Centers of Innovation Support Student Research & Design Showcase Events
Georgia's universities are a constant source of talent and technology to fuel innovation within the state. As part of the mission to help Georgia's key industries to connect, compete, and grow the Centers of Innovation (COI) participate and sponsor student research and design showcases at our local universities.
COI sponsored the Georgia Southern University Allen E . Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology (CEIT) Undergraduate Student Research Symposium on April 21st which showcased the efforts of more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students from all six CEIT departments presenting 94 projects and posters on their research in 18 exciting and interdisciplinary categories. This hands-on research encourages students to apply their knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems, such as those faced by industry every day. COI sponsored the awards for top three projects in both undergraduate and graduate areas as selected by a team of industry representatives. COI-Manufacturing Director John Morehouse and COI Executive Director Steve Justice attended with Mr. Justice providing the Keynote address at the awards ceremony.
On April 25th, COI Executive Director Steve Justice served as a judge at the Georgia Tech Capstone Design Expo which is one of the largest student design expos in the U.S. Over 1000 graduating seniors representing over 240 teams from 11 different Schools/Majors within Georgia Tech showcased their creative solutions to real-world challenges designed and built during their Capstone Design courses. Past expos have witnessed projects which have yielded significant results for the industry sponsors, saving some of them upwards of millions of dollars in research and development costs. The networking experience for students gives them the opportunity to make a lasting first impression on potential employers, while others have even walked away with an invitation to come and visit a potential employment opportunity with some of the industry sponsors and judges.
Learn more about the Centers of Innovation at Georgia.org/Innovation.