The pursuit of excellence
KU engineering students in every discipline take capstone design courses in their junior and senior years. The courses involve projects that require students to draw upon the knowledge of engineering analysis and design they have acquired at KU and to blend that knowledge with teamwork and project management. Many of the design projects are evaluated in regional, national and international competitions. KU engineering students have a growing history of success in these contests.
Aerospace Engineering Awards
KU aerospace engineering students excel in undergraduate and
graduate student design competitions organized by the American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation, the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NASA and the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE). Since 1982, KU students have been among
the top finishers in these important competitive areas.
Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Awards
KU chemical engineering students have won the national American
Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Student Design Competition
more often in the last two decades than any school in the United
States. The contest problems are not textbook exercises but actual
engineering problems that come directly from industry.
Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering
Awards
KU civil engineering students test their knowledge of design,
materials, fabrication and quality control in competitions involving
steel bridges and concrete canoes. The popular competitions,
sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) for steel bridges
and by the ASCE, American Concrete Institute (ACI), and Master
Builders, Inc., for canoes, are a highlight of each spring semester.
In architectural engineering, KU students are successful competitors
in illumination engineering, acoustic design, and building
mechanical systems design. KU architectural engineering students
frequently are chosen for national awards and scholarships that
recognize academic excellence and professional promise.
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Awards
Students in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science excel in a variety of areas, but most notably in their
ability to win large fellowships from NASA. See what these students
are capable of.
Mechanical Engineering Awards
Re-engineering fuel systems, designing and building racecars,
developing innovative solutions to human mobility, KU mechanical
engineering students take on a variety of challenges. Competitions
sponsored by the Society of Autmotive Engineers, the U.S. Department
of Energy, and others give students the opportunity to combine
coursework with teamwork.
