This presentation provides an overview of the transformation of Capstone Design Projects over the past two decades at institutions the author have been affiliated with and focus on the challenges associated with various elements of design and student assessment. The projects involve both group and individual performance elements; both the product and the associated manufacturing systems are designed; the safety and environmental issues are addressed explicitly; the assessment of written reports, oral presentations, and poster presentations involve several stake holders and ABET criteria friendly; the mentors include industrial sponsors; and projects from diverse emerging areas in microelectronics, fuels cells, targeted delivery products, biomedical devices, and novel material are used. The impact of the capstone projects on the curriculum including the efforts in recent NSF Spiral Curriculum Reform Implementation grant at the University of South Florida.

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