Summer UTDesign Expo 2025 Showcases Innovation, Collaboration and Real-World Impact
The University of Texas at Dallas Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science hosted its Summer UTDesign Expo 2025, bringing together students, faculty, industry partners and community leaders to celebrate the innovative senior design projects developed over the summer semester.
The event, held at the UTDesign Studio, featured dozens of projects demonstrating creative engineering solutions to real-world problems, from advanced wireless communication systems to cutting-edge IoT platforms.
Inside the UTDesign Studio
The UTDesign Studio, a 30,000-square-foot facility, serves as a collaborative hub where students work side by side with faculty mentors and corporate sponsors. Equipped with state-of-the-art labs, prototyping equipment, and flexible collaboration spaces, the studio provides students with an environment that mirrors real-world engineering workplaces. The open, team-based layout encourages cross-pollination of ideas, allowing students to move seamlessly from brainstorming to building to testing.
The Contest Process
During the expo, each team presented their projects at designated booths where judges, including industry professionals & faculty members evaluated the work. Projects were assessed on criteria such as technical complexity, innovation, teamwork, presentation quality, and potential real-world impact. Judges engaged directly with students, asking questions to gauge both their engineering knowledge and their ability to communicate ideas to non-technical audiences. At the end of the showcase, scores were tallied, and the top teams from UTDesign I and UTDesign II were announced and honored with awards.
Richardson Mayor Commends Student Innovation
Richardson Mayor Amir Omar attended the expo, visiting each student group to learn about their projects firsthand.
“What’s exciting about what’s happening here is that this is a very concentrated version of the legacy of Richardson all these years,” Omar said. “In this space, you can see dozens of young innovators, and it’s amazing to see the projects students have been working on that we can use to meet the city’s objectives. I have had the opportunity to meet a few faculty members involved with UTDesign, but this is my very first expo. I am very impressed.”
Industry Partners Recognize Student Dedication
Industry judges were equally impressed by the scope and quality of the projects. Jason Pharis from Texas Instruments Inc. shared his enthusiasm for partnering with UTDesign in the future:
“We have been talking about trying to come up with a project idea we could sponsor. We have new stuff coming up, and we are interested,” Pharis said. “The projects are great, and it’s clear that the students have worked very hard during the summer and they haven’t taken any time off.”
Celebrating the Winners
- UTDesign I – Summer 2025 First Place
Educational WHF/UHF Transceiver Development Kit
Team Members: Adrianne Quick, Dominic Nguyen, Eric Mutton, Jairo Thiongo, Zack Potersnak - UTDesign I – Summer 2025 Second Place
Team Verdant: Smart Plant Health System
Team Members: Jared Durham, Ian Galloway, Bryan Macias, Alberto Guia, Alexandro - UTDesign II – Summer 2025 First Place
OWL Integrations: Get Creative with a New IoT Electronics Foundation – Quakerboard
Team Members: Peter Peters, Rushi Khasakia, Brandon Nguyen, Andy Luong, Austin Rudiak, Aneesh Saxena - UTDesign II – Summer 2025 Second Place
Adom Industries: Molecule Design for Drone Controller Board
Team Members: Stephanie Elizalde, Alexis Segura-Monroy, Noah Reinert, Doyun Lee, Caleb Don Taylor, Noor Chaaban
A Platform for Real-World Engineering
The UTDesign Expo continues to be a cornerstone of experiential learning at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Jonsson School, allowing students to work on industry-sponsored projects and address challenges with tangible solutions. By bringing together academia, industry and the community, the event reinforces the department’s mission to equip students with the skills and experience needed to excel in their careers.
As Omar noted, the innovations showcased at the Summer 2025 Expo have the potential to directly impact the City of Richardson making this not only a celebration of student achievement but also a glimpse into the future of local and global technology.