The 2014 Capstone Design Expo, held in McCamish Pavilion on April 24, was the largest Spring Expo ever!  More than 900 students on 170 teams from eight schools and three colleges demonstrated how they've tackled real-world problems. The IAC School of Public Policy joined the expo for the first time this year, continuing the trend of new Tech schools participating each semester. 

Choosing the best of the bunch was no easy task for the judges who came from a range of professional and academic backgrounds. In an address at the awards ceremony, Gary May, dean of the College of Engineering, said, "“It is clear that innovation and entrepreneurship are hallmark traits of our students. Industry will be impressed by how well-prepared you are to contribute right away.”

Having a record number of schools and colleges participating in the competition resulted in a record number of awards being handed out. Included were awards for each major, as well as two People's Choice awards, a Sponsor Award from Seelio, and the Best Overall Project Award.

School of Public Policy students were part of numerous teams working on solutions to wide-ranging problems. The winner from the Public Policy category was a project for the Atlanta Local Food Initiative entitled Urban Ag Swag.  Team members were Sahra Jabbehdari, Ryan Hedrich, Jonathan Vallecillo, and Tim Lin. Part of their senior design project, the team researched initiatives in other cities in order to help the Atlanta Local Food Initiative devise a path to boost local urban agriculture once the required zoning ordinance goes through.

Other projects originating from the School of Public Policy included:

• MJ—development of a policy approach for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to minimize the harmful impact of marijuana on youth in states where recreational use is legalized.
• E-cigs—development of a policy approach for the CDC to reduce the chance that cigarette smoking will re-enter society as a result of broad acceptance of e-cigarettes.
• Marcus— a project done for the Marcus Autism Center to identify the best approach for convincing Georgia to reimburse care management via telemedicine for autism via Medicaid.
• Healthy Cities—a project done for the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness to recommend a path to engage the cities of Fulton County in working to enhance the health of their residents.

Georgia Tech’s Capstone Design Expo showcases projects from the undergraduate senior design courses in which students work together to design products or tackle real-world problems, sometimes at the behest of sponsors.