35 graduate student teams share results of industry collaboration at Project-Based Learning Symposium

Franki Fitterer

12 May 2026

a group of students presenting their project based learning project — Graduate students present projects during the Institute for Advanced Computing spring Project-Based Learning Symposium. Photo by Craig Newcomb for Virginia Tech.

On May 8, the Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Computing hosted its largest Project-Based Learning Symposium to date as 35 teams, representing more than 160 Master of Engineering students, showcased projects completed during the spring semester. Their work reflected months of close collaboration with government and industry partners across the greater Washington, D.C., area, as well as with research faculty.

Student teams tackled real-world challenges for partner organizations including:

Boeing, six teams
Alexandria Fire Department, three teams
U.S. Secret Service, three teams
MARI, a local Alexandria startup, two teams
U.S. Marine Corps, two teams
U.S. Space Force, two teams
Northrop Grumman, one team

Projects spanned a wide range of emerging technologies and real-world challenges, including quantum error correction, drone detection, immersive EMT training, automated cybersecurity testing, land mine detection, data compression, greenhouse monitoring systems, artificial intelligence-generated training materials, food insecurity support tools, historic photo analysis, and data visualization platforms.

Through the implementation and testing of these projects, students gained hands-on experience in a variety of professional and technical environments. Their work included using the Institute for Advanced Computing's indoor drone cage for testing, programming immersive training environments, updating legacy software systems, developing animations and user experience features, and conducting data analysis. Students also participated in field testing and collaboration visits at locations such as fire departments, farms, parks, and a Secret Service training facility.

The Secret Service Integrated Project Design team presented the results of its two-semester project, which featured both audio and video drone detection.

Presentations took place in the Boeing Auditorium and on the second floor of Academic Building One throughout the day, while conversations continued during the evening reception and poster session in the atrium. The event highlighted not only technical achievement, but also the growing impact of collaborative learning experiences that connect students with the evolving needs of industry and public service.

Through one-semester capstone projects and year-long Integrated Project Design courses as part of the Master of Engineering project-based curriculum, teams of computer science and computer engineering graduate students work alongside mentors from partner organizations to design and implement original technology solutions. The projects address complex, technology-driven problems brought directly from industry and government agencies, giving students hands-on experience while delivering innovative ideas to participating organizations. The project-based learning program is organized by the director of experiential learning at the Institute for Advanced Computing. Companies interested in partnering with the Institute for Advanced Computing on future projects can contact us, and read more about partnership opportunities, on our website.

Learn more about the Master of Engineering graduate programs based in the Washington, D.C., area.