Electrical Engineering

Mason's living lab pumps up power research

Tama Moni — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 21:47:13 +0000

Mason's living lab pumps up power research Tama Moni Mon, 03/06/2023 - 16:47

You've seen it in the movies—a massive wall of monitors in a dark room displaying blinking charts and graphs while busy staffers press buttons and shift levers.

The new Smart Grid Lab, opening in 2023 in ��AV's Van Metre Hall at Mason Square, will recreate a modest version of this control center. This state-of-the-art facility will offer hands-on experience to undergraduate and graduate students and professional practitioners. College of Engineering and Computing Associate Professor Liling Huang reports the lab will include three workstations with a Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) and a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, among other features. These stations can either be linked together to imitate the entire grid or used independently to examine particular subjects. Huang believes this lab will make Mason's power engineering program unique, as few universities offer this immersive educational experience.

"The new Smart Grid Lab is critical to training and modeling, simulation, and digital twin research. It will support a secure next-generation power grid," said Liza Wilson Durant, associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement at Mason.

The new lab will also be used for security and resiliency testing, ensuring power systems are equipped to manage and mitigate potential cyberthreats or disruptions—photo courtesy of iStock.

The lab's primary purpose is to enable students and researchers to conduct various hands-on experiments, work with hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulations, and analyze simulation data related to power and energy systems. These activities will encompass various aspects of power systems, smart grid technology, microgrid, renewable energy, electric machines, and energy management systems. Beyond that, Huang says that when using the SCADA system and display wall, students and faculty in the lab will collect consumption data and display energy flow at the Fairfax, Mason Square, and SciTech Campuses.

"This will be a unique living lab for Mason students. We can start observing the campus energy flow and collect data. That can support our future research in data analytics, machine learning, digital twins, computing, or cybersecurity of the smart grid and smart cities. It allows us to reach beyond the 4,000 square feet of the lab." - Liling Huang, associate professor CEC

Many power engineering programs have shuttered over the last 20 years, causing an industry workforce shortage, making the lab even more valuable to Mason's students by rounding out their education. Further, the nation is struggling with an aging power grid infrastructure and an increasing electricity demand. Combine all of that with a global initiative of Net Zero by 2050, and Huang says Mason is an ideal place to pursue this type of research and education, particularly with the campus' location in the Washington metropolitan area, near the federal government and one of the largest data center markets in the world. The lab will also be used for security and resiliency testing, ensuring that our power systems are adequately equipped to manage and mitigate potential cyberthreats or disruptions.

"The Van Metre Lab is the precursor to a larger lab capability in Fuse, a net-zero ready facility which will serve as a living laboratory. This lab will enable real-time data collection to facilitate smart cities innovation and research to improve quality of life and moderate technology's impact on the environment," said Wilson Durant.

This powerful lab will help position Mason as a leader among Virginia universities in hands-on learning and research in power engineering.

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This graduating engineer is an inventor at heart

Colleen Rich — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 16:01:45 +0000

This graduating engineer is an inventor at heart Colleen Rich Mon, 12/05/2022 - 11:01

Senior Sai Srivatsav Gutala has been busy during his time at ��AV, and he has a lot of big ideas.

Inventor Sai Srivatsav Gutala is graduating with a BS in electrical engineering. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

In 2019, as a sophomore, the electrical engineering major started a student club called the Inventors and Innovations Team (IIT) with one of his classmates, computer engineering major Nicholas Paschke.

“We wanted to give students an opportunity to build whatever it is that tickles their mind,” he said of the club that still meets in the makerspace at the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX) in Horizon Hall on the Fairfax Campus. “As long as it's reasonable and innovative, we agreed to it and tried to create it. Since IIT started, our vision has been to have multiple teams working on building different projects at the same time.”

Current IIT projects include a fire-detecting drone that could help with wildfires and a sensing cane for the visually impaired. Some ideas will fail, but this doesn’t bother Gutala, who graduates with a bachelor of science this month. It is the ideas themselves and the execution that interest him.

As he approached his senior year, Gutala wanted to take things to the next level and founded the hardware hackathon, HackOverflow.

“Its purpose was all about giving students the hands-on opportunity to create something grand,” said Gutala, who recently served as the chair of HackOverflow’s executive committee and is now an advisor.

They partnered with an existing hackathon at Mason, Patriot Hacks, and Mason’s Institute of Digital Innovation's executive director Kammy Sanghera. The event took place in March 2022 at the MIX.

While many hackathons focus on coding, HackOverflow had students using the MIX’s 3D printer, soldering station, and other equipment to create prototypes of their ideas. Gutala said it is one of only a handful of hardware hackathons in the country.

“Throughout the process, Sai ensured that participants of HackOverflow had the resources and mentors to design prototypes,” said Sanghera. “From building his executive team to seeking sponsorships for the event, Sai was professional and diligent. Through initiatives like IIT and HackOverflow, Sai generated opportunities for his peers to change the world positively.”

Gutala has also started a company called Alphawave and has been one of the student entrepreneurs in the MIX’s incubator space. With Alphawave, Gutala is developing appearance-customizable apparel. He began with footwear—and he already has a prototype—but Gutala sees this as the beginning of using technology to customize personal items for self-expression.

Through the incubator program, Gutala was able to have his own space within the MIX and use of the program’s professional development resources, such as the mini Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) program offered to Mason student entrepreneurs. Gutala said he found the mini “the most helpful thing ever.”

“ICAP focuses on finding your ideal customer that will be loyal to your company,” said Gutala. “If a business can understand their customer, everything else is easy.”

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Mason ECE graduate student gets SMART

Rena Malai — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 17:00:59 +0000

Mason ECE graduate student gets SMART Rena Malai Tue, 07/05/2022 - 13:00

Getting a Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholarship isn’t easy, but it’s a gainful step toward building a career of growth, enrichment, and opportunities within the U.S. government.

Sabrina Stenberg sees the SMART scholarship as a way to maximize her graduate studies at George Mason while remaining employed as a chemical engineer with the Department of Defense (DoD). Through the scholarship, Stenberg can focus on her master of science in electrical engineering at Mason full-time.

Stenberg says the scholarship is funded by DoD with the aim of attracting and retaining people into STEM careers at the government level.

“I am really happy to win this scholarship,” says Stenberg. “This way I can finish in three more semesters and make the most of the experience, connecting with other students and my professors.”

Stenberg, a Northern Virginia native, says the scholarship is not a one stop source of money. Rather, it requires commitment and accountability so anyone thinking of applying should be prepared.

“People should be mindful that this scholarship does have conditions,” says Stenberg. “You will be expected to commit to your program of study, keep up your grades, and agree to fulfill the one-to-one scholarship for service time commitment with DoD for every year of funded study. Any withdrawals can result in penalties, like paying back your tuition.”

She feels the conditions are worth it, as it will open up the doors to plenty of great job opportunities.

“In my current job, I became more interested in electronics and I decided to combine that interest by studying control and robotics,” says Stenberg. “It’s a valuable area to learn about as there are a lot of autonomous systems within the military.”

Although Stenberg was already employed by DoD, anyone interested in SMART does not have to be employed before applying. Potential applicants do need to be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, have a high GPA, and be able to accept employment with DoD after graduating.

The SMART program, part of the DoD science, technology, engineering, and mathematics portfolio provides STEM students with the tools needed to pursue higher education and begin a rewarding career with the DoD. Scholarship winners can receive full tuition as well as a stipend and full-time employment after graduation.

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36 hours of innovation: Two hackathons at Mason inspire students to dream big

Mariam Aburdeineh — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:25:31 +0000

36 hours of innovation: Two hackathons at Mason inspire students to dream big Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 02/28/2022 - 12:25

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Kamaljeet Sanghera

HackOverFlow's Presidential Committee. Back row from left to right: Siddharth Veluvolu and Sai Srivatsav Gutala. Front row from left to right: Nicholas Paschke, Abegail Aquiro, and Josh Merriman. Photo provided.

There’s no shortage of creativity at ��AV, and from March 11-13, students will accelerate innovation at the university’s annual hackathon. This year, two events will take place simultaneously: PatriotHacks, the signature hackathon focused on software programming, and HackOverFlow, a new hackathon with a focus on hardware engineering.

“PatriotHacks…has been drawing hundreds of students to a 36-hour hackathon for the last three years,” said Kammy Sanghera, executive director of Mason’s Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA). “With the addition of HackOverFlow, we will be able to extend the opportunity to students who want to create prototypes or work on hardware solutions.”

"Robot Spider." An example of a hardware project students could create at HackOverFlow.

That could include robotics, wearable devices, or anything with a mechanical component, said Sai Srivatsav Gutala, a member of HackOverFlow’s presidential committee.

“My long-term vision for HackOverFlow is to have students come in with crazy ideas, no matter how big, no matter how impossible the world may think they are,” said Gutala, a senior studying electrical engineering.

The hackathons, hosted by IDIA’s TechConnect DC, will be held in Horizon Hall. College students of any major, from any institution, and recent graduates, are welcome to register individually or in teams.

PatriotHacks will also be in hybrid format this year, with online and in-person participation.

Both events are about fostering innovation and solving challenges, the students said, but you don’t have to be an expert to join.

Jared Ponmakha. Photo provided.

“If you’ve ever had an idea for a project but didn’t know how or where to start, this event is the catalyst to make your idea into reality,” said Jared Ponmakha, a senior studying computer science, and one of PatriotHacks’ directors. “Students benefit by being given the technical resources and mentorships to idealize their projects fully.”

In addition to the hackathon itself, there will be workshops, talks and social events, the students said, including a resume-building workshop and a Mario Kart tournament.

Participating also has career advantages, Gutala said, mentioning that sponsors and representatives from tech companies will be in attendance.

“Submitting projects gives students the ability to show the sponsors what they learned at the event,” Ponmakha said. “[The hackathons] give more personable job opportunities than a standard career fair.”

“It is a professional development opportunity for our students where they are not bound by grading criteria,” Sanghera said. “It allows them to think outside the box, be creative, and be confident to ask questions as they seek solutions for local, regional, or global issues.”

Prizes are another incentive.

“We offer 10 tracks to earn prizes, including ‘Most Likely to be a Startup’ to ‘Best Hardware Hack,’” said Ponmakha. “Prizes include fast tracks to internships and even a hacker goodie bag.”

The leadership team from both hackathons said they’re excited for what’s the come.

“There’s no greater feeling than working on a product you’ve been pouring your sweat and tears into,” Gutala said. “That happiness inspires us to give more opportunity to students so they can work on problems and create solutions that could be used in the real world.”

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Senior sees public speaking as a key to success in engineering

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 15:29:59 +0000

Senior sees public speaking as a key to success in engineering Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/11/2021 - 10:29

Electrical engineering student Jazzmin Robinson knows the value public speaking skills hold for a career in engineering.

Jazzmin Robinson credits her industry and student organization experience for pushing her out of her comfort zone. Photo Provided.

A senior, Robinson’s wake-up call with stage fright was during a presentation at her first big internship with the Department of Defense. “I never knew this about myself, and my friends and supervisors were shocked that I was so terrified,” she says.

This moment was a turning point for Robinson. She knew then that to become a successful engineer she needed to find ways to utilize the many organizations across the Mason community to become a leader on ��AV’s Fairfax Campus.

“I always enjoyed being involved, but the day that I realized my fear of public speaking was pretty crippling, that added to my motivation,” says Robinson.

A Richmond, Virginia native, Robinson has now held six leadership positions at Mason. Currently, she is the public relations chair for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) region two executive board and the vice president for NSBE’s collegiate chapter. She is also secretary for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

“The organizations I’ve been a part of have given me so much exposure and leadership experience, and it has given me much more confidence in presenting and public speaking,” she says.

Robinson sees the skill as crucial to a successful engineering career because of the collaborative nature of the field. “In NSBE, IEEE, and others, we have to work together to reach specific outcomes. But at the end of the day, we need to be able to mentor others and tell outsiders all that we’ve done,” she says. “In engineering, you need to similarly communicate with other stakeholders on projects you are working on.”

In other internships and even her senior design project, the importance of leadership and speaking skills held constant. Sometimes in our engineering education, we are so busy learning theories or principles, that the communication skills fall behind, says Robinson. But she thinks that all students should find a way to build a communications and leadership toolkit.

As a student leader, she has made it a mission to help other students develop these skills. As NSBE’s regional public relations chair, she started a new initiative to try and expose collegiate NSBE leaders to how the regional team operates. “NSBE at the collegiate level has a pretty big structure, with more than 500 chapters, there are regional teams that oversee collegiate chapters, and I felt it could be beneficial for collegiate members to see how the regional team runs,” she says. “Past leaders in the student organizations I’ve been in have really inspired me to be a better leader.”

After her graduation in May, Robinson plans to take these skills into whatever career she chooses, but she admits she will miss the collaborative nature at Mason. “I love it at Mason, and I’ve been able to learn so much. While I am excited to get my career started, I will miss Mason for sure.”