CivCore Consulting, l to r, Paul Baisier, Anuj Patel, Jessica DaSilva and Nathan Dunagan, accept the big check prize from school chair Don Webster for their project “Development of Battery Recycling Plant” as Buzz looks on. (Photo: Candler Hobbs)
With their plan to develop a battery recycling plant, the CivCore Consulting team took home the prize for the best civil and environmental engineering project at the Spring 2026 Capstone Design Expo.
The CEE students won $1,000 for their plan to develop a comprehensive civil design for a lithium-ion battery reclamation facility with a goal of capturing 5% of the U.S. electric vehicle recycling market.
CivCore Consulting was one of 14 civil and environmental engineering teams competing in the Capstone Design Expo on April 28 at McCamish Pavilion. The projects ranged from erosion control and stormwater infrastructure at a landing in Hiawassee to widening Concourse D at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to aeration design at a water reclamation facility in Gainesville, Ga.
They were among more than 1,300 students that showed off their semester-long projects, which serve as a culmination of their undergraduate studies. The teams, representing 12 schools from four of Georgia Tech’s colleges, competed for more than $18,500 in prize money.
CivCore Consulting gave their client TMTS Associates, a chemical engineering firm, a clear civil engineering roadmap for developing a lithium-ion battery reclamation facility near Macon. (Photo by Michael Hunter)
CivCore Consulting is made up of civil engineering majors Paul Blaiser, Jessica DaSilva, Nathan Dunagan and Anuj Patel.
The team was advised by Professor of the Practice Sharon Just, with advising on truck paths from Lecturer Georgene Geary. The project was sponsored by TMTS Associates.
“Our team was gratified by the judges' response to our holistic approach, beginning with a business and market analysis, progressing through site selection and facility design, and concluding with a detailed cost estimate,” said team member Anuj Patel.
According to Patel, this framework gave their client TMTS Associates, a chemical engineering firm, a clear civil engineering roadmap for developing a facility around their proprietary reclamation process.
“As battery usage continues to grow across consumer devices and electric vehicles, scalable recycling infrastructure will become increasingly critical to a sustainable energy future,” he said. “The judges appreciated seeing a project that addressed a pressing and timely challenge.”
SiteSense, l to r, Elie Patrick Abou-Fadel, Camila Roldan, Lyubomir Tushir and Leo Toller, received an honorable mention in the Georgia Tech Overall category for their project “Johns Creek Trail Design for Multimodal Park Connectivity.” (Photo by Michael Hunter)
SiteSense, the team of civil engineering majors Elle Patrick Abou-Fadel, Camila Roldan, Leo Toller and Lyubomir Tushir, received an honorable mention in the Institute-wide overall awards.
Their project, “Johns Creek Trail Design for Multimodal Park Connectivity” is a conceptual site planning and feasibility study aimed at enhancing multimodal mobility within the City of Johns Creek, Ga. Working with the city of Johns Creek, the team developed three trail concepts connecting The Boardwalk at Town Center to Cauley Creek Park, along with cost estimates for each. Their work included assessing right-of-way, geotechnical and hydrological considerations with a goal of improving the walkability of the city.
The team’s advisor on the project was Professor of the Practice Joe Manous, who said, “From my first meeting with the SiteSense team, their enthusiasm and optimism were remarkable. Georgia Tech students are inherently "can-do" folks, but this team took the mission-accomplishment ethos to another level, reminding me of why I chose civil engineering as my profession.”
Professor of the Practice Sharon Just commented on the team’s 3-D model of their site elevations as a great visual reference for the judges.
“They should be congratulated for breaking CEE into the overall awards category with their honorable mention,” she said.
With 14 teams competing, the Spring 2026 Capstone Design Expo marked the highest participation of teams from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in recent history.
Just attributed this to the School’s renewed emphasis on student participation in competitions, including the Capstone Design Expo and the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) competition. Participation in the Design Expo is voluntary for students who are taking the Capstone Design class in their final semester.
“Each of the current capstone professors is actively encouraging, supporting, and guiding teams to compete,” Just said. “This is clearly seen in the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 Expos, with teams in each area represented. It’s great that the students are enthusiastically supporting both the Design Expo and GAWP.”
See more photos
A look at more projects and teams from the spring Expo.
Other CEE teams participating in the Design Expo:
- AltaCore Engineering LLC | McConnell-Chadwick Homestead Restoration
- ANTSolutions | The Hive @ Garson
- Egret Environmental Solutions | Erosion Control and Green Stormwater Infrastructure for Lloyd’s Landing
- Eleven Design Solutions | Campbellton Fairburn Road Outfall Pump Station Design
- GAS Consulting | Jekyll Island Clam Creek Bike Trail Alternatives to Repave/Replace
- HiveMind Consulting | Pelican Drive Trailer Storage & Stormwater
- JASPAR | Aloft & Element Co-Branded Hotel
- MAVERICK Design Solutions | Flat Creek Water Reclamation Facility Supplemental Aeration Design
- Omnimodal Designs | Improving Pedestrian Connectivity on Hugh Howell Rd.
- PALM Group | Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Concourse D Widening
- Timeless Consulting Solutions | Historic Assessment and Design of Lattice Truss Bridge
- White and Gold Infrastructure Solutions | Lakewood Park Dam Improvement Design