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High schoolers explore renewable energy engineering at Mason Square summer camp

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:39:36 +0000

High schoolers explore renewable energy engineering at Mason Square summer camp Teresa Donnellan Mon, 08/26/2024 - 12:39

Fourteen local high school students from six school districts spent a week in August delving into renewable energy engineering at ��AV’s Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp, held at Mason Square. Liling Huang, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and Dominion Energy Faculty Fellow, led the camp sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) from August 5 to 9.

Students learn about solar panels during the Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

Throughout the week, students engaged in activities designed to spark their interest in environmental stewardship and engineering excellence. The camp offered a mix of interactive sessions, hands-on labs, and group projects, all aimed at providing a foundational understanding of renewable energy engineering. Industry professionals from organizations such as Dominion Energy and the Solar Hands-On Instructional Network of Excellence (SHINE) contributed their expertise, giving students real-world insights into the energy sector.

The camp culminated in a two-part event on the final day. First, a panel of renewable energy professionals shared their experiences and advice with the campers. Panelists represented a broad spectrum of the industry, including AES Corporation, AWS, Dominion Energy, Hispanics in Energy, MPR Associates, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC), and SHINE.

Students work on model town during the Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

"You all are choosing a field that's very exciting, and there's really an opportunity for you to have huge impact, whether it's here or abroad," said George Mason’s Liza Wilson Durant, Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement, addressing the campers as she introduced the panelists.

The panelists discussed the future energy landscape, the integration of renewable resources with traditional power grids, and the various career paths available in the power and energy sector. They also highlighted the importance of continuous learning and flexibility.

SHINE Executive Director David Peterson summed up his advice with a lyric by the Avett Brothers: “Decide what to be, and go be it.” He emphasized the importance of committing to a path without being overly concerned with immediate decisions. Nicholas Lee-Romagnolo, program lead of workforce and economic development at AWS, agreed, explaining that careers are more like jungle gyms than ladders: There are many different paths upward.

Industry panel closing GMU Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

Lee-Romagnolo also advised the campers to pay attention to the culture of their environment throughout their academic and professional careers.

“It's very difficult to change the culture that you go into. Often you as an individual change and become more like that culture, so be aware of and thoughtful about those groups that you enter into,” he explained, adding, “None of us learns or works individually, and the team that you choose will matter every single time.”

Following the panel, the students presented their main project—a model town powered entirely by renewable, clean energy. The model featured working offshore wind turbines and small solar panels that powered a lamp and fans inside the town's model houses and data centers. The students took on various roles in planning the town, addressing engineering, financial, regulatory, and social challenges. The model town was designed as a coastal Virginia community, with considerations for local population dynamics and environmental sustainability.

The campers expressed pride in their work, noting how much they had learned during the week. When asked who was planning to study energy engineering in the future, twelve of the fourteen students raised their hands.

CEC Dean Ken Ball with staff and campers of Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo by Bonnie Crews.

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Liza Wilson Durant

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Amazon develops data center engineering curriculum with Mason

Colleen Rich — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 17:09:51 +0000

Amazon develops data center engineering curriculum with Mason Colleen Rich Wed, 07/26/2023 - 13:09

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��AV is working with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop a course in data center engineering and expand the opportunities in its senior capstone courses.

Photo by Getty Images

Faculty in Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing are developing the ME/ECE 499: Data Center Engineering course, which will be offered for the first time this fall. The course, which will be crosslisted in the Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments, will introduce students to data center infrastructure design, operations, efficiency, cooling, and decarbonization.

Students will learn to design, operate, and maintain the hardware required for complex data center systems. The instructor will bring real-world industry experience into the classroom, and the class will have the opportunity to tour nearby data center facilities.

“We are happy to partner with ��AV and look forward to utilizing this collaboration to help students engage in critical research,” said Nicholas Lee-Romagnolo, program manager of Workforce and Economic Development at AWS. “Our goal is that the program helps prepare students to enter the tech field after their time at Mason, equipped to create solutions to the challenges faced by data center engineers.”

Through the course, students will gain hands-on experience and learn from experts in the field, such as guest speakers who will discuss data center career paths.

Across the Washington, D.C., metro area, there is a greater need for both mechanical and electrical engineering talent. The data center engineering course will help students gain experience, build on their skills, and prepare to enter the workforce as part of Mason’s commitment to feeding the ever-increasing tech talent pipeline for Virginia and beyond.

Kammy Sanghera, executive director of the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA), is coordinating the effort with Liza Wilson Durant, associate dean for strategic initiatives and community engagement in the College of Engineering and Computing.

“The data center engineering job market is exploding in Virginia, and our partnership with Amazon to provide real-world, hands-on training in this new area will position Mason engineers with the skills and knowledge to move out and lead in this emerging technical discipline,” Durant said. “Mason's strategic alliance with Amazon is enabling us to embed the skills and knowledge required of the engineer of the future and position our graduates for success.”

“We are excited to introduce the data center course and are looking forward to our continued partnership with Amazon,” Sanghera said. “This is another opportunity for Mason and its industry collaborators to provide unique experiences for students to engage in cutting-edge research and obtain the skills necessary to be successful in the ever-growing tech and engineering fields in Virginia and beyond.”

Earlier this year, AWS challenged Mason engineering students to create an evaporative cooler and test the effectiveness of evaporative media. AWS funded students for their design implementation of capstone project. This AWS capstone project was the first of its kind at Mason, and two similar capstones projects are planned for this fall—one in mechanical engineering, another in electrical engineering.

The two projects will be mentored by CEC professors Nathan Kathir and Tolga Soyata respectively, and students will have an opportunity to gain expert technical advice directly from Amazon engineers. The electrical engineering capstone project will give students a hands-on experience building a data center power monitoring system.

“We are looking forward to the Mechanical Engineering capstone this fall,” said Mason professor Leigh McCue, chair of Mason’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “These courses provide our students with opportunities to expand upon what they have learned in class and apply the skills they’ve learned to creating important solutions to real-world problems.”

“We are excited to partner with Amazon and to bring more opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and prepare to become part of the expanding data center engineering industry in Virginia,” said Mason professor Pelin Kurtay, associate chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department, who is leading the effort for ECE.

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Amazon and ��AV Collaborate to Deliver New Innovations in Education and Research Powered by the Cloud

Melanie Balog — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:02:23 +0000

Amazon and ��AV Collaborate to Deliver New Innovations in Education and Research Powered by the Cloud Melanie Balog Tue, 11/29/2022 - 07:02

Multi-year initiative will enable the university to accelerate innovations in student experience and well-being, workforce development, and national defense R&D

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

Ashley Simms, AWS, simmsay@amazon.com

John Hollis, Mason, jhollis2@gmu.edu

Fairfax, Va., Nov. 29, 2022—Today, ��AV (Mason) announced a collaborative initiative with Amazon to build one of the most student-centric and technologically advanced education institutions in the nation.

Mason will leverage the breadth and depth of services across Amazon, including technical solutions from Amazon Web Services (AWS), to better serve students, partner with the defense community, advance its commitment to a more sustainable campus environment, and introduce new educational programs in data center engineering.

On this digital innovation journey, Mason will create more valuable and convenient experiences for researchers, educators, administrators, students, and parents when engaging with the university. Harnessing the power of AWS cloud services, Mason will develop a unified platform to improve the process for students from community colleges to transfer into the university. This process will support Mason’s commitment to access by eliminating obstacles related to enrollment and transfer, ensuring systemic barriers do not prevent student success.

“The diverse talent pipeline that ��AV produces is in part what attracted Amazon to Arlington,” Mason President Gregory Washington said. “Mason’s work with Amazon will better serve the students in that pipeline, as well as drive economic growth through business, government, and community collaborations as Mason becomes one of the most technologically advanced, inclusive universities in the nation.”

As the university works with AWS to implement enhanced high-performance computing, machine learning, and more, Mason will accelerate its research capabilities and provide a new platform for innovation. Additionally, Mason will facilitate increased collaboration in the intelligence community, driving new discoveries with artificial intelligence, containers, Internet of Things, and 5G technology. This collaboration will deliver a secure, cloud-based environment for university, industry, and government mission partners to conduct cutting-edge research.

“��AV has proven to be a leading education institution in the nation’s capital for a number of years,” said Kim Majerus, Vice President, U.S. Education, State and Local Government at AWS. “As one of the first universities to launch a cloud computing degree program, Mason has always seen how the power of technology can help meet mission outcomes. This collaboration will be transformative in showing the positive impact technology can have on the education community across the nation, as well as advance research in cybersecurity, defense, and military intelligence for public-sector leaders.”

Mason faculty, students, staff, and public-sector and industry partners can also expect the development of new approaches to address food insecurity, reduce the technical skills gap in data center engineering, and advance environmental priorities. In the coming years, students can access these novel programs and new curriculum that will help learners pursue careers in data center engineering across the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, where there is an increasing need for mechanical engineering and electrical engineering talent.

"In this long-term initiative, customer services and resources from across Amazon will accelerate innovation at Virginia's largest public research university, including by helping Mason innovate and build on the vast portfolio of AWS Cloud technologies and solutions,” said Paul Misener, Vice President for Global Innovation Policy and Communications at Amazon. “This is just the beginning of a powerful collaboration that not only will improve student outcomes, but also will create a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable future for the university.”

The newly announced projects will add to an already strong collaborative effort between Mason, AWS, and Amazon to support students and innovation.

A just-completed hackathon co-hosted by Mason and Amazon, a project based out of the university’s Mason Square in Arlington, Virginia, challenged teams from U.S. and international academic institutions, companies, and other affiliations to develop innovative ideas to improve public-private collaborations against the industry-wide global challenge of counterfeiting.

Mason Square is also the future home of Mason’s Fuse building, a 345,000-square-foot facility that will open in 2025 as the flagship tech hub for digital innovation, showcasing the power of partnerships in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, connecting students, faculty, industry, and government.

Additionally, AWS Girls’ Tech Day in Northern Virginia was held on Mason’s Science and Technology Campus in Manassas with the goal of inspiring girls and women to pursue careers in the technology sector. And Mason President Gregory Washington recently participated in a panel discussion, hosted by Amazon, that focused on workforce development and the future of work.

About George Mason

��AV is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 39,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. In 2022, Mason celebrates 50 years as an independent institution. Learn more at gmu.edu.

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Mason, Amazon collaboration to deliver innovations in education and research

Colleen Rich — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 17:03:01 +0000

Mason, Amazon collaboration to deliver innovations in education and research Colleen Rich Mon, 11/28/2022 - 12:03

��AV and Amazon have entered into a strategic collaboration that will allow the university to better serve students, advance its commitment to a more sustainable campus environment, and introduce new educational programs in data center engineering.

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

By leveraging technical solutions from Amazon Web Services’ cloud services, Mason will develop a unified platform to improve the process for students from community colleges to transfer into the university. The seamless process will support Mason’s commitment to access by eliminating obstacles related to enrollment and transfer, ensuring systematic barriers do not prevent student success.

Mason faculty, students, staff, and public-sector and industry partners can also expect the development of new approaches to address food insecurity, reduce the technical skills gap in data center engineering, and advance environmental priorities. In the coming years, students will be able to access these novel programs and new curriculum that will help learners pursue careers in data center engineering across the greater Washington metropolitan area, where there is an increasing need for mechanical and electrical engineering talent.

Mason is among the largest producers of tech talent in Virginia, with 40% of students majoring in STEM fields. The university is ranked No. 1 in the commonwealth and No. 9 nationally among public institutions for innovation by U.S. News and World Report.

“The diverse talent pipeline that ��AV produces is in part what attracted Amazon to Arlington,” Mason President Gregory Washington said of the company’s construction of a headquarters in the city. “Mason’s work with Amazon will better serve the students in that pipeline as well as drive economic growth through business, government and community collaborations as Mason becomes one of the most technologically advanced, inclusive universities in the nation.”

As Mason works with Amazon Web Services to implement enhanced, high-performance computing and machine learning, it also will accelerate its research capabilities and provide new platforms for innovation, including an increased collaboration with the intelligence community to drive research and new discoveries with artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and 5G technology.

In total, this unique collaboration will deliver a secure, cloud-based environment for university, industry and government mission partners to conduct cutting-edge research.

"This is just the beginning of a powerful collaboration," said Amazon's Paul Misener. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

"In this long-term initiative, customer services and resources from across Amazon will accelerate innovation at Virginia's largest public research university, including by helping Mason innovate and build on the vast portfolio of AWS Cloud technologies and solutions,” said Paul Misener, vice president for global innovation policy and communications at Amazon. “This is just the beginning of a powerful collaboration that not only will improve student outcomes, but also will create a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable future for the university.”

The newly announced projects will add to an already strong collaborative effort between Mason, AWS, and Amazon to support students and innovation.

Additionally, AWS’ Girls Tech Day in Northern Virginia was held at Mason’s Science and Technology Campus with the goal of inspiring girls and women to pursue careers in the technology sector. And Mason President Gregory Washington recently participated in a panel discussion, hosted by Amazon, that focused on workforce development and the future of work.

“��AV has proven to be a leading education institution in the nation’s capital for a number of years,” said Kim Majerus, vice president, U.S. education, state and local government at AWS. “As one of the first universities to launch a cloud computing degree program, Mason has always seen how the power of technology can help meet mission outcomes. This collaboration will be transformative in showing the positive impact technology can have on the education community across the nation, as well as advance research in cybersecurity, defense, and military intelligence for public-sector leaders.”

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AWS Girls’ Tech Day Virginia at Hylton Center inspires nearly 400 girls and young women to pursue STEAM

Colleen Rich — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 14:53:36 +0000

AWS Girls’ Tech Day Virginia at Hylton Center inspires nearly 400 girls and young women to pursue STEAM Colleen Rich Mon, 11/14/2022 - 09:53

The Hylton Performing Arts Center at ��AV’s Science and Technology Campus is normally bustling with performances from local, national, and international artists. On October 1, the venue was filled with a different kind of energy.

Nearly 400 girls and women interested in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) gathered to participate in Girls’ Tech Day Virginia, hosted by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The initiative, in partnership with the Prince William County Public Schools Education Foundation (SPARK), as well as other local organizations, aims to inspire school-aged girls and young women to pursue careers in STEAM.

Girls' Tech Day attendees got to work a mock crime scene. Photo by AWS

The event offered panels and workshops with Mason faculty and STEAM professionals. Workshops included “Who’s the Artist? Engineer or Machine” and “The Real CSI,” the latter offering a dive into what it is like to be a forensic scientist turning the Merchant Hall stage into a mock crime scene.

The event also gave attendees opportunities to build coding experience and included professional development with resume building and complimentary headshots.

“I was thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with the talented young ladies who participated in the AWS Girls’ Tech Day,” said Kelly Knight, associate professor of forensic science at Mason and facilitator of “The Real CSI” workshop. “As I looked out into the audience and saw the excitement in their eyes, I couldn't help but think about how meaningful an event like this would have been to me as a young girl.”

Since 2018, Girls’ Tech Day has reached nearly 7,000 girls and young women ages 8-24 to motivate, excite, and inspire them to pursue careers in STEAM. A free program, the first Girls’ Tech Day took place at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in partnership with AWS, who also supports the Hylton Center’s Education Initiative and other programs. Ongoing support from AWS helps make arts accessible to local students and schools at the Hylton Center and throughout local communities.

“We were excited to host this event in collaboration with the Hylton Center to support students in Prince William County, building on our ongoing efforts to bring STEAM education opportunities to young learners,” said Cornelia Robinson, global lead of inclusion and outreach for AWS. “Women represent a quarter or less of workers in computing and engineering, and we want to do our part to inspire and support students and young women in the communities we call home.”

Nearly 400 girls and women interested in STEAM gathered to participate in Girls’ Tech Day Virginia. Photo by AWS

Girls’ Tech Day is just one part of a collection of initiatives AWS is leading to promote STEAM education in Virginia. In 2019, Prince William County opened the first AWS Think Big Space to further promote and cultivate an interest in STEAM disciplines through hands-on learning. Since then, AWS has funded 38 spaces globally and is looking to establish even more in Northern Virginia.

“The Hylton Center Education Initiative is 100% supported by philanthropy,” said Hylton Center Education Coordinator Marit Majeske. “The lead sponsorship of AWS enables the Hylton Center to reach students from early elementary to lifelong learners with in-person field trips, virtual field trips, master classes, lecture demonstrations, and residencies. We are grateful for their support of our goal to bring the arts to students in our community.”

Connecting with students at an early age is especially meaningful for Knight.

“When I was their age, there weren't many events that were not only created for girls but that were also free, and I think that's an important point,” she said. “It’s wonderful to have STEAM outreach programs, but if they aren't accessible, we are missing the point. Programs such as this allow girls to not only see the possibilities but to also remind them that they belong in STEAM regardless of their background.”

Learn more about AWS Girls’ Tech Day.

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Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

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IT master's student speaks at AWS Imagine EDU

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 14:08:36 +0000

IT master's student speaks at AWS Imagine EDU Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/06/2021 - 10:08

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Kamaljeet Sanghera

Master's student Maya Chatterjee (third from left) discussed cloud computing with students from other universities across the country at the AWS Imagine: EDU conference.

During the closing session of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Imagine EDU conference in September, students from AWS Cloud Innovation Centers and AWS education programs discussed their educational experiences.

In front of an audience of nearly 300 people, applied information technology master’s student Maya Chatterjee joined speakers from Arizona State University and California Polytechnical Institute. The students were on hand to talk about their programs, discuss their experiences leveraging technology, and share how they were making a difference in their communities.

“I really appreciate that I got the platform to be able to speak about cloud computing education for higher education. I am passionate about getting minorities in cloud computing and technology, and it was encouraging to hear that there are educators who are eager to support this initiative,” says Chatterjee.

As the catalyst for Mason’s first Cloud Computing Conference last fall, Chatterjee says she’s been inspired to see how much her knowledge of cloud computing has accelerated her career and wanted to provide those same opportunities for others.

“My first AWS internship gave me the confidence to create an innovative solution and to constantly reinvent. I created four different solutions before the last one was finally approved and accepted,” she says. In her second internship, she learned a variety of new technologies and used machine learning and data analytics tools to help automate stress testing of a natural language processing tool. 

“Maya’s exceptional work ethic and professionalism are the kinds of attributes employers value,” says Kamaljeet Sanghera, executive director of the Institute for Digital InnovAtion. “Not only has Maya successfully applied her knowledge in two internships, but she is also a wonderful advocate for women and underrepresented groups in STEM. We know we will be hearing more about her.”