ventures in entrepreneurship and commercialization.

The annual showcase highlights the strength of USask Engineering students and their ability to address complex challenges. Through their work, students demonstrate their readiness to contribute as the engineers the world needs.

 

View all photographs from the evening on the College of Engineering's Flickr page: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCPwK1

The 14 groups are chosen from allocations across the eight engineering disciplines and the general engineering capstone classes. Faculty and peers select each winning team during the discipline capstone design showcase nights to move forward to the Capstone Design Showcase.

Mechanical Engineering

• Quick-Detection Dog Nail Trimmer: Alex Hofer, Rylan Galey, Kyle Parker and Robby Stewart
• Design of a TRISO Particle Fuel Dispensing Mechanism in an X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) Setup: Maeve McKee, Sopheakreach Chheang, John Paul Cruz and Jayden Peregoodoff
• Magnetic Yard Sweeper: Max Kazuska, Conner Majic, Luke Schlosser and Sidney Sidloski

Civil Engineering

• Little Red Powwow Arbour: Lydia Menshenfriend, Vika Panchuk, Cole Otterson, Evan DeBack and Tong Tong
• Circle Drive over Idylwyld Drive Overpass Replacement: Brennan Praski, Thomas Kent, Evan Schneider, Jacob McHarg and Angel Rei Dalisay

Geological Engineering

• Evaluating Seam Separation in Potash Solution Mining: Griffin Dauk, Ayden Kavalench, Mila Szautner and Clay Highmoor

Environmental Engineering

• Lagoon Capacity Assessment and Conceptual Upgrade Study: Abuena Adaka, Raenna Hesje, Betsy Ugolo, Mario Gonzalez and Ashton Shashank

Electrical Engineering

• Grid Forming Inverter Control: Jacob Viher, Carter Warman, David Mielke and Kelvin Jonasson

Computer Engineering

• Reaction Chamber for Pathogen Detection in Crops: Matthew Hahn, Kylen Morris, Dawson Puderak and Liv Stianson

Chemical Engineering

• Quantifying GHG Emissions Intensity for Municipal Solid Waste Disposal in Saskatchewan: Aaron Shaw, Mitchel Van Kessel and Shawn Croke
• Separation of Potash Tailings: Jael Dilsner, Zach Pardoski and Andrea Stickwood

Engineering Physics

• Nuclear Reactor Simulator: Graham Elder, Eilidh Hlady, Sarah Khalid, Adrienne Kolkman and Daniel Okerstrom

General Engineering

• WatchOut!: Reducing Grader-Manhole Collisions During Snow Clearing: Ashton Bourgeois, Taha Kaleem, Rylee Moody and Brennan Yim
• Lektern - Footstrike Analysis: Jacob Marks, Alexander Webster, Oren Rotaru, Jeevan Prakash and Alvan Alam

 

 

Best Industry Award presented by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS)

These awards will go to the top two capstone groups that developed a large-scale industrial design and scored on technical merit, persuasiveness of the design, potential impact and innovation.  

• Winner ($1,000): Design of a TRISO Particle Fuel Dispensing Mechanism in an X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) Setup: Maeve McKee, Sopheakreach Chheang, John Paul Cruz and Jayden Peregoodoff
• Runner-up ($500): Grid Forming Inverter Control: Jacob Viher, Carter Warman, David Mielke and Kelvin Jonasson

 

Best Consulting Award presented by Hatch

This award will go to the group that worked collaboratively with clients and other stakeholders throughout the design process. In this context, a collaborative design process involves consulting with all relevant stakeholders to develop a deep understanding of the problem (including any relevant social, cultural, environmental, or economic considerations), then working with the stakeholders to identify, evaluate, and implement solutions that address the problem holistically.

• Winner ($1,000): WatchOut!: Reducing Grader-Manhole Collisions During Snow Clearing: Ashton Bourgeois, Taha Kaleem, Rylee Moody and Brennan Yim

Best Product Award presented by the Saskatoon Engineering Society

These awards will go to the top two capstone groups that developed a product design and scored on technical merit, persuasiveness of the design, potential impact and innovation.  

• Winner ($1,000): Lektern - Footstrike Analysis: Jacob Marks, Alexander Webster, Oren Rotaru, Jeevan Prakash and Alvan Alam
• Runner-up ($500): Quick-Detection Dog Nail Trimmer: Alex Hofer, Rylan Galey, Kyle Parker and Robby Stewart

Environmental Impact Award presented by PINTER & Associates

This award will go to the group with the design that the judges feel is most capable of having the most positive environmental impact and the ability to help preserve, the certainty of impact, and/or remediate the natural environment.

• Winner ($1,000): Grid Forming Inverter Control: Jacob Viher, Carter Warman, David Mielke and Kelvin Jonasson

 

Social Impact Award presented by PCL                

This award will go to the group with the design that the judges feel is most capable of having the most positive social impact, the certainty of impact, and the ability to help people.

• Winner ($1,000): Quick-Detection Dog Nail Trimmer: Alex Hofer, Rylan Galey, Kyle Parker and Robby Stewart

 

Audience Choice Award presented by the alumni and friends of the Engineering Advancement Trust (EAT)

This award will go to the group that the audience feels is most deserving.

• Winner ($1,000): Grid Forming Inverter Control: Jacob Viher, Carter Warman, David Mielke and Kelvin Jonasson

Social Impact Award presented by PCL                

This award will go to the group with the design that the judges feel is most capable of having the most positive social impact, the certainty of impact, and the ability to help people.

• Winner ($1,000): Quick-Detection Dog Nail Trimmer: Alex Hofer, Rylan Galey, Kyle Parker and Robby Stewart

 

Audience Choice Award presented by the alumni and friends of the Engineering Advancement Trust (EAT)

This award will go to the group that the audience feels is most deserving.

• Winner ($1,000): Grid Forming Inverter Control: Jacob Viher, Carter Warman, David Mielke and Kelvin Jonasson