Mechanical Engineering Renovates Senior Design Lab with Support from Presidential Fast Impact Fund
The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University is renovating its Senior Design Lab in the Heavy Engineering building, creating an enhanced space where students can bring innovative ideas to life while completing the department's signature senior design experience.
The project is supported by more than $250,000 in funding from President Andrea Goldsmith's Presidential Fast Impact Fund, an initiative that provides fiscal support for low-investment, high-reward projects through specialized equipment acquisitions, pilot programs, and targeted renovations.
The renovated lab will provide students enrolled in the capstone Mechanical Engineering senior design sequence, providing dedicated workspaces equipped with hand tools, 3D printers, measurement and scanning equipment, and secure storage. The lab will be supported as well by the CEAS machine shop, other departmental teaching labs, and projects sponsors.
The two-semester senior design sequence is the culminating academic experience for Mechanical Engineering students. During MEC 440, students select a project, develop technical background, and produce design proposals and progress reports while presenting their work. In MEC 441, teams complete the engineering design process by building and testing prototypes, documenting their results, and delivering final presentations.
This renovation will strengthen this hands-on experience by providing a dedicated environment where students can collaborate, innovate, and solve real-world engineering challenges.
"For many students in Mechanical Engineering, the senior design experience is their last impression of the university," said P. Scott Carney, professor and chair of Mechanical Engineering. "This is our last and best opportunity to make an enduring impact on them as they transition from being our students to being our alumni, out in the world and carrying the Stony Brook imprimatur."
The new Senior Design Lab reflects the department's commitment to preparing seniors to launch as graduates equipped with the creativity, technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and leadership experience developed through a world-class capstone project.