PCE News
Project Day: Celebrating Innovation and Collaboration
April 27, 2023
More than 90 engineering, computer science, and occupational safety and health management students presented their senior and team projects on April 20 at the Shape Corp. Innovation and Design Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.
Project Day is sponsored by the Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing (PCEC) and showcases the culmination of what students have learned in the classroom and in collaboration with industry partners.
Sara Maas, Outreach Coordinator for PCEC, shared that “It’s always fun to see the diverse projects that our GVSU students are working on - from swords, to apps, to training videos using AR, and it’s great to see the visiting students engaging with the presenters. Sara enjoys being closely involved with Project Day because “It’s so important for younger students to get on a college campus and see real-life output from college students.”
There were 39 projects presented by Grand Valley students with topics that ranged from the creation of a financial literacy app to the unveiling of a Formula One-style open wheel-race car. Many of the projects demonstrated how students worked with a client to solve a real-world industry problem.
Two of the projects, “Security of SCADA Systems”, presented by Alexander Sobiesczyk and Clayton Wenzel, and Steelcase DCIM Capstone Project, presented by Kassidy Ricketson and Casey Sytsema, were selected for the inaugural Reach Higher 2025 Showcase.
The Reach Higher showcase was created to share the institution’s mission and vision with the entire Grand Valley State University community.
High school students from Black River Prep, Colon High School, Covenant House Academy, Grand Rapids Public Museum School, Grand River Prep, Muskegon Covenant Academy, West Catholic High School, West Michigan Aviation Academy, and Whitehall High School attended the event.