Texas A&M Engineering News

Beyond the classroom: Annual hackathon fosters creativity

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 00:00:00 CST

In today’s world of interconnected devices and technology, “hackers” usually have a bad reputation for doing serious damage through their computers. However, students at Texas A&M University are proving that skills in hacking can be used for good, hosting a collaborative annual hackathon through the on-campus organization, TAMUhack.

The hackathon, a two-day event held Jan. 27-28, is a way for students and companies from around the nation to network in a central location, while also completing unique challenges aimed at solving real-world trials faced in the industry today.

The students had the opportunity to work with several companies, including American Airlines, who presented a challenge for the students to build something to enhance the customer experience or help airline employees. This was focused on the travel industry and was judged by its technical difficulty and problem addressed. The winning teams for this challenge won international and domestic flight tickets.

Students also worked with global professional services company Accenture, who presented a challenge for the students to find the best hack for secure data. This challenge focused on cybersecurity and was judged by its technical difficulty and the problem addressed.

Several other prizes were presented at the end of the hackathon, including best first-time hackers, best hardware hack, and first, second and third place overall.

The event, which had humble beginnings in 2014, now hosts hundreds of students and industry representatives annually. The hackathon is sponsored by several companies, including Google, Facebook and Capital One, in conjunction with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M. In addition to being a sponsor, several faculty members from the department were involved in the event.

Himank Yadav, TAMUhack director and computer science senior said, “I think the transition between college and industry is sort of steep for people who do not typically have a lot of industry experience. One of the goals is to help bridge that gap by encouraging students to build projects while still in school so that when you step outside, either for an internship or full time, you are on a more level plain.”

In addition to hosting the annual event, the TAMUhack leadership also plans other events to get students involved outside of the classroom.

Yadav believes that TAMUhack is more than just one event, however. At its core, TAMUhack is about building a community around people who love what they do.

Students work around the clock to design a more inclusive campus during the 2018 Diversity Hackathon

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 00:00:00 CST

With only 24 hours on the clock, students came together to design and develop ideas to help make the Texas A&M University campus more inclusive.

The 2018 Diversity Hackathon brought students from many disciplines at Texas A&M to the Langford Architecture Center on Feb. 2-3, where they worked overnight to help turn spaces on campus into more welcoming environments for all people.

Cecilia Giusti, associate dean for outreach and diversity in the College of Architecture and head of the Diversity Council, launched the Diversity Hackathon four years ago. The inaugural hackathon featured a partnership with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the College of Engineering continues to play an important role in the event with a majority of the participants being engineering students.

“For 24 hours they talk about what it means to be diverse, what is an inclusive approach, and how to talk better about inclusion and diversity,” Giusti said. “[And] they actually create or produce something. Even if they don’t win anything, the whole exercise is fantastic—it’s magic.”

One team of general engineering freshmen worked to develop a tool to help the visually impaired better navigate campus. Team members prototyped a device that could slip onto the back of a pair of glasses and connect to a phone, which could then use the campus Wi-Fi to pinpoint the wearer’s location. The device would then communicate information through vibrations against the bone in the back of the ear.

“It would notify you of different obstacles around campus and different buildings or streets so that a person who was visually impaired would be aware of their surroundings and know which way to go without needing to look at a map,” said Jaxon Tucker.

There were six challenges teams could choose from provided by different programs across campus. The College of Engineering asked students to focus on the Zachry Engineering Education Complex and how to make it more accessible for students with hearing, visual or physical impairments.

“It’s going to be a world-class, state-of-the-art building, and I was hoping that students might come up with some concepts to ensure that all of our students are welcome and can participate at the same level,” said Debra Dandridge, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and engineering accessibility coordinator.

To help with the creation process, students had access to several resources, including 3-D printers and other tools provided by the College of Architecture. One team took up the challenge to create an open space for communication by developing an interactive screen to help people share concerns and ideas in a more accessible way.

“We’re going to have an interface for people to share their ideas through texts,” said junior computer science engineering student Muin Momin. “We have a phone number set up and people can text complaints or something they like about the space that they’re in, and that will display as a word cloud on the screen so everyone can see what’s going on and the owners of that space can get ideas on how to improve it.”

Being a part of the hackathon may also help students after graduation. Dr. J. Michael Moore, an instructional assistant professor in the computer science and engineering department, said industry is showing more interest in accessibility and expects graduates to be prepared to create these universally designed, accessible products.

“This hackathon is a fantastic opportunity for our students in engineering to not only try and do inventive ideas in a short period of time but also to be creative and innovative, and be ready and thinking that way, before they go out in industry,” Moore said.

Petroleum engineering hosts annual student paper contest

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 00:00:00 CST

The Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering hosted its annual student paper contest this year at the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas. The objective of the contest is to assist students in developing proficiency in presenting technical papers or research projects, both orally and visually, before a panel of experts.

Over 400 students ranging from juniors to doctoral level in petroleum engineering competed this year. The students gave 10 to 15 minute technical presentations throughout the day on Jan. 27 before judges from industry. The run-off competition on Feb. 3 brought the contest to completion by naming the top three winners in each of the four divisions—junior, senior, master’s and doctoral.

Junior winners (left to right in photo): Joshua Becan in first place, Magy Avedissian in second place and Megan Croy in third place.

Senior winners (left to right in photo): Miranda Jones in first place, Claire Fiorenzi in second place and Madison Jackson in third place.

Master’s winners (left to right in photo): Tian Liu in first place, Romain Lemoine in second place and Austin Lim in third place.

Doctoral winners (left to right in photo): Sheng Luo in first place, Rongqiang Chen in second place and Mehrdad Alfi in third place.

This time-honored event, over four decades old, has grown significantly in both the number of students participating, as well as industry support and sponsorship. Former students and personnel from companies that hire Aggie petroleum engineers volunteer their time and funding, saying they consider this contest to be one of the most important professional development opportunities the department provides its students.

First and second-place winners from the senior, master’s and doctoral divisions will advance to the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Gulf Coast North America Regional competition in Houston on March 31.

There are 14 regional student paper contests held globally and coordinated by SPE. At the contests, undergraduate, master’s and doctoral-level students compete against other students from their region for the opportunity to move on to the 2018 International Student Paper Contest, which is scheduled to take place during the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition this fall.

Texas A&M petroleum engineering students have an outstanding record of winning in both the regional and international contests. Since 1993, Texas A&M students have placed first at the regional contest 14 times in the undergraduate level, 14 times in the master’s level and 15 times in the doctoral level. Since 1999, Texas A&M students have placed first at the international contest three times in the undergraduate level, three times in the master’s level and three times in the doctoral level.

Senior capstone design course attracts industry, government sponsors

Tue, 23 Jan 2018 00:00:00 CST

The senior capstone design experience in the Department of Ocean Engineering at Texas A&M University aims to bridge the gap between classroom and industry. Students are required to use their knowledge and skills acquired during their undergraduate studies to complete an engineering design project equivalent to the assignments they would receive as aspiring professional engineers.

This semester, senior ocean engineering students on the College Station campus will have the opportunity to work on projects with Anadarko, the Army Corps of Engineers, DNV GL, HDR, InterMoor and Stress Engineering Services.

“The department is indebted to these sponsors for defining the challenging projects and guiding the students through the project’s execution,” said Dr. Robert Gordon, associate professor of practice in the department at the College Station campus.

According to Dr. Matthew Greer, senior lecturer in the department at the Galveston campus, students there will work with industry and academic advisors on projects addressing a self-powered floating water purification system, an alternative offshore oil import and export terminal, a replacement bridge for Pelican Island, a novel platform design and a sand management system for the Galveston coastline.

The student teams will be competing for the Ottinger Award for Excellence in Design Engineering and will also participate in the Texas A&M Engineering Project Showcase on April 27, as well as the Offshore Technology Conference in May as part of the university research and development showcase.

Civil engineering student Cazares receives Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 00:00:00 CST

Jose Cazares, a doctoral student with the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University, was selected as a recipient of the 2018 Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship. The fellowship includes a $5,000 award and was presented to Cazares at the annual Transportation Research Board (TRB) meeting in January.

Cazares plans to use the fellowship to continue his research interests and partially fund his doctoral program.

“My interest right now is to do something that is related to autonomous vehicles,” Cazares said. “There are so many things that we still need to learn in regards to how they are going to affect traffic, what their behavior will mean for travel on our roads, and I am fascinated to see what is waiting on the other side of this technology.”

Cazares was excited to attend the annual TRB meeting not only for the presentation of the award, but also for the networking the event provides. Cazares previously attended the annual meeting to present on some of his research during his master’s program, which involved research on connected vehicles.

“Connected vehicles are essentially vehicles that are driven by humans, but are able to receive information from other vehicles or roadside devices,” Cazares said. “My research looked into the impact of these vehicles on a corridor in Plano, Texas, and how different amounts of connected vehicles present during the morning rush hour may affect travel times, even during an accident.”

This work helps traffic management centers, who monitor traffic networks of specific areas. Data on how certain vehicles impact roadways gives officials the information necessary to see how they can install specific roadway devices to deal with expected traffic issues.

As Cazares looks forward to beginning his doctoral education this spring, he is grateful for the opportunities that his fellowship will provide him.

“I’m really grateful for this fellowship because it’s helping me at least fund the beginning of my time studying for my Ph.D.,” Cazares said. “Any help I can get with that is really great and I appreciate that it’s helping me remain stable and pay off my education.”

Researchers in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering shine at 2017 AIChE Conference

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 00:00:00 CST

In November, the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering was well represented at the annual American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Conference. In total, the department faculty presented more than 50 papers, and led or chaired more than 15 sessions. In addition, a total of 33 students presented 45 papers. Two students took home awards for their work.

Ravi Chawla, a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Pushkar Lele’s research group, won the AIChE Division 15 (Food, Pharmaceutical & Bioengineering Division) Poster Award. Chawla’s poster, “Mechanical Force-Based Regulation of Protein Assemblies,” was selected as the best among the 54 entries in the competition.

Chawla’s poster (pictured below) showcased his recent work in the Lele lab studying the mechanisms by which mechanical forces modulate the self-assembly of protein complexes in bacteria. In the study, which was published in Scientific Reports, Chawla proposed and successfully tested a mathematical model that explained the remodeling of biomolecular motors in E. coli, following the detection of surfaces by individual cells. How bacteria detect surfaces remains a mystery and is of great interest since this ability promotes the formation of bacterial biofilms. Biofilms not only cause chronic infections, but also promote biofouling of industrial membranes and pipelines. Chawla’s work represents the first step in establishing plausible models to explain surface detection in bacteria.

Moonjoo Lee, a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. Hae-Kwon Jeong’s research group, won second place in the TED-Sep (separations division) competition. The competition is modeled after both TED Talks and the Shark Tank television program. Essentially, presenters have five minutes to pitch their ideas to a non-expert audience. Lee’s presentation, “Preparation of ZIF-8 Membranes Supported on Polymer Hollow Fibers Using Microwave-Assisted Seeding and Secondary Growth Method,” can be seen below.

Department of biomedical engineering hosting annual showcase in February 2018

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 00:00:00 CST

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University will host its annual showcase on Feb. 12, 2018. The all-day event includes a career fair, student/company luncheon and other engagement opportunities among students, faculty and industry representatives.

Biomedical engineering students will have the opportunity to meet with participating companies about openings for co-ops, internships and full-time positions. Ultimately, the showcase allows students to network with industry to obtain information about career paths and the transition into a job after graduating from Texas A&M.

Companies involved in the showcase have the opportunity to build lasting relationships with biomedical engineering students. At a typical career fair, companies may only spend 30 to 60 seconds interacting with each student; in comparison, the biomedical engineering showcase allows for longer conversations with multiple students.

Interactions are an important aspect for companies as well as students to learn about the different aspects each party has to offer. Students learn valuable skills that cannot be taught within a classroom, leading Texas A&M biomedical engineering students to stand apart from their competition.

“As one of the founders of this event, I had first-hand experience on collaborating with the department and the department’s student organizations. Without everyone working together, the first showcase would not have been a success,” said Ashley Tucker, former president of Alpha Eta Mu Beta, the biomedical engineering honors society. “This event has shown me how much the department and student organizations really care about their students and how they want to see them succeed after graduating.”

This year’s showcase will be comprised of four components: a career fair, a student/company luncheon, a senior design poster session and tours of the department’s research facilities. These activities are designed to show companies that students in biomedical engineering at Texas A&M are excelling and effectively conveying information both in and out of the classroom setting.

More than 20 company participants are anticipated for the 2018 showcase, which is double what the 2017 showcase hosted. In addition, the luncheon is being expanded to include any biomedical engineering senior interested in a full-time position, for more targeted networking between students and industry. The new atmosphere will hopefully lead to more engaging conversations and a better return on investment for everyone involved.

Rajanna excels in Three Minute Thesis competition

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:00:00 CST

Vijay Rajanna, a doctoral student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University recently participated in and received several awards for his presentation during the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition held on campus in November.

Rajanna received the first place and People’s Choice Award in the doctoral category; he was also selected as the Texas A&M representative at the 3MT regional competition to be held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in February 2018 at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools.

During the competition, graduate students have three minutes to present their thesis and its significance. This challenges students to consolidate their ideas and research discoveries to present concisely to an audience with no prior expertise. At Texas A&M, 3MT provides a high-impact learning experience for graduate students and is part of the Graduate and Resource Development (G.R.A.D.) for Aggies program.

At the competition, Rajanna presented the primary contributions of his doctoral research, which focuses on developing eye movement-based, multi-modal interactions for working on computers. These interactions are crucial in two scenarios – situational impairments, and impairments and disabilities by birth or due to an injury. He explained that in these two scenarios, a user wants to be able to perform at least a few basic operations conveniently on a computer.

“In this regard, we have developed a gaze and foot-based interaction framework to achieve accurate ‘point and click’ interactions on a computer,” Rajanna said. “Using this system, the user points the cursor at the desired target – a button – with their eye movements, and selects it by pressing a tiny sensor that is placed inside the shoe of the user. If the user does not have control over the foot, other methods like focusing on the target for 200 milliseconds or eye gestures can be used. With practice, users can point and click much faster than they do with the mouse. In addition, the same framework along with an enhanced virtual keyboard allows the user to enter text on a computer.”

Rajanna said that the 3MT competition is challenging, but is also highly rewarding. He currently works in the Sketch Recognition Lab under director Dr. Tracy Hammond, who is a professor in the department.

“I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Tracy Hammond and the members of the Sketch Recognition Lab who provided feedback on my written drafts and practice talks,” Rajanna said. “Also, I served as a graduate teaching fellow for two semesters, where I was mentored by Dr. John Keyser, Dr. Dilma Da Silva, Dr. Joseph Hurley, Dr. Aakash Tyagi and Dr. Vikram Kinra, who offered a significant learning experience.”

Rajanna’s ongoing research is centered on developing eye-movement based authentication methods to prevent shoulder surfing attacks, which occur in crowded places where it is easy to peer over another’s shoulder and steal potentially sensitive information, and achieving faster text entry in virtual reality using eye movements.

Computer science seniors demonstrate innovation at NASA Design Challenge Showcase

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 00:00:00 CST

Four students from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University participated in the Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC) NASA Design Challenge Showcase, held Nov.14 in Houston.

The Aurora Aggies consisted of computer science seniors Walter Pospick, Alyssa Valdez, Natalie Criscione and Kevin Lewis. Out of 14 teams across Texas, they placed fourth overall, fourth in poster presentation and first in oral presentation for their project,“Intelligent Lighting Control Systems.”

The objective of their project was to design an intelligent lighting control system that supports biological circadian rhythms and adapts over time, providing a healthy living environment for astronauts that is easy to control.

“I had fun working with my group and NASA on this project. It was a great opportunity to work on a solution to a real-world problem that NASA is trying explore,” Valdez said.

The TSGC Design Challenge, which is sponsored by NASA and administered by the Texas Space Grant Consortium, is a unique academic experience offering undergraduate students an opportunity to propose, design and generate a solution toward solving research objectives of importance to NASA and its mission.

The Aurora Aggies are enrolled in a capstone course taught by Dr. Bruce Gooch, an associate professor in the department.

“We were told that the program was closed,” Gooch said. “I told the students we could do the work anyway. NASA ended up opening a competition for inclusion in the program based on a preliminary plan and this group won. They have been fighting from the beginning.”

The overall experience provides student team members with an opportunity to engage in scientific research, hands-on design, space-related career opportunities, communication skills and educational outreach.

Nuclear engineering students attend short course at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 00:00:00 CST

Recently a group of 12 Texas A&M University nuclear engineering graduate students from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute (NSSPI) traveled to Tennessee to participate in a short course in non-destructive assay (NDA) techniques.

The short course was offered at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in their Safeguards Laboratory. It consisted of lectures and hands-on experience with safeguards instrumentation and software, providing the students with practical understanding of a number of NDA techniques used for measurements and characterization of special nuclear material in international safeguards applications. This experience is intended to supplement the material taught at Texas A&M in the “Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Material Safeguards” (NUEN 651) and “Radiation Detection and Nuclear Materials Measurement” (NUEN 605) classes taken by all students pursuing a graduate degree with a specialization in nuclear nonproliferation.

While in Oak Ridge the group had the opportunity to tour various nuclear facilities at ORNL, including the High Flux Isotope Reactor, the Radiochemistry Hot Cell Labs, the Graphite Reactor and the Spallation Neutron Source, as well as the nearby Y-12 National Security Complex. They also traveled to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville to meet with faculty and students in their nuclear nonproliferation education program.

The students were accompanied by Dr. Sunil Chirayath, NSSPI director and associate professor of nuclear engineering, and Dr. Craig Marianno, NSSPI deputy director and assistant professor of nuclear engineering. Jessica White Horton at ORNL coordinated the training program, which was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.