Inquiring Minds: Watson College undergraduates work on research that could change the world
Students help faculty run experiments and gather results that could lead to technology breakthroughs
At Watson College, undergraduates don’t have to wait to work with faculty running experiments and gathering results that could lead to tomorrow’s technology breakthroughs. Here’s a look at how some of those projects have shaped the students’ experiences at ßŮßÇÂţ».
SCHOOL OF SYSTEMS SCIENCE AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING
It’s the bane of every airport traveler: Weather problems ground your plane or, worse, storms delay the connecting flight and upend your whole trip. But working with Professor Sangwon Yoon, five students — Justin Mintz, Benjamin Deibler, Gerardo Dutan, Lilly Guizatoullina and Nicholas Ingraselino — have researched an algorithm to reschedule flights based on weather conditions.
The algorithm begins with a year-long data set of weather conditions and predicts conditions for each day. That information and flight operations data are put into a neural network, which is a machine learning model inspired by the human brain. The algorithm then reviews the forecast and reschedules flights to create an optimal path.
“The research we do with Professor Yoon all revolves around decision trees, so we wanted to find a unique way of incorporating that into our project,” Deibler says. “Flight prediction is something anyone can benefit from.”
For Mintz, the project also tested his skills in an area he never considered before.
“Not many students do research as sophomores, so feeling the motivation to overachieve where we can while having high expectations helped push us,” he says. “This opened up data analytics that I hadn’t been able to fully explore yet in my classes, and it’s fascinating to see how valuable it can be.”
The group’s project was among the finalists for Phase I of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 2024 Data Challenge, making them one of seven groups to give presentations in front of senior FAA officials. But perhaps the more exciting outcome has been the discovery of new potential career paths.
“My goal was to become a rollercoaster engineer, but after doing this type of research, I’ve learned how much I enjoy the optimization aspect of what we’re doing,” Ingraselino says. “This research has so many more applications, so it’s helped adjust my sights for the future, and now I want to work in a field similar to what we’ve been doing with this project.”
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Wouldn’t it be great if you could detect potential cavities at home before you go to the dentist?
Ron Alweiss, a junior electrical engineering major, thinks so. He’s become an integral member of Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi’s research team by contributing to the development of biosensors for detecting pathogens in oral environments.
“Streptococcus mutans are a type of bacteria that inhabits the biofilm on your teeth called dental plaque,” Alweiss says. “In high concentrations, it’s the primary agent in the development of cavities. The idea behind this project is to develop a biosensor that’s able to sense these bacteria. We want it to be like a swab system, like a COVID test that will detect whether there is an increased concentration of this bacteria. If there is, you likely have a cavity and should get it checked out.”
Alweiss’ research adapts the processes for pinpointing concentrations of toxins in wastewater. He’s collaborated with Choi for five semesters, beginning with his first year at ßŮßÇÂţ». This project taps into Alweiss’ dislike of dental appointments.
Juggling research alongside a half-dozen classes is a challenge, he says, but it’s provided him with opportunities he urges future students to take advantage of.
“I came to ßŮßÇÂţ» with a desire to get involved in some research project,” he says, ”but I had no idea I could discover something this new and exciting along the way.”
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
John Mehalak’s love of building almost anything left him with little doubt that he would become a mechanical engineer. Lately, he’s had eyes on renewable energy or automotive manufacturing. But thanks to his collaboration with Assistant Professor Robert Wagner, he’s discovered the scope of mechanical engineering is wider than he imagined.
To build a plastic food storage container with the lid attached by a hinge, the lid should be harder than the more flexible hinge, and that requires two different materials. Mehalak is helping to research ways of constructing something like that more effectively.
“Most traditional manufacturing takes a solid chunk of material, then carves out the shape. Instead, we’re creating individual layers to build up the shape, which produces less waste,” says Mehalak, a junior. “We’re interested in soft plastics, which start out as a liquid (resin), and the type of printer used to create a product is a limited technology, so we’re trying to make a system that can print in multiple different types of materials while still using that resin.”
Mehalak is fascinated by the chance to work beyond the hypothetical. He’s also learned how other skills, such as coding, can aid a complex project.
“I’m a hands-on learner, so participating in this research has helped me learn a lot more about how to apply everything I’m touching on in class,” he says. “If you’re genuinely interested in the topic, projects like this can be a great opportunity for you to grow.”
SCHOOL OF COMPUTING
If Rowan Devereux-Smith, a junior computer science major, has learned anything while collaborating with Associate Professor Patrick Madden to optimize transistor routing in computer chips, it’s that even a wrong answer can help you solve a problem.
Devereux-Smith began working with Madden on the project, which they describe as “one huge math problem,” as a first-year student. It involves close analysis of data structures, working through algorithms and coding.
“Modern computer chips have an absurd number of transistors to get wires from and to, so you need to figure out how to save money and make it the most compact. It’s an incredibly hard problem,” Devereux-Smith says. “What we’re working toward has some practical benefits, mainly for power efficiency. Since data centers are increasingly concerned about power usage, the methods we’re using could help them spend less power on this process and be far more effective in the long run.”
Madden and his team have put their work to the test in two national competitions. Devereux-Smith’s contributions also have earned him a Computing Research Association
Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award nomination. Although the researchers came up short in their first competition, they used it as an opportunity to further optimize their data structure.
Devereux-Smith says this project has been an opportunity to perform advanced work and gain a deeper appreciation of the scientific process and the importance of avoiding being discouraged by setbacks.
“I always knew I wanted to do research, and I really want to help discover something,” Devereux-Smith says. “This project has taught me it’s OK not to expect everything to be perfect or beat myself up if I make a mistake. Whenever that happens, it’s just something to avoid next time.”
DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
Dana Manashirov and Serena Patel feel perfectly at home in a biomedical engineering lab.
Through a collaboration with Associate Professor Ahyeon Koh, their work with electrospun fibers made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) — a silicone-based and biologically inert material used for flexible and stretchable electronics — has shown them how research can extend beyond traditional medical sciences.
Manashirov and Patel hope to find a way for PDMS, which is hydrophobic because it repels water like a raincoat, to become more water-absorbent.
“Almost every portion of my education as an undergraduate student has proven useful to me as a researcher,” Manashirov says. “What I wound up working on was a fluidic device, and the goal is to create a microfluidic device to print wax onto the fiber mat.”
Patel’s share of the project focuses on developing its practical application, using the material to create a “wearable circuit” that’s stretchable, breathable and conforms to the skin so it can be compatible with daily activities.
In addition to contributing to a PhD student’s dissertation project, which has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, Manashirov and Patel presented at a Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) conference in November. Both students received funding from the Geraldine MacDonald Engineering and Computer Science Student Professional Development Grant to attend the conference.
“When you’re an undergraduate student learning basic concepts of engineering, it’s easy to think you can’t make a difference in the field
because you don’t have the qualifications,” Patel says. “Diving into hands-on research takes you beyond the classroom and gives you an even bigger sense of how those concepts can be used to make a difference.”