From a multi-criteria decision support system to optimize restaurant menus during a pandemic to boosting the efficiency of local manufacturing shopfloors, UWindsor students are improving the community through industrial engineering.

Seven student teams presented their capstone designs during the Industrial Engineering Virtual Capstone Showcase on March 26. Capstone projects challenge fourth-year engineering students to apply the formal knowledge they’ve gained during their undergraduate studies and partner with industry to solve real-world problems.

“Our students spend the fall and winter semesters working on sponsored projects from initial concepts to final designs,” says Jill Urbanic, capstone co-ordinator for the industrial engineering program.

“Although the present COVID-19 pandemic situation has altered how we do business, these students have met the challenges head-on.”

A new addition to this year’s showcase was the Windsor Mold Group Capstone Endowment Awards. Students had the chance to win three cash prizes for their innovative designs. The top three teams were selected by Windsor Mold Group representatives Keith Henry, Sandeep Singh, and Marc DiDomenico, and guest industry judges Mark Dolson of TRQSS and Pete Naysmith of Valiant TMS.

“Windsor Mold Group would like to congratulate this year’s industrial engineering capstone teams on their creative designs and innovative solutions to problems encountered in industry,” says Henry, Windsor Mold CEO. “Thinking creatively is the cornerstone of engineering designs and businesses depend on ingenuity to efficiently resolve problems.”

Windsor Mold Group Capstone Endowment Award recipients include the following:

• First Place - Resilient Restaurants; Iram Malik, Aayush Vashi, Mahmoud Yamin
• Second Place - Hiram Walker’s; Natalie Barcic, Lucas Dodson, Luke Gecse, Pierre Yousif
• Third Place - Martinrea Metallic; Elvis Amukamara, Sukhvir Dhaliwal, Tylene Gall, Bukky Sosanya, Mitch Wang

Undergraduate capstone projects present an opportunity for companies to solve engineering problems and recruit top talent. If your organization is interested in participating or would like more information about sponsoring a student project, contact 2021-22 capstone co-ordinator Waguih ElMaraghy at wem@uwindsor.ca.

—Kristie Pearce