MS&E Senior Projects

As a culmination of the major, MS&E's senior project course offers students a "learn-by-doing" experience.

First, student teams select and define a problem with a sponsoring organization. They then design, test, analyze, and provide recommendations to the sponsor using their cumulative MS&E education. Finally, students present their engineered solutions for these in-depth, real-world problems.

Senior projects often open a variety of doors for students, including employment opportunities with sponsor organizations.

2022 senior projects: Impact, optimized

This year's senior projects saw the return of in-person presentations during March 2022.

Students drew on their course work—including mathematical modeling, systems analysis, organization theory, optimization, probability, statistics, ethics, computer science, and economics—to inform their work on the projects.

Projects for 2022 infused optimization problems, such as how best to take a company public, with a heavy emphasis on social impact, for example defining best practices for a homeless shelter's transition from congregate to non-congregate housing. Sponsor organizations ranged from early-stage startups like Metrus Energy, to established firms like ESPN, to non-profits like 3Strands Global Foundation that serve to impact the community at large. 

Students were mentored by MS&E faculty members along the way, meeting regularly in groups to refine their work leading up to their final presentations. This year's faculty mentors included professors Ramesh Johari, Riitta Katila, Markus Pelger, and James Sweeney.

Videos are included for teams whose sponsor organizations gave permission to share the final presentations. Each project also has a written summary.