Computer Engineering

PhD student knows how to (neural) network

Teresa Donnellan — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:54:28 +0000

PhD student knows how to (neural) network Teresa Donnellan Tue, 10/15/2024 - 14:54

Electrical and computer engineering PhD student Shay Snyder is not only “a very capable student,” as his ��AV advisor Maryam Parsa said, but he is also a tenacious networker. Passionate for his subject and tireless in his pursuit of research opportunities, Snyder joined George Mason's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and assisted in securing at least two years of funding for a project in Parsa’s lab.

Parsa’s research focuses on neuromorphic, or "brain-inspired," computing across various levels of the computing stack. The question is "how can neuroscience and biology help us redesign computers to be more capable, energy-efficient, and robust?" said Parsa, who is an assistant professor in ECE.

Although Snyder began his PhD in January 2023, he had been part of the Mason Nation for the prior year, working as an undergraduate research assistant for Parsa as he finished up a bachelor’s degree at East Tennessee State University.

Snyder was an effective networker even as a teenager. He attended a two-week summer camp at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a junior in high school and was eager to return.

Shay Snyder. Photo provided by Maryam Parsa.

“I found out that they have an internship program for high schoolers, so my entire senior year of high school, I emailed and emailed, saying like, ‘Hey, I like this about your work, and I want to work with you," Snyder said.

He recalled, “I sent so many emails, I got two e-mail accounts blocked because they thought I was spamming them, but luckily I heard back … so a week after I graduated from high school, I got to go to work at Oak Ridge for a summer, and that kind of started everything.”

He added, “It was a miracle.”

The internship was an eye-opening experience for Snyder. “Where I grew up in East Tennessee was much more remote," he said. "There are not a lot of technology jobs, and coming from my high school, I think over 50% of the kids were below the poverty line. So getting to see that was a whole new world for me, and I was determined that I wanted to continue doing work like they do at Oak Ridge.”

After that initial internship, Snyder continued reaching out to scientists he had met or learned about at Oak Ridge. He attended Lunch and Learn events for undergraduate students, at one of which he met Catherine Schuman, who introduced Snyder to the concept of neuromorphic computing.

“I was super inspired,” he said. He followed up with Schuman and was offered a yearlong position at Oak Ridge doing autonomous vehicle research for General Motors. He took his undergraduate classes part-time and worked remotely to leverage this opportunity.

Snyder first encountered Parsa when she gave a presentation at the International Conference on Neuromorphic Systems. She was then a post-doc also working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with Schuman. Snyder contacted her, and the two stayed in touch. After joining George Mason, Parsa hired Snyder remotely as an undergraduate research assistant while he finished his undergraduate degree. Meanwhile, Snyder also started a part-time internship at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.)

“[Snyder] was still an undergraduate, and he worked on an area that was completely different from his background,” said Parsa. “The project was on neuromorphic computing, but it involved learning multiple new areas including Bayesian learning and Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINN). He quickly learned the necessary background and developed Lava Bayesian Optimization that later merged with the Intel’s neuromorphic optimization framework, Lava-Optimization.”

The work has been published in multiple conference papers at the International Conference on Neuromorphic Computing Systems (ICONS), the Great Lakes Symposium on Very Large Scale Integration (GLSVLSI), and the International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications (ICMLA), and Snyder’s contribution is publicly available in Intel’s open-source Lava framework.

Two years ago, after Parsa circulated a call for proposals from the Army Ground Vehicle Research Center with her lab, Snyder approached her with an idea involving hyperdimensional computing. She encouraged him to write a draft. The two refined the idea and submitted a white paper on the topic. They were then invited to submit a full proposal, which was accepted for funding. So, the same semester that Snyder joined Parsa’s lab as a PhD student, the lab also began to receive funding for a project based on Snyder’s idea.

Maryam Parsa and lab members. Photo provided by Maryam Parsa.

Since Spring 2023, Snyder has become a full PhD student at George Mason and remains an important part of Parsa’s lab. Snyder has taken lead on multiple projects, academic, industry and government collaborations, and published multiple papers. He has also been mentoring not only high school interns and undergraduate students in Parsa’s lab, but also other PhD students. Since Snyder joined Parsa’s lab, he has been the first author of five published conference papers in top artificial intelligence and neuromorphic venues and coauthor in one published journal paper and six published conference papers.

Parsa deeply appreciates having Snyder in her lab, not only for his technical and professional skills but also for the positive energy he brings to the team. She highlights how Snyder's can-do attitude, curiosity, and collaborative nature have been instrumental to the success of numerous projects. His peers frequently rely on him, valuing his contributions and leadership in driving projects forward. Parsa regards working with Snyder as a true pleasure, given the impact he has made inside and outside in the lab.

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Maryam Parsa

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Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

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.

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Andre Manitius honored with the David J. King Teaching Award

Rena Malai — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 12:56:49 +0000

Andre Manitius honored with the David J. King Teaching Award Rena Malai Thu, 06/30/2022 - 08:56

Andre Manitius, ECE professor
Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services/
��AV

Professor Andre Manitius, of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), received the David J. King Teaching Award at the university’s Celebration of Teaching Excellence on May 2. This award is given annually in recognition of a sustained impact on the excellence of teaching and learning at ��AV. The award recognizes the vision and leadership that supports the excellence of teaching and learning, rather than classroom teaching alone and it is given once a year to one faculty member who has worked at Mason for at least twenty years.

Manitius, who has been at Mason for 34 years, was recognized for laying a foundation for sustained and lasting impact in multiple departments as well as at the college and the university. His nomination highlighted how he has focused on holistic and sustainable change. For example, he not only led to the creation or substantial enhancement of degree programs -- such as the BS in bioengineering or the MS in applied information technology -- but he recruited diverse faculty for those programs. He also mentored those new faculty and developed or supported administrative roles such as an associate chair for graduate programs and departmental ABET coordinator to support the work of faculty and students in those programs. Finally, he built strong partnerships with industry leaders to give them ongoing feedback.

Manutius's vision and coordination were crucial in establishing the first MS program in computer forensics in the nation. The MS in computer engineering, one of his early projects, is now poised to be a centerpiece of the College of Engineering and Computing and its work with the Tech Talent Investment Program to increase the number of students with computing degrees in Virginia. Manutius's forward-thinking mindset extends to his teaching as he was an early proponent of computer labs to promote hands-on instruction in programs like MATLAB, one of the early participants in a China 2+2 structure, a strong supporter of project-based learning, and an early adopter of asynchronous online pedagogies.

As he helped grow student enrollment in programs like information technology, Manitius also hired and supported new academic advisers, and helped coordinate the program to ensure a smooth and sustainable pathway for students in Northern Virginia to matriculate at Mason. By doing this he helped create strong foundations on which others can build.

“I feel very honored by this award, which reflects favorably on the ECE Department. Whatever I did to deserve this award is owed to a great collaboration of the ECE faculty, for which I am thankful,” says Manitius. He says his outlook on his teaching career can be summed up by the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, a 19th-century Scottish novelist, and poet who said, "Do not judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant."

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Awards

Computer Engineering

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Wing Lam brings home a flaky test achievement

Rena Malai — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 18:11:31 +0000

Wing Lam brings home a flaky test achievement Rena Malai Mon, 04/04/2022 - 14:11

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Wing Lam

Getting rewarded for being flaky doesn’t usually happen. But when it comes to computer science, researching flaky (non-deterministic) software tests resulted in Wing Lam – professor in the Department of Computer Science at ��AV – receiving the ACM Special Interest Group on Software Engineering (SIGSOFT) Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award.

“It is a tremendous opportunity to be honored with this award,” says Lam. “It makes me reflect on the many tiring nights that I spent on the work in my dissertation and on the dissertation text itself.”

Lam’s winning dissertation pinpointed flaky tests, an important topic for software developers. He says these kinds of tests tend to non-deterministically pass or fail on the same code. Basically, the tests flake out and provide unreliable results, which can cause challenges for developers trying to see if their recent code changes introduced software bugs or not.

“In recent years, many companies – like Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft –highlighted through research and blogs the difficulties developers face when dealing with flaky tests,” says Lam. “The work in my dissertation proposes techniques to help developers detect, understand, and fix them.”

A fairly new arrival at Mason, Lam has been with the university for about one year. He says he was drawn to Mason’s influential researchers and strong computer science presence, particularly in the area of software engineering, which he teaches and conducts research in.

“Software engineering at Mason is now ranked seventh in the country, based on publications in recent years according to CS rankings,” says Lam. “With Mason being close to Washington D.C., there are also many collaboration opportunities and software development companies unique to this region.”

According to Lam, the work in his dissertation detected more than 3,000 flaky tests in over 300 open-source projects and helped fix more than 1,200 flaky tests in over 170 open-source projects. Lam’s work also led to changes in Maven Surefire, the default plugin of a popular build system for running tests in Java projects.

His changes are part of a toolset that is used by over 6.8 million Java developers worldwide, he says.

His advice for folks looking to develop an award winning dissertation is to explore anything that is exciting or interesting and learn through the process.

“The work in this dissertation took me three years,” says Lam. “Although I explored other related topics, I ended up mainly focusing on flaky tests because of how important this subject is for software developers.”

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Mason’s Engineers Week Celebrates the Senses

Rena Malai — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 15:14:44 +0000

Mason’s Engineers Week Celebrates the Senses Rena Malai Mon, 02/14/2022 - 10:14

Engineering takes on a whole new feel, as ��AV gears up for Engineers Week February 22 – February 25. This year’s theme, Engineering Your Senses: How Engineering and Technology Relmagine Our Impact on the World, will take participants on a journey through the five senses—taste, smell, sound, touch, and sight.

Making ice cream with nitrogen, bottling custom made perfume, and exploring new technologies that support well being are just a few of the activities happening during Engineers Week. The College of Engineering and Computing hopes everyone will come to enjoy this exciting event, ask questions, and engage with the panelists, presenters, and each other to explore how engineering and technology transforms our lives.

RSVP here.

Engineers Week is open to all and will take place in person. The full schedule of Engineers Week events is as follows:

TASTE

Tuesday, February 22

Noon to 3 p.m. Nguyen Engineering Building Atrium
Taste your way to the Nguyen Engineering Building and spend the day mixing, tasting, and making your own ice cream with liquid nitrogen. Learn about the advances in engineering and technology that make this reimagined treat possible. Whether you like vanilla, chocolate, or something in between, we’ve got something for you.

4 to 5:30 p.m. oSTEM Startup Meeting and Discussion ENGR 2901
Students and faculty interested in becoming members and advisors for the university’s soon to be established Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) are invited to gather to brainstorm and discuss the mission, vision, and outcomes they want for the chapter.

TOUCH and SMELL

Wednesday, February 23

Noon to 3 p.m. Nguyen Engineering Building Atrium

Feel the effects and importance of mechanotherapy and immunotherapy to your wellbeing and that of others. While you are at it, take in the massages that will be offered for students and faculty utilizing massage equipment made through engineering advancements.

Noon to 3 p.m. Nguyen Engineering Building, Vangent Conference Room 2901 and 1602
Smell your way into an olfactory opportunity and join us to find out more about how scents are made. Join us and engage in your own perfume or cologne making. Create your scent, bottle it, and take it home.

SIGHT and SOUND

Thursday, February 24

4 to 6:00 p.m. Nguyen Engineering Building Atrium
Hear about the impact that engineering and technology has made on music, acoustics, symphonics, etc., and make your own beats and music. We will have DJ recording booths – where you’ll learn how sound engineers make music.

6 to 9:00 p.m. Jajodia Auditorium
Come out and see for yourself. Students, faculty, and staff can come and enjoy our AI/Technology themed film, “Free Guy.

SENSES SHOWCASE

Friday, February 25

Noon to 2:00 p.m. Nguyen Engineering Building Atrium
Come see, touch, taste, smell, and hear about the cool and interesting projects that our CEC students and faculty are working on. From creating life-saving technology in bioengineering, to protecting our national interests through cybersecurity, or making our infrastructure stronger and more accessible through civil engineering. Come and be awed by the reimagined possibilities of engineering and computing.

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National Engineers Week

College of Engineering and Computing

Events(28786)

Computer Engineering

Break Through Tech peer leaders are cheer leaders for students

Rena Malai — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 18:13:20 +0000

Break Through Tech peer leaders are cheer leaders for students Rena Malai Fri, 12/03/2021 - 13:13

As soon as Andrea (Andi) Motas, a computer science major at ��AV, heard about the Break Through Tech peer leadership program, she wanted to join. Meeting other students, faculty, and making a contribution were the key factors that drew her in, she says.

“I can relate to the younger students, and I know what they’re going through,” Motas says. “I want them to feel supported and that they have a place to go.”

She says the main role of a Break Through Tech peer leader is to help support students—especially females and those from underrepresented communities—-- pursuing computer science, engineering, and information technology degrees at Mason. Peer leaders are available to answer questions, meet, or simply talk.

“It’s important to have Break Through Tech in place because a lot of students can feel a lack of support, especially freshman getting adjusted to college life or minorities who may not see anyone that looks like them in any of their classes,” Motas says. “But they can come to Break Through Tech for that support whether they want someone to talk to, or help with a resume.”

She says being a peer leader is a natural fit for her because she’s done similar duties before with other student organizations. Motas brings plenty of experience to the table with hosting events, being able to connect with others, and giving advice.

“A lot of it, for students, is just how to get started in the right direction,” she says. “Freshmen will be curious about what internships are out there, and what classes to take. I like to share my own experiences with them of what worked for me and what didn’t, and the things that helped me to succeed.”

Motas is currently a senior, and is set to graduate December 2021. After graduating, she plans to start work as a software engineer at Oracle and eventually pursue a master’s degree in data science or machine learning.

She’s always enjoyed anything to do with computers and is keenly interested in how technology works behind the scenes.

“As long as you have the resources and an internet connection, you can build whatever you want and go wherever you want with it,” she says.

Motas was awarded the Washington Apple Pi Endowed scholarship and was recognized for her work with PatriotHacks in 2018 (awarded best data analytics hack) and HackViolet in 2021 (awarded best hack for female empowerment and best web app.)

The Break Through Tech peer leadership program provides support to all Mason College of Engineering and Computing students. For more information, contact breakthroughtech@cs.gmu.edu.

Visit Break Through Tech DC at George Mason for more information.

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Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)

CEDRIC launch supports diverse students; offers opportunities

Rena Malai — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 14:41:47 +0000

CEDRIC launch supports diverse students; offers opportunities Rena Malai Thu, 11/04/2021 - 10:41

In This Story

Kenneth Ball

Kenneth Ball, dean of the College of
Engineering and Computing, addressed the audience
during CEDRIC's launch.

Having access to support and resources is essential for students from diverse backgrounds.

The Computing and Engineering Diversity Resource and Information Center (CEDRIC) is dedicated to giving diverse and underrepresented students at the College of Engineering and Computing the tools they need to succeed. Guest speakers, Mason staff, and students gathered Friday, October 29 for CEDRIC’s official virtual launch.

Mason’s newly appointed Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Sharnnia Artis, also an engineer, shared with the audience that if it wasn’t for a similar organization like CEDRIC which had helped her, she may not be where she is today.

She encouraged students to explore all the opportunities and mentoring CEDRIC offers.

“The journey to your profession of choice is not going to be easy,” she says. “But CEDRIC will help you build a foundation to make that journey a little easier and more innovative, rewarding, and successful.”

According to Kenneth Ball, dean of the College of Engineering and Computing, CEDRIC is committed to supporting students so everyone can be successful as they navigate through their College of Engineering and Computing degrees at Mason.

“This is wonderful for us, and wonderful for ��AV,” he says.

CEDRIC is a one stop shop for students from underrepresented backgrounds, says Christopher A. Carr, chief diversity officer in the College of Engineering and Computing. Students can find not just a home, but resources, connections, friendship, collaboration, and guidance both during their time at CEC and beyond.

CEDRIC can be accessed here. It is an initiative of the Office of Diversity, Outreach, and Inclusive Learning within the College of Engineering and Computing.

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diversity

Inclusion

College of Engineering and Computing

Computer Engineering

Break Through Tech at Mason hosts inaugural on-campus event

Rena Malai — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 19:40:58 +0000

Break Through Tech at Mason hosts inaugural on-campus event Rena Malai Tue, 10/19/2021 - 15:40

Break Through Tech at Mason will host its first on-campus event, run by student peer leaders. This event is an opportunity to learn more about the Break Through Tech program, network with other students interested in tech and computing, and get some free candy.

When: Monday, October 25 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Where: Nguyen Engineering Building Room 2901

Break Through Tech DC is a part of a national program that aims to develop inclusive tech hubs to accelerate the representation and leadership of women in tech.

For more information about the on-campus event, email Andrea Motas

More information on Break Through Tech DC can be viewed here.

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information technology

Computer Engineering

computer science

George Mason to support Amazon with large-scale expansion of Arlington Campus

Melanie Balog — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:06:05 +0000

George Mason to support Amazon with large-scale expansion of Arlington Campus Melanie Balog Tue, 11/13/2018 - 11:06

Computer Engineering

PhD student knows how to (neural) network

Start your own Electrical and Computer Engineering journey

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Related News

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ASEE SE conference focuses on a diversely educated workforce

In This Story

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Andre Manitius honored with the David J. King Teaching Award

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Wing Lam brings home a flaky test achievement

In This Story

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Mason’s Engineers Week Celebrates the Senses

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Break Through Tech peer leaders are cheer leaders for students

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CEDRIC launch supports diverse students; offers opportunities

In This Story

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Break Through Tech at Mason hosts inaugural on-campus event

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George Mason to support Amazon with large-scale expansion of Arlington Campus