Honors Program Students Win at Spring 2023 Capstone Expo

May 1, 2023

Every semester, the Capstone Design Expo showcases the work done by graduating seniors in the Capstone Design Course.  It’s a culminating experience that involves teams of students solving real-world industry and research design problems, just in time for them to leave Georgia Tech and bring those ideas into the labor market.  This year, two Honors Program (HP) students were on teams recognized for excellence: Ashley Goodnight’s team Unmanned Aircraft System was recognized for the best project in Electrical and Computer Engineering, while Matthew Reingold’s team Power (Density) Rangers was recognized for the best project in Materials Science and Engineering.  We asked these two students to reflect on their Capstone Expo win, their time at Georgia Tech and in the Honors Program, and their plans for after graduation.

ASHLEY GOODNIGHT

Ashley Goodnight is a third-year Electrical Engineering major from Clarksville, MD.  During her time at Georgia Tech she has been involved in research in the Opportunity Research Scholars (ORS) Program.  Her technical interests are in radio frequency and microwave engineering.

Ashley’s project was Unmanned Aircraft Systems, sponsored by Florida Power & Light (FPL). The goal was to accurately inventory FPL equipment by gathering data (GPS location, model, serial number) from RFID tags attached to power pole assets, then sending it to a database via an RFID reader. The RFID reader is placed on a drone, allowing wireless communication from a distance. Her team’s system demonstrated performance far beyond the required specifications, working from distances up to 180 ft away, heights up to 60 ft, and speeds up to 30 mph.  Reflecting on her work, Ashley said:

The Capstone Expo is my most valued memory at Georgia Tech. It was the culmination of everything I’ve learned during my time at Tech as well as my team’s efforts over the past two semesters. Presenting at the Capstone Expo allowed me to take a step back and truly appreciate all the hard work my team dedicated to the project and see how much we accomplished. Attending the Capstone Expo was an amazing experience that let me explore the research and opportunities outside of my major as well as network with other students, faculty, and corporate sponsors.

After graduation in fall 2023, Ashley plans on pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering with a focus on electromagnetics. During her capstone project, she was heavily involved in the antenna engineering aspects and gained experience with industry-standard software like Ansys HFSS and Autodesk EAGLE.

As a member of the Honors Program, Ashley took a wide variety of HP classes on everything from coding in Python (CS 1301) to the structure of America’s electrical grid (PUBP 335).  However, she felt that the most important thing that she gained from her experience in the HP was friends.  She noted that starting college during the pandemic made it challenging to make friends, but through the Honors Program, she met her best friend and current roommate.

MATTHEW REINGOLD

Matthew Reingold is a fourth-year Materials Science and Engineering major from Roswell, GA. During his time at Georgia Tech he has been involved in undergraduate research on electronic materials, and he spent a summer interning at Sandia National Laboratories. Outside of science and engineering, Matthew has been involved in music on campus, performing with the marching band and symphony orchestra on French horn, mellophone, and piano.

Matthew’s senior capstone team, the Power (Density) Rangers, designed and fabricated supercapacitors using a novel graphene material developed by the sponsor, HeXalayer. Supercapacitors are a critical energy storage system behind the transition to electric vehicles and a renewable energy grid. Additionally, the team designed a method to introduce a conductive polymer to the device, which significantly improved the energy storage capabilities.

After he graduates this semester, Matthew is interning at nLIGHT in Portland, OR, then returning to Georgia Tech to complete his Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering. Matthew is interested in continuing to pursue energy storage materials research after he completes his graduate degree.

Matthew began his college career at Georgia Tech by studying computer science and media archeology through the Honors Program, in addition to his core engineering classes. His most valued experience during his time in the Honors Program was his freshman seminar on mindfulness and meditation; he has continued to utilize the methods explored during that course throughout his college career. Matthew’s favorite aspect of Georgia Tech overall is the friends he’s made along the way. Seriously!

The faculty and staff of the Honors Program are so proud of Ashley and Matthew and can’t wait to see all the exciting things that they do after graduation.  Congratulations!