May is one of the busiest times of year at NYU Abu Dhabi. There's pre-graduation hustle and bustle and seniors are kept busy finalizing and presenting their Capstone projects.
The Capstone, a carefully put together yearlong project by each senior in their major field, is the culmination of their four years of learning at NYUAD. Held across two weeks this year, the community had opportunities to attend various Capstone festivals put together by the four academic divisions: Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Science, and Social Science.
Science and math seniors focused on a range of topics from traditional dokha smoking among students in the UAE, to detecting pulsations from galaxies, to attempting to understand the mysteries of the universe. In the engineering department, attendees learned about sustainable housing in urban areas and the creation of an automated bubble tea machine built to serve top quality tea.
The Capstone is a mix of hard work but also innocence and idealism. It’s beautiful.
Social science students zoned in on current social and environmental climates such as understanding time spent searching for a job during unemployment, and how natural disasters affect voter behavior. Visitors were also given a glimpse into the personal stories of students in the arts through well-choreographed theater performances.
Relieved that the screening of his short film Rescue was over, James Hosken reflected, “The experience is very exciting and surprisingly introspective.”
The different divisions presented a diverse mix of topics and interests, summed up nicely by Alexi Gambis, visiting assistant professor of Biology and Film and New Media: “It’s a mix of hard work but also innocence and idealism. It’s beautiful.”