Capstone showcase bridges classroom learning and career readiness

This past spring, the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, launched its capstone showcase to highlight the graduating students’ final projects, which feature practical applications, industry engagement and academic excellence.

The showcase, sponsored by the Friends of Civil and Environmental Engineering, or FOCE2, offered 15 teams of graduating seniors the opportunity to demonstrate the full arc of their undergraduate learning through hands-on, high-impact design projects to peers, faculty, alumni and industry professionals, many of whom served as mentors or judges.

“FOCE2 is more than just a support group,” says Dan Meyer, a FOCE2 Steering Committee chair member. “It’s a partnership that bridges academia and industry, providing students with real-world insights and companies with access to top-tier talent.”

Kamil Kaloush, FORTA Professor of Pavement Engineering and the civil engineering program chair, says the capstone experience helps to open job opportunities and gives students valuable experience in professional communication and networking.

“The capstone showcase serves as a bridge between academic life and a professional career, helping students transition into the workforce,” Kaloush says. “This is a culminating moment where students proudly demonstrate how they’ve connected classroom learning with practical applications.”

A redesigned experience with real-world impact

The showcase punctuates a broader transformation of the capstone experience itself. Previously offered as a one-semester course for four credit hours, the capstone is now a two-semester experience, with two credit hours per semester.

Udaya Halabe, a teaching professor of civil, environmental and sustainable engineering and FOCE2 capstone faculty fellow, says the restructuring encourages students to connect more deeply with their projects and their industry sponsor.

“It enhances their learning of professional engineering practice,” Halabe says, “and we’ve increased the number of topics and sponsoring firms to offer more project choices and align better with real industry needs.”

Faculty members are striving to align with local agencies and engineering firms to source projects with real application potential. These efforts have made it possible to connect students with leading organizations such as the Arizona Department of Transportation and FOCE2-member companies.

“Through mentorship, internships and scholarships, our industry partners continue to empower our students and enhance their educational journey,” Kaloush says. “Their dedication to shaping the next generation of civil engineers does not go unnoticed, and we are incredibly grateful.”

Award-winning work with industry relevance

Amid the celebration, projects were judged on a mix of technical quality, innovation, presentation clarity and real-world relevance. Judges — including FOCE2 members, faculty and industry experts — evaluated each team’s ability to clearly articulate the problem, apply engineering principles effectively and propose a feasible, impactful solution. Teams also fielded questions from professionals during the showcase, mimicking the format of industry conferences and further reinforcing career readiness.

A project titled “Saguaro Outlook,” presented by graduating civil engineering students Zachary Krause, Marrisa Cintron, Alyssa McDowell, Ishaan Patel, Emmy Maupin, Abby Noel and Kovina Savita, earned the top prize.

Conducted in collaboration with Westwood Professional Services, it focused on land development planning for a 416-acre parcel in Phoenix. The team applied sustainable urban design principles to account for future needs related to traffic, construction, geotechnical factors and water resource management.

The team’s members impressed judges not only with their final product, but also with their professionalism, teamwork and ability to think like engineers already embedded in the field.

“Each member of the team focused on a different subdiscipline and we all got to work together to envision how we would incorporate sustainability and everything we’ve learned in our classes so far,” Krause says. “We are proud of the work we were able to produce.”

Civil engineering seniors Zachary Krause (left), Marrisa Cintron (second from the left), Alyssa McDowell (center left), Ishaan Patel (center), Emmy Maupin (center right), Abby Noel (second from the right) and Kovina Savita (right) earned the top prize at the capstone showcase for their Saguaro Outlook project, which included a design of various aspects of land development across a 416-acre parcel in Phoenix. Photographer: Lisa Irish/ASU

Building strong connections

Industry mentors play a vital role in every project. Through guidance, feedback and technical support, they help students move from concept to final design. That mentorship reflects the Fulton Schools’ commitment to knowledge transfer and long-term professional growth.

Ram Pendyala, the director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and a Fulton Schools professor of civil, environmental and sustainable engineering, says that the capstone showcase highlights the incredible student talent and power of industry engagement in the classroom, ensuring that graduates are workforce-ready and prepared to lead from day one.

Feedback from industry partners has been overwhelmingly positive, and organizers are already planning improvements for next year, including consolidating the event into a single-day format where students deliver their oral presentations and present their projects in the poster showcase on the same day.

Faculty members and industry partners say they are eager to continue broadening the scope and depth of the capstone program.

“We are excited to expand our collaborations with even more industry partners that will continue to create transformative opportunities for our students,” Kaloush says. “We will also introduce new technical elective courses that better align with the program’s goals. Our commitment remains steadfast in preparing civil engineering graduates to excel in their careers and make lasting positive impacts on society.”