Capstone Design

Participation in Capstone Design Projects synthesizes theory learned in class, lab work, and real-world experience from co-op programs.

Students are able to create design projects in areas that interest them. Capstone Design projects often lead to the creation of a marketable product and entrepreneurial opportunities for graduating students.

Students own the ideas and devices they create for the design competition and there are several pitch competitions that follow the Capstone Design Event which act as a platform for students to compete for funding to commercialize their devices.

Beyond the classroom, Capstone Design Projects have the potential to make a real difference in the world. Some projects were developed in collaboration with industry partners or community organizations. This allows students to address real-life challenges and potentially contribute to positive change in the world.

Capstone design in the News

Rythem Rastogi, Shanese Bajnathsingh, Ananya Muralidharan and Anjali Rawal

Excitement was in the air at the 2024 Capstone Design Symposium as Chemical Engineering students showcased their Fourth-Year Capstone Design Projects! Students applied their knowledge, skills, and creativity toward solving real-world problems.

Beyond the classroom, Capstone Design Projects have the potential to make a real difference in the world. Some projects were developed in collaboration with industry partners or community organizations. This allowed students to address real-life challenges and potentially contribute to positive change. This year’s winning teams are excellent examples of such projects. Many were aimed at advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Nicholas Somer, Abin Varghese, Amrita Kaur, Shannon McNeil and Dr. Glenn Harvel

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Fourth-year students leverage their creativity and technical skills to advance new ideas and novel technologies in their Capstone Design Projects.

four women standing in front of a poster board

Winning a pitch competition is never easy, but it becomes even more challenging when there is no prototype or product ready for market. Despite these obstacles, Capstone Group 4 defied the odds and won $12,000 to advance their project!

The project, called Direct-Li, won the Norman Esch Entrepreneurship Award for Capstone Design. The group proposed a more efficient and eco-friendly process for lithium extraction.

Through engineering innovation, Group 4 developed a two-stage process called direct lithium extraction (DLE). Group members Rachel Kumara, Sophie Campbell, Maeve Seto and Louise Tayzon utilized nanofiltration and ion pump separation to extract 90 per cent more lithium per litre of water in half the time compared to��industry standards.

“We were delighted that we were successful in conveying our idea in a way that made the judges see value in something that we do not actually have, a solid prototype. Our ideas are based on simulations and models. We were shocked to win! We were just happy to be there and to be challenging ourselves, especially since we were the only all-women group in the competition!”