ECS end-of-year Honours presentations impress

Outer space, traffic and music were just some of the topics covered as students, staff and industry partners celebrated the culmination of a year of hard work at the Dean's Sessions end-of-year Engineering and Computer Science Honours students' presentations recently.

The inspiring student presentations included solutions for visualising astronomical data, a Wellington traffic visualisation tool, and the re-design of a commercial power amplifier.

“These presentations are the final milestone in many of our students' academic careers – they represent a huge amount of work, inspiration and determination,” said Dr Kris Bubendorfer, senior lecturer and Honours supervisor for ECS.

Eight students presented their work - Christopher Hawkins, Tony Butler-Yeoman, Andrew Lensen, Josianne Hyson, Michael Winton, Jarrod Bakker, Dayle Jellyman and Hamish Colenso.

They were chosen because of the appeal their work has for the wider community. Each presentation was marked not only on content, but also on each student’s ability to field detailed questions about their research from the audience.

The presenters spoke confidently and professionally as they shared their research outcomes with the audience, supported by their classmates who came to see them in action.

“With so much talent here, we’d like to see our students studying for as long as possible, before they’re snapped up by industry partners - including those present today,” said Professor Dale Carnegie, Dean of Engineering.

After the presentations, those same industry partners asked the students “Where to from here?” regarding the next steps for their projects.

Some students used the event as a way to connect with industry and foster links for future employment, while others plan to return to study at Victoria as Masters and PhD students.

Dr Bubendorfer says that whatever path the students choose, “We are incredibly proud of our students and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”