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Senior Design

Project Sponsorship

Center for Engineering Design & Entrepreneurship (CEDE)

Advance Your Projects with Gonzaga Senior Design

The School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), ranked the #1 undergraduate engineering school in the Northwest by U.S. News & World Report, partners each year with about 40 organizations across industry, government, public agencies, non-profits, and academia.

Through these collaborations, roughly 50 senior design teams apply their growing expertise to sponsor-defined projects, offering organizations a meaningful way to advance their ideas while engaging directly with emerging engineering and computer science talent.

Why Sponsor a Senior Design Project?

• Gain fresh, multidisciplinary perspectives on your real-world technical challenges.

• Invest in your own R&D (teams dedicate a minimum of 640 hours per project).

• Strengthen your organization’s innovation pipeline while mentoring future engineers.

• Build visibility and connections within Gonzaga’s engineering and computer science community for recruitment and workforce development.

• Support experiential learning that empowers students to serve society through technology.

• Gain access to a wide range of academic experts, equipment, dedicated lab space, fabrication facilities, and computation resources.

What Sponsors Can Expect

“Working professionals providing constructive feedback in the Senior Design program develops really great engineers. Since 2020, DOWL has hired eight Gonzaga civil engineering seniors from Senior Design. We have been thrilled with the quality and aptitude of these students and look forward to hiring more in the future.”

— Adam Miles, PE Senior Transportation Engineer, DOWL

• A specialized team of 3–5 students dedicated to working on your defined project

• Regular progress updates, milestone presentations, and prototype deliverables

• Ongoing collaboration with students, a faculty advisor and industry mentor

• Opportunities to recruit top-performing students for internships and full-time roles.

The Student Experience

Through the Senior Design program, students take on the challenges of real-world engineering and computing projects, applying their technical knowledge, creativity, and teamwork to solve problems for industry, research, and community partners.

This two-semester program is a required capstone for all students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Gonzaga University. Students are assigned to teams based on preferences and disciplinary needs. Each team is responsible for planning, budgeting, managing, and executing their project from concept to completion, guided by goals and expectations set by sponsors.

Sponsor Liaison

Project sponsors serve as the client for each team of 3-5 students. Designated liaisons from the sponsoring organization collaborate with students to clarify requirements, set expectations, and ensure that deliverables align with sponsors’ needs.

Sponsor liaisons are expected to meet with their team 1-2 times per month throughout the duration of the project and provide guidance on proposed budget items. Depending on the scope and scale of the project, Intellectual Property, Material Transfer and/or Non-Disclosure Agreements may need to be established to initiate the project. We will work with sponsor liaisons to ensure such documentation is completed during the early stages of project design.

The year culminates in the Senior Design Expo, a public showcase of projects.

Projects

Each project is unique, and could include software development, system design, testing and prototyping, or designing infrastructure systems. Final deliverables may include code, functional prototypes, or design and analysis documents with plans, specifications, and cost estimates, as specified in the project agreement.

Examples of Past Senior Design Projects

• Power Line Protection System Extension interface and models (Avista)

• Enhancement of Vision Inspection System prototype (Keytronic)

• Open Air Cabin Window and Energy Harvesting prototypes (Boeing)

• Overland Conveyor System design and cost analysis (Reed Family Companies)

• Large Seal Stretcher and Automated Part Counter prototypes (Jetseal)

Milestones

January–May — Sponsors submit project ideas to start in Fall and meet with CEDE for alignment scoping, and budget review.

• Beaver Dam Analog Design in Thompson Creek analysis & modeling (Lands Council)

• Third Axis Addition to the Itron RF Chamber prototype (Itron)

• Digital Twin for Thermal Modeling of Motor model (Kaiser)

• 30% Design Package for Market/Haven Two Way Street Conversion (Northeast Public Development Authority)

June-August — Project agreements finalized; students choose their preferred projects

September –Meet Your Team banquet including sponsor liaisons

Teams work through the school year and meet regularly with faculty and industry mentors. Progress is evaluated at mid-term and end-of-semester presentations, where teams practice technical communication and gather feedback.

Resources

Gonzaga Facilities

Your project team has access to a broad array of equipment through SEAS laboratory and testing facilities. Examples of these technical resources:

• Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC) with 5-axis CNC machine, lathe, knee & vertical mills, plasma cutter, etc.

• Cadwell Maker Center with 3-D printers, cutters, engraver, vacuum former, etc.

• Smart Antenna and Radio Lab (SARL) with anechoic chamber and analyzers

• Communications Lab with LPKF Protolaser for PCB fabrication

• Environmental Engineering Lab with Aqualog Fluorimeter, Total Organic Carbon/Total Nitrogen (TOC/TN) Analyzer, and Surface & Pore Analyzer

• Center for Materials Research (CMR) and Structural High Bay Lab with MTS test line

• GPU and Linux servers

Faculty Advisor

Every team works closely with a faculty advisor who provides guidance, technical feedback, and performance evaluations.

Industry Mentor

An industry mentor from our Design Advisory Board (DAB) supports each team with professional insights and practical advice. Our DAB is a network of over 50 professionals who generously volunteer their time and expertise. They provide mentorship, review student work, and help ensure that our program reflects the evolving standards and practices of the engineering and technology fields.

Late October –Students present initial research findings.

Early December –Students present design preparation February –Students present design progress

The program concludes with the Design Expo, a showcase event open to the public where teams present their final results, including prototypes, posters, and formal presentations, to sponsors, advisors, and DAB members.

Late April –Senior Design Expo, final presentation, and awards banquet

Three Sponsorship Levels

We offer several sponsorship levels which all include up to $500 towards materials, supplies, and overhead, plus other benefits listed in the table below. For organizations facing budget limitations, project fees may be negotiable with the CEDE Program Manager.

One team (3-5 students)

Faculty advisor stipend

Project management and administrative support

Event support (refreshments, goodie bags, tech)

Student project budget of up to $500*

Two tickets to Meet Your Team & Expo Banquets

Full access to CEDE facilities and equipment

Half page ad in Senior Design Expo Book

Full page ad in Senior Design Expo Book

Company booth at the Senior Design Expo

Corporate Connection Friday Spotlight

SEAS website feature & social media coverage

booth at Career & Internship Fair**

Company logo displayed at banquets & events

* All materials and supplies over $500 must be paid by the sponsor, with a minimum of 50% of anticipated project/materials costs collected up front. The balance will be invoiced at the end of fall and spring semesters. All project costs will be submitted for sponsor approval prior to purchase. Alternatively, sponsors can order and pay for their own materials.

**Engineering and Computer Science Career & Internship Fair is held at Gonzaga in October.

Additional Opportunities to Support Senior Design

For projects that do not produce a deliverable for a sponsor, the project fee ($4,000 or above) can be given as a tax-deductible gift, rather than a fee for service.

Gifts may also be given to support a project with unmet financial need, such as an internal Gonzaga faculty sponsored project or project proposed by a non-profit or small business. Your company will be recognized as the financial project sponsor.

— Jared Marshall (’23 BS Mechanical Engineering, ’24 MBA), Framatome You Receive

“My student experience in the Senior Design program inspired me to contribute as a project sponsor, DAB member, and now project advisor. From a sponsor’s perspective, I’ve enjoyed challenging the teams to develop and deliver solutions to real-world situations. The student teams I’ve worked with have been capable and responsive, and the quality of their solutions have been top notch.”

Propose a Project!

At Gonzaga’s CEDE, we recognize that every partner brings unique goals and challenges. Whether you’re a corporation, government agency, or entrepreneur, we’ll work with you to scope projects and design solutions that make an impact, while preparing students to innovate for the common good.

Use our form at gonzaga.edu/cede and include the following information:

• Tentative Project Title

• Executive Summary (up to 500 words)

• Student Discipline(s) preferred

• 2-3 Required Deliverables/Project Outcomes

Partner with Gonzaga’s engineering and computer science students as they apply imagination and state of the art practices to develop innovative solutions for the common good.

Contact the Gonzaga School of Engineering & Applied Science

(509) 313-3523 cede@gonzaga.edu