The Tickle College of Engineering Senior Design Showcase is an event celebrating the creative work of our seniors. The projects provide a myriad of challenges that must be overcome to develop solutions effectively balancing the desired system performance with available time and financial resources.

The showcase will provide you with a venue to engage audiences of varying levels of technical literacy and life experiences. You are encouraged to invite your friends and family to the event—after all, they’ve likely been hearing you talk about your experiences for many months now. You can also expect to see project sponsors, potential employers, peers, and underclassmen at the event.

The content on this page is intended to provide guidance in what to prepare and what is expected of you, as well as where to be, and when to be there.

The Senior Design Showcase will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m in the Zeanah Engineering Complex and John D. Tickle Building.

Event Dress Code

Students are expected to wear appropriate business casual attire. Sponsor/department-provided logo polo or button-down shirt/blouse is acceptable as well.

Preparation Timeline

This is a guide. You can always work ahead of the suggested timeline.

• One Month Out
  • • Start designing your poster/display. You may use your course-specific template or access TCE-branded templates available here.
    • Start designing how you will convey the story of your project. Poster examples are available.
    • Determine what and how you will demonstrate your prototype system, software, simulation, or experiment
    • Make sure your advisor/faculty members know what equipment and supporting items you will need
• T-Minus Two Weeks
  • Review and finalize poster/display draft with your teammates, client and advisor
  • Prepare your business casual attire
  • Script your presentation and demonstration delivery
  • Get your plan together for gathering the needed support equipment as well as for picking up, dropping off, setting up, knocking down, and returning borrowed support equipment
  • Confirm the ordering process and timeline for your project poster with your instructor, if needed
• T-Minus One Week
  • Make sure your poster has been ordered for print through your department if needed preference is to have posters mounted on foamboard unless otherwise specified by your instructor: 1) print the poster 33” x 44” in landscape orientation, 2) do not order your poster mounted on foamboard
  • Practice your poster and demonstration delivery (all team members!)
  • Check the Career Fair Plus app to make sure your teams’ project is accurately reflected. If your project needs updating, please contact Amanda Middleton at amanda@utk.edu.
• T-Minus Three Days
  • Make sure you have your poster/display ready
  • Rehearse the demonstration and poster/display presentation
  • Final check on your business casual attire
  • Verify any equipment you requested for setup will be ready for pick up
  • Pick up your name badge from your department’s front office (For IED teams, pick up your name badges with Keith Stanfill, Edwards Assistant Dean and Director of Integrated Engineering Design)
• T-Minus One Day
  • Make sure all team members have their name badges and lanyards picked up from your department’s main office (For IED teams, pick up your name badges with Stanfill)
  • You can start setting up your project after 5:00 p.m.

Day-of Timeline

• Zeanah Engineering Complex (ZEC) and John D. Tickle Building (TIC) setup: 8–10 a.m.
  • Check in at the ZEC Ground Floor atrium to pick up your foamboard, clips, easels, and monitors (if requested)
  • Locate your table—poster stations are grouped by department and major; location can be found on Career Fair Plus app
  • Set up your poster/display area and arrange your materials at your station
• Lunch: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
  • Food trucks will be available during and after the event for senior design students, sponsors, and TCE leadership.
  • Each name badge will have a ticket to use for a meal from one of the food trucks. Anything over the one meal ticket can be purchased by the individual.
  • Please take turns with team members to grab your lunch in shifts. 1–2 team members should be present at your station at all times.
• Main Event: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
  • Engage visitors in your project
  • Use your poster/display to walk through the story of the project and your results
  • Demonstrate your prototype system, software, or simulation
  • If possible, allow visitors to try it out themselves
  • Ensure that your poster/display always has at least 1–2 team members present and rotate so that you can visit other posters
• Knock down: 1–2 p.m.
  • Remove all materials from your tabletop
  • Return any foamboard, clips, easels, and monitors to the Kao ICS on the Ground Floor of ZEC
  • Your team is responsible for returning any technology or support materials borrowed from your department (computer monitors, cables, power supplies, etc.)
  • Return your posters to your departmental senior design space
  • Throw away any trash

Note: Some departments may have an after-showcase event planned. Check with your department beforehand to see if this is the case.