Rena Malai

Mason ASCE teams hosted, competed in 2023

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 17:00:16 +0000

Mason ASCE teams hosted, competed in 2023 Teresa Donnellan Mon, 01/08/2024 - 12:00

In This Story

Every year, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) allows its college chapters to participate in competitions that showcase the engineering knowledge and finesse of civil engineering students across the country.

Two of ��AV's ASCE teams—Team Surveying and Team Sustainable Solutions—participated and won in the annual competition, which was held in early spring of 2023. Led by Doaa Bondok, assistant professor of structural engineering and Mason ASCE faculty advisor, the Mason teams competed in challenges like the Steel Bridge Competition, Surveying Competition, and Sustainable Solutions.

“These competitions present fun challenges where students extend their engineering knowledge, think through concepts, create innovative solutions, and consider sustainability practices in their final designs,” said Bondok.

Mason's student team competes in the Steel Bridge Competition at the annual ASCE Virginias' Conference, hosted by the student chapter of Mason’s American Society of Civil Engineers. Photo by Bethany Camp/Office of University Branding

Several Mason civil engineering students also won ASCE National Capital Section scholarships: Amber Brown, previous ASCE student vice president, received $2,500; Phillip Hunt, current ASCE student vice president, received $1500; and Kyler Resnick, ASCE recruiting and membership officer and the captain of the Steel Bridge Competition, received $1,500.

“My role as faculty advisor is to support the teams to achieve their goals,” said Bondok. “Personally, I see the most significant aspect of my role is to encourage and motivate them to overcome challenges along the way, help them grow professionally, uplift their spirit, and just being there for them.”

According to Bondok, being an ASCE student member is a rewarding experience that offers the chance to participate in and work on projects that may not be taught within a classroom and work closely with professional mentors in the industry.

Nicholo Gadiana, a Mason ASCE alum, was the project lead of the Sustainable Solutions Competition in 2022.

“One thing I would advise to anyone interested is don't be afraid to let your ideas be heard,” said Gadiana, who underscored the value of being a member of Mason's ASCE chapter. “Students should start having the mentality of networking and interacting with students, professors, and industry professionals when joining ASCE. After graduation, this attribute significantly improved how I approach other professionals in the industry.”

“Students have the ability to significantly improve their critical thinking abilities, gain management skills, and have a strong role on their resume that helps them be well-rounded and competitive as job candidates,” said Bondok.

The Mason ASCE chapter also received an honorable mention for their outstanding activities in 2022.

Topics

Civil Engineering

competitions

student organizations

Students

College of Engineering and Computing

Mushrooming feats of engineering success

Rena Malai — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:12:44 +0000

Mushrooming feats of engineering success Rena Malai Tue, 10/24/2023 - 09:12

In This Story

Emma (Xijin) Zhang

It’s important not to crowd mushrooms in a pan, otherwise they won’t cook properly, according to well-known American chef Julia Child. But Child likely didn’t realize that those mushrooms crowded together can accomplish impressive feats of engineering within concrete structures.

Xijin “Emma” Zhang, assistant professor in civil engineering at ��AV, is working on exploring the use of fungi spores within infrastructures. The practice is relatively new, and Zhang is the first professor within Mason’s Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering to work on incorporating fungi materials for sustainable building purposes.

“The research I’m very passionate about is exploring how to utilize natural resources to solve challenges within civil engineering,” Zhang said. “Although I am not a biologist, studying these natural solutions to engineering can help make complex solutions to infrastructure challenges simple.”

In Zhang’s research, the fungal fibers that make up the "stem" part of the mushroom get mixed into the concrete mixture before the building process starts. If cracks later generate within the concrete structure, the air and moisture seeping through the cracks activate the fungi spores. The fungi fibers ‘bloom’ and produce chemical minerals. The strong fungal fibers and the chemical minerals help heal the cracks.

“The healing of the cracks is facilitated by the growth of the fungal fibers and the fungi’s productions of chemical minerals,” Zhang said. “This self-healing technology saves expensive and timely repairs to the structures.”

The fungi’s hydrophobic surface means just that—it repels water. This additional benefit prevents water from infiltrating concrete, deterring water-related distresses and improving the durability of the infrastructure.

Zhang is working on cultivating different fungi spores and testing what works best, as not all classes of fungi would necessarily work for cracks. She has discovered the fungi spores within oyster mushrooms have resilient fibers and can be developed to provide excellent properties in thermal insulation, while being safe for human beings to come in contact with.

She sees Mason as a hub of rich resources in research, collaboration, and connections. Being fairly new to the College of Engineering and Computing, Zhang is excited to partner with fellow colleagues in various fields, who are also interested in exploring the uses of fungi as a solution, beyond civil engineering.

“Fungi have many unknown properties, and I’m looking forward to exploring these types of green technology solutions,” she said. “If anyone is interested in joining me to collaborate, I hope they will reach out.”

Zhang can be reached at xzhang50@gmu.edu.

Topics

civil and infrastructure engineering

CEIE Success Stories

Research

CEC faculty research

A game changer and player

Rena Malai — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 15:05:00 +0000

A game changer and player Rena Malai Fri, 10/20/2023 - 11:05

Learn about the MS in System Engineering

Most adults may not remember everything they did when they were kids, but ��AV alum Kate Maxwell distinctly remembers how much she enjoyed coding.

Kate Maxwell. Photo provided

“It was fun for me, like playing a game,” Maxwell said.

She followed that zest, and it ultimately led to a career in engineering and technology, and her current position with Microsoft as Chief Technology Officer of Worldwide Defense & Intelligence.

Maxwell describes herself as an ‘elder millennial’ and grew up when personal computer technology and the internet were coming into homes. Her father enjoyed gaming consoles; she played plenty of Atari, Nintendo, and computer games like The Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego. When the public internet became mainstream, Maxwell started to get hooked on coding.

“I had my own GeoCities website—which was kind of like an early blog—and found an interest in computing,” she said. “I explored the web, I played with technology, and I began learning how to code.”

She opted for studying computer science in college, a choice her parents supported, but which she quickly found wasn’t an area where she had many female peers. She loved what she was doing and learning, but it was sometimes a lonely experience being one of only two women in the degree program.

“At the time, I didn’t have many female role models in tech, and I occasionally suffered from what I’ll call a ‘career-path identity crisis,’” she said. “I wondered if this field of study was really for me, and questioned whether I really belonged.”

On the advice of some trusted mentors and advisors, she stuck with it and landed a role at Raytheon (RTX) right out of college. She began her career as a software engineer and quickly worked her way into senior engineering and technical leadership roles. While at the company, Maxwell knew Mason had a strong system engineering program, as well as connections with the Department of Defense. The choice to pursue her graduate studies at Mason lined up.

“It was a great fit, and Mason offered the flexibility I needed while working full-time,” she said. “[Studying at Mason] was a huge career accelerator and rounded out my skills as an engineer while giving me some new leadership skills that helped me bridge the gap between technical leadership, people leadership, and business leadership.”

Although her journey has had its challenges, Maxwell is happy she stuck with pursuing a career in engineering and tech. She urges other women interested in STEM to be brave, stick with it when things get hard, and to not be afraid of failure because it’s all part of the process when it comes to trying new things.

“It doesn’t always have to be perfect. Bet on yourself to figure it out,” she said. “Find your people and build a community and network that will support you, celebrate you, and give you honest feedback when you need it.”

Maxwell was ranked 2023 #1 Woman in Technology by Technology Magazine. She credits Mason with providing quality of education and system engineering professors that know the industry landscape and support their students in achieving their goals.

“This is perhaps my favorite thing about STEM professions—you can truly make a difference with this career path,” Maxwell said. “Engineering has afforded me opportunities to support some incredible missions, to work with some incredible people, and to make a difference at a global scale. My goal is to ultimately leave this world a little better than I found it.”

Topics

Leadership

College of Engineering and Computing

Alumni

AI's future discussed at roundtable

Rena Malai — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 19:36:06 +0000

AI's future discussed at roundtable Rena Malai Tue, 06/13/2023 - 15:36

In This Story

Missy Cummings

Just what is AI? 

This was one of the first questions posed by Missy Cummings, director of ��AV’s Autonomy and Robotics Center, at the Future of AI roundtable in June. 

“At the end of the day, AI can be a tool to help you in your job, but you need to understand both its strengths and weaknesses,” Cummings said. “That’s why Mason will be offering a certificate and master’s degree focused on responsible AI, so that people across industry and government can learn how to manage the risks while promoting the benefits of AI.”

The invite-only roundtable, hosted by the College of Engineering and Computing, explored the issues, challenges, and solutions to think about as AI technologies rapidly evolve and change almost as soon as they are introduced. 

Missy Cummings leads the Future of AI roundtable at Mason Square.

Cummings led the roundtable and highlighted AI areas like ChatGPT and autonomous driving systems that lack human reasoning skills. When human behavior, environment, and AI blind spots intersect, the resulting uncertainty contributes to fundamental limitations. 

“As humans, we do a great job of successfully filling in the blanks when there is imperfect information,” said Cummings. “If I quickly flash a picture of a stop sign, your brain automatically recognizes what it is, even if it’s not a clear image. But it’s arguable whether the vision system on a self -driving car can do the same.” 

She added that automation can fall apart at a critical threshold, such as when a car is supposed to stop at a stop sign that’s visible to the human eye, but maybe overlooked by an AI vision system. 

“As humans, we have much more experience driving cars,” she said. “Self-driving cars are still a new technology and while simulation testing can help identify problems, real-world testing for such non-deterministic systems that never reason the same way twice is critical.”

One of her favorite uses of ChatGPT is for her students to use it for grammar and spell checking when they write papers, but that’s the extent.  

“ChatGPT cannot reason under uncertainty. It does not think. It does not know. It can approximate human knowledge, but there is no actual thinking or knowledge,” said Cummings. “ChatGPT goes after the most probable image, or the most probable grouping of words.” 

In general, large language models like ChatGPT will use what the average person is saying on the internet. This means it could pick up extremist views, if it is currently something trending or popular online.    

It can also be a concern when it comes to diversity, she said. 

“If a company uses ChatGPT to write their mission statement, in another five years, everyone’s mission statement will be the same,” Cummings said. “Creative thoughts and authenticity are lost. It’s important to understand how far we push these models, and what the long-term ramifications could be.”

Roundtable attendees from local universities and tech companies left with a greater understanding of how AI can impact everyday life, in more ways than one.

Topics

robotics and autonomous systems

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Research

Mason Square

��AV wins Defend the Republic

Rena Malai — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:07:41 +0000

��AV wins Defend the Republic Rena Malai Mon, 05/22/2023 - 15:07

In This Story

Cameron Nowzari

Ningshi Yao

Daigo Shishika

Patriot Pilots pose with their Lighter Than Air (LTA) creations. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Twice a year, university teams compete in the Lighter Than Air (LTA) Defend the Republic competition. In April, ��AV hosted the competition in EagleBank Arena and won. The winning Mason team, Patriot Pilots, led by principal investigators Cameron Nowzari, Ningshi Yao, and Daigo Shishika, all from the College of Engineering and Computing, competed against six universities and about 50 LTA robotic agents, aka blimps.

“Even after three years, I’m still in awe of what happens at this competition,” said Nowzari, who has led the competition for the past three years, will be moving on from the annual competition and leaving things in the hands of Yao and Shishika. “My hope is that this competition will continue, and more schools will get involved.”

The competition is a mix of technology and creativity, and something students seem to have a lot of fun with, according to Yao.

“The strength of our winning team was in the ability to think creatively through building and design,” said Yao.

Without the severity that can sometimes accompany other types of flying agents, blimps are a lighter, gentler kind of airborne machine that appeals to many people.

“Their soft body and low operational speed make them more tangible and accessible than drones or planes,” said Shishika. “At the same time, they bring unique and exciting research challenges that our students with diverse background tackle together.”

The team will schedule a kickoff meeting during the summer, to plan for the next competition in November. The team welcomes students from all majors.

“We’re always actively recruiting for the team,” Nowzari said. “All that you need to bring is your passion and creativity.”

For information on how to join, email dshishik@gmu.edu or nyao4@gmu.edu. People can also visit blimp-robotics.org to learn how to build their own LTA blimp and encourage younger students to do the same.

Topics

competitions

EagleBank Arena

Students

robotics and autonomous systems

Strategic Direction

Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

Statistics student wins COVES Fellowship

Rena Malai — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 16:29:52 +0000

Statistics student wins COVES Fellowship Rena Malai Mon, 04/17/2023 - 12:29

It will be an exciting summer for ��AV PhD student Zhenyi Huang.

As a Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science (COVES) Fellowship winner, he’ll begin to embark on his career path in May as he helps to foster relationships between the engineering and science community, and the Virginia state government.

“I think this will be a very valuable experience for me, and a great opportunity,” said Huang, who is studying statistics.

The 12-week program offers Huang a stipend of around $14,000 and aims to strengthen ties between the scientific community and state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, while encouraging and equipping more scientists and engineers to be effective advisors for public policy in the state of Virginia.

Huang was inspired by last year’s COVES winner who he shared some things in common with – basketball and being of Chinese descent. As he developed the connection, Huang asked his new friend questions about the fellowship process, which he said helped him with the application.

“I asked him a lot of questions about requirements, what kind of material I should prepare, what the application process is like. I learned a lot from him about all the points I needed to take care of,” said Huang.

With encouragement from his academic advisors, Huang decided to apply.

“I never thought to make the connection between science and engineering and politics. It’s a unique opportunity and will be a strong point on my resume,” he said.

Huang said he was drawn to studying statistics at George Mason because of the strong faculty and programs offered. His advice to future COVES Fellowship potential applicants is to collect any information online and ask as many questions as possible. It’s a method that helped him tremendously.

“Never be afraid to ask questions!” he said.

To return the favor, Huang is happy to answer questions for anyone interested in the fellowship. He can be reached at zhuang6@gmu.edu

The COVES Fellowship is offered through the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to graduate students and postdoctorals. Selected participants are placed in legislative, executive agency, or policy offices within a Virginia company or nonprofit.

Topics

Mason Pond’s first weather station is the canary in the coal mine

Rena Malai — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 17:46:50 +0000

Mason Pond’s first weather station is the canary in the coal mine Rena Malai Fri, 03/31/2023 - 13:46

In This Story

David Kepplinger

Just like miners used to bring canaries with them deep underground to detect danger early on, cherry trees – like the ones at ��AV’s Fairfax campus – offer a similar advanced warning when it comes to the atmosphere.

Bloom date records of cherry trees go back over a thousand years, with the earliest recordings linked to ancient cherry blossom festivals in Japan. More recently, bloom dates have taken on another purpose. Because of their temperature sensitivity, cherry trees’ flowering times have been noted as good indicators of a changing climate.

Biostatistics graduate student Jamie C. Roth.
Photo courtesy of Roth.

Biostatistics graduate student Jamie C. Roth wanted to apply this rich knowledge to the cherry trees that surround Mason Pond. She spearheaded a project to have the first weather station installed near the pond, which will monitor the atmosphere around the cherry trees and produce helpful data.

“The cherry blossoms show climate change better than any other plant,” said Roth. “I wanted to look at our own cherry trees and raise awareness of climate change.”

The weather station will be a permanent fixture and will measure components like sunlight, temperature, rainfall, humidity, and wind speed and direction. The data is then transmitted to a tablet that is currently housed in the Statistics department.

Although the team is working out the initial quirks of getting the system up and running, in time, Roth sees the weather station as a useful climate reporting tool for students to use in years to come.

“I’m excited for the future and to see how students get involved in climate change on campus,” said Roth.

Department of Statistics Assistant Professors David Kepplinger and Jonathan Auerbach supervised the project, along with College of Science Assistant Professor Daniel Hanley, in biology. Sarah D'Alexander from University Sustainability and Nick Valadez from the facilities department were instrumental in getting the weather station installed and running.

Topics

ASEE SE conference focuses on a diversely educated workforce

Rena Malai — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 13:52:44 +0000

ASEE SE conference focuses on a diversely educated workforce Rena Malai Fri, 03/17/2023 - 09:52

In This Story

Kenneth Ball

Gurdip Singh

Janis Terpenny

Given the digital society we live in now, it’s important to think about how well students are prepared for it.

This was a point made clear by ��AV Systems Engineering and Operations Research and Mechanical Engineering professor and National Science Foundation (NSF) Program Director Janis Terpenny, during a panel at the 2023 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Southeastern section conference. The conference was hosted by Mason this week at Mason Square in Arlington, with this year’s theme Educating the Inclusive Engineer: Diverse, Innovative, Accountable.

Alongside Terpenny, the ASEE SE panel Changing the Landscape of the Digital Workforce and DEI: A Call to Action and Research in Engineering Education included Mason Divisional Dean of the School of Computing Gurdip Singh and other education experts like NSF Division Director of Engineering Education & Centers José L. Zayas-Castro.

“My interest is in the perspective of how digital transformation can be embraced in the computing curriculum,” Singh said. “We can develop and think more on how to do that.”

Fuse (at Mason Square) will be a new, 345,000-square-foot hub for digital innovation that will promote the exchange of new ideas and the transfer of technology between Mason’s researchers and students and industry partners to accelerate the development of digital innovation. According to College of Engineering and Computing Dean Ken Ball, Mason is proud to host such an important conference for the first time, and at such a great venue.

“It is an honor and a privilege to host fellow engineering educators here in the Washington, D.C., area,” says Ball who is Chair of ASEE’s Engineering Deans Council, the leadership organization of engineering deans in the United States, with approximately 300 members.

Dr. Natalia Cardelino leads a technical session. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

The 2023 ASEE SE conference brought together engineering educators, industry leaders, and students to discuss and learn about the importance of promoting a diverse, digitally prepared workforce within engineering and STEM education paths. Conference attendees joined a variety of plenary sessions to learn about topics like ChatGPT use, creating optimal learning environments for student success, early outreach for K-12 students, and structural design.

Students competed in a poster competition during the conference, detailing work they’ve accomplished. Projects included creating environmentally sound recreation space from toxically saturated "brownfield" sites of abandoned gas stations, and a virtual reality rock climbing experience for those with disabilities.

Topics

Early spring toys with second annual Cherry Blossom Prediction  Competition

Rena Malai — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:54:53 +0000

Early spring toys with second annual Cherry Blossom Prediction  Competition   Rena Malai Thu, 03/09/2023 - 10:54

In This Story

David Kepplinger

Unseasonably warm temperatures in the Northern Virginia area this spring have turned blooming dates upside down, and the beloved cherry blossoms are no exception. 

Last year, students at ��AV joined contestants from around the world to predict the peak bloom date of cherry trees at four global locations—Washington, D.C.; Kyoto, Japan; Liestal-Weideli, Switzerland; and Vancouver, BC, Canada. The international Cherry Blossom Prediction Competition was a huge success and is gaining traction during its second annual run. 

The competition is organized by Mason statistics professors Jonathan Auerbach and David Kepplinger, and Elizabeth Wolkovich from the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia.  

“We’re interested to see how the competition plays out this year,” Kepplinger says. “It’s a great way for our students to get involved in something that’s so interesting to many people. Who doesn’t love the cherry blossoms?” 

Because of the warm temperatures this year, contestants predict the Washington cherry trees will reach peak bloom on March 28 on average, a week earlier than the historic average.

“If you have warm temperatures followed by a cold blast, it can really affect the bloom date,” Auerbach says. “Usually in the D.C. area, peak bloom occurs in early April. But some trees in the Tidal Basin and here at Mason Pond already show signs that flowering is imminent so we’ll have to see.” 

Mason statistics students Sara Alhassani and D.J. Grant provided the closest predictions last year, and Auerbach sees many competitive entries from Mason students again this year. Contestants use a variety of measures like examining weather patterns, soil moisture, past bloom rates, and area rainfall to get the best estimate of peak bloom dates.   

The 2022 peak bloom date in Washington was March 21, and the earliest peak bloom date on record is March 15, 1990.

Competition winners will be announced in May and are eligible for up to $5,000 in cash and prizes.

Topics

Boom crash: Mason researcher receives half million NSF grant that could steer AI safely

Rena Malai — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 20:12:21 +0000

Boom crash: Mason researcher receives half million NSF grant that could steer AI safely Rena Malai Fri, 02/24/2023 - 15:12

In This Story

ThanhVu Nguyen

AI is everywhere. It emphatically wends its way and creeps into daily life, from parking cars to vending machines. In some cases, the use of AI needs to be closely monitored to ensure all safety and precautionary measures are taken into consideration.

Thanhvu H. Nguyen, one of the newest professors in the Department of Computer Science, arrived at ��AV in 2021 and knew of Mason’s diversity and proximity to one of the largest tech hubs in the nation.

Nguyen recently won the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award "NeuralSAT: A Constraint-Solving Framework for Verifying Deep Neural Networks.” Nguyen will work with his student Hai Duong, and a select team of students to develop technology that ensures AI machine learning is robust, safe, and unbiased.

“In certain scenarios, where AI is used for things like controlling airplanes or autonomous vehicles, any mistake could prove fatal,” says Nguyen. “This grant work will look at the deep neural networks (DNN) embedded in AI/machine learning technology and develop technology to prevent errors and ensure safety.”

According to the project’s abstract, the use of DNNs - a layered network that processes complex data - have emerged as an effective approach to tackling real-world problems. However, just like traditional software, DNNs can have ‘bugs’ and be attacked. 

This can be especially concerning, when it comes to the use of AI in driving cars, for example. Although it could eliminate some human error, Nguyen says any faulty DNNs could throw an AI program – and the car – off the road when it comes to something unexpected, like bad weather and icy roads.

“We all depend on AI, whether we realize it or not,” says Nguyen. “It’s a part of our lives. Whatever I can do to make it safer, is a benefit to my family and the society.”

Since coming to Mason, he has helped to bring in around $1.73M in external funding. Nguyen is excited to work with his students and the group of computer science faculty, noting how everyone brings a fresh perspective to the table.

The project runs for five years with a total of $510,509 in anticipated funding. Nguyen sees the project as helping society as a whole by improving the reliability of systems embedding DNNs. The research conducted throughout the project will allow AI and machine learning researchers and users to improve their DNNs and deploy them with confidence. 

Topics

Rena Malai

Mason ASCE teams hosted, competed in 2023

In This Story

Topics

Mushrooming feats of engineering success

In This Story

Topics

A game changer and player

Learn about the MS in System Engineering

Topics

AI's future discussed at roundtable

In This Story

Topics

����AV wins Defend the Republic

In This Story

Topics

Statistics student wins COVES Fellowship

Topics

Mason Pond’s first weather station is the canary in the coal mine

In This Story

Topics

ASEE SE conference focuses on a diversely educated workforce

In This Story

Topics

Early spring toys with second annual Cherry Blossom Prediction Competition

In This Story

Topics

Boom crash: Mason researcher receives half million NSF grant that could steer AI safely

In This Story

Topics

��AV wins Defend the Republic

Early spring toys with second annual Cherry Blossom Prediction  Competition