competitions

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.

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Civil Engineering

competitions

student organizations

Students

College of Engineering and Computing

��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

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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

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

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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.

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A Series of Firsts for Mason's ASCE Teams

Tama Moni — Wed, 11 May 2022 17:57:33 +0000

A Series of Firsts for Mason's ASCE Teams Tama Moni Wed, 05/11/2022 - 13:57

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Doaa Bondok

At Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing, you can expect students who are passionate about their field, hardworking, and goal-oriented in achieving their tasks. That kind of work ethic and enthusiasm exists within the students of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – Mason chapter. This year, two Mason ASCE teams won first place in the Region 2 Mid-Atlantic West Symposium competitions, for their steel bridge and sustainable solutions projects for the first time.

Seif Ali, team leader of the steel bridge team, said his goal, from day one, was for his team to win nationals. “I just wanted to make sure that everyone understands that we’re not just here to compete, but to learn,” Ali says. He joined the Mason chapter of ASCE last fall and immediately signed up for the open leadership spot on the steel bridge team – becoming the leader last October. He said that there were few opportunities to join student organizations during the pandemic and that joining this organization was an opportunity to try something different.

Ali said his team built a bridge with plates and members and used the fabrication method to weld and join the metal parts together to create the bridge. A local engineering firm, Nasir and Associates, helped the team by not only providing supplies, but also giving them valuable experience-based recommendations.

The cancellation of his former team landed Nicholo Gadiana, in the leadership role of the sustainable solutions team. “I built the team three months before the competition,” Nicholo says. Faced with the challenge of time constraints and deadlines, Gadiana made sure his team followed the rules in building their project. He said the hardest part of leading his team was maintaining communication between members and finding locations to meet.

The theme for the sustainable solutions competition this year was “The Tiny Home challenge.” Gadiana said his team had to create a model of 10 sustainable tiny homes, that could contain a loft bed, bathroom, kitchen, and living and dining area. The competition rules required that the house must be around 400 square feet and sit on 1.07 acres of land. This team used 3D modeling software to sketch the layout of the houses and design it. For their sustainable part of the project, Gadiana said they came up with using a rainwater soil system, which absorbs the water and lessens the need for concrete in depositing overflowing water.

“In summary, I think it’s the practical side. We provide students with the resources and support to develop them professionally, help them progress well towards their career, gain skills to be able to find a job, to speak about themselves, build on their soft skills,” says Doaa Bondok, faculty advisor for ASCE and Assistant Professor in the Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering Department.

Another win from the ASCE Region 2 Mid – Atlantic West Symposium, was Mason’s surveying competition team who won second place in their competition. Team members include: Nikolas Hawley, (Survey Party Chief), Christian Harar, (Assistant Survey Party Chief), Kai Barner, Survey Technician (Instrument Man), Margaret Freeman, Survey Technician (Chain Man), Siddarth Achar, Survey Technician (Rod Man).