Save the Date
Friday, November 19, 2021, 1–3 p.m.
Engineering Center G (ECG) patio
Featured projects
Emma Lieberman
Biomedical engineering
Genetically Engineering the Microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to Sequester Arsenic from Contaminated Groundwater: ASU International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition Project
Using synthetic biology, genetically engineered microalgae can reduce heavy metal contamination in local groundwater.
Mentor: Christopher Plaisier
Program: GCSP
Shanmukha Saketha Ramanujam Samavedam
Electrical engineering
Imaging Methods to Augment Human Vision Beyond Direct Line-of-Sight with mmWaves
Developing new imaging methods with mmWaves will augment human vision beyond direct line-of-sight.
Mentor: Georgios Trichopoulos
Program: MORE
Margarito Hernandez Fuentes
Biomedical engineering
Assaying the Effect of Knock-Down of Ubiquitin-Specific Proteases in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Using shRNA molecules to silence genes responsible for the growth of pleural mesothelioma cancer will provide alternative treatments.
Mentor: Christopher Plaisier
Program: FURI
Gil E. Ruiz
Engineering (robotics)
Providing Comprehensive Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Using a Virtual Reality Application
Advancing the knowledge of using virtual reality as a tool for therapeutic solutions for Autism Spectrum Disorder will help children with speech, behavioral, cognitive and social skills.
Mentor: Maria Elena Chavez-Echeagaray
Program: FURI
Richmond Kusi
Materials science and engineering
Exploring the Extreme Structural Parameters of Hyperbolic Metamaterials
Studying the structural parameters of hyperbolic metamaterials will enable the development of novel photonic and optoelectronic devices.
Mentor: Sui Yang
Program: FURI
Tina Sindwani
Computer systems engineering
Impact of Gamification on Student Motivation and Success in Engineering Courses
Studying the impact of gamification in engineering courses may help make learning more engaging and successful for students.
Mentor: Alicia Baumann, Haolin Zhu
Program: FURI
Mounika Chowdary Kakarla
Materials science and engineering
Manufacture of 3D Printed Composite Structures via Multiphase Direct Ink Writing
Using a multiphase direct ink writing method to 3D-print composite structures applicable in biomedical scaffolds and soft robotics will improve strength and toughness.
Mentor: Kenan Song
Program: MORE
Annika Wines
Environmental engineering
Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate via Nickel Foam Modified with Copper-Cobalt Nanoparticles for Ammonia Selectivity
Removing nitrates from water to yield ammonia will offer an accessible means to protect water quality and reduce emissions.
Mentor: Sergi Garcias Segura
Program: FURI
Lily Catherine Baye-Wallace
Robotics and autonomous systems
A Soft Robotic Hip Exosuit (SR-HExo) to Enable Entrainment during Human Locomotion
A wearable, soft robotic exosuit could provide rehabilitative assistance and benefit the 7 million Americans who live with disabilities from stroke.
Mentor: Hyunglae Lee
Program: MORE
Maya Muir
Computer science
A Decision Support System for Urban Canopy Selection
Developing an interactive web interface to assists urban planners in determining the effectiveness of shade structures will help the public during record heatwaves.
Mentor: Ariane Middel, Ross Maciejewski
Program: FURI
Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI)
The Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative enhances an undergraduate student’s engineering experience and technical education by providing hands-on lab experience, independent and thesis-based research, and travel to national conferences.
Master’s Opportunity for Research in Engineering (MORE)
The Master’s Opportunity for Research in Engineering is designed to enrich a graduate student’s engineering and technical graduate curriculum with hands-on lab experience and independent and thesis-based research.
Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP)
The Fulton Schools Grand Challenges Scholars Program combines innovative curriculum and cutting-edge research experiences into an intellectual fusion that spans academic disciplines and includes entrepreneurial, global and service learning opportunities. Students in GCSP conduct research in a grand challenges theme and are invited to present their research at the FURI Symposium.
Snapshot
Students from three signature programs present at the FURI Symposium: Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative, Master’s Opportunity for Research in Engineering and Grand Challenges Scholars Program. In Summer and Fall 2021, students participated in 89 research projects.
FURIprojects
FURImentors
MOREprojects
MOREmentors
GCSPprojects
GCSPmentors
Research themes
Students work on projects related to six different themes that represent the Fulton Schools’ core research disciplines.
Data
In an increasingly digital world, data collection is growing at a rapid pace. Fulton Schools faculty and student researchers are devising innovative approaches and tools that will help us better process, analyze, use, manage and access data. New computational tools, algorithms and data analysis techniques, including hardware and software approaches, machine learning, data analytics, data-driven decision-making and more will help advance scientific discoveries and collaborations across multiple fields where data use and capture is ubiquitous.
Education
We are engaged in advancing the ways we educate engineering students. The Fulton Schools’ research focuses on learning methods, cognitive theory and best teaching practices, as well as the integration of engineering concepts in K-12 educational programs to engage students early and educate our community about the impact engineering has on everyday life.
Energy
The urgency to discover and deploy new forms of carbon-reducing energy technologies has become an indispensable part of our economic and environmental landscape. The Fulton Schools’ research in renewable and alternative energy sources is multifaceted with efforts in solar and photovoltaic energy, biotechnology, low- and high-power energy storage, power electronics, electric power systems, batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.
Health
The Fulton Schools’ efforts in health innovation range from understanding the causes behind Alzheimer’s disease and improving methods for predicting epileptic seizures to developing advanced biosensors, bioassays and lab-on-a-chip devices for clinical diagnostics. Additional areas of research exist in novel biological materials, neural engineering, biomedical informatics, drug-delivery systems, health care systems analysis and modeling, health monitoring devices and human rehabilitation technologies.
Security
As technology develops at a faster rate, there is a growing need to develop engineering systems to keep people and infrastructure secure, including securing cyberspace, developing secure communications, developing self-healing systems resilient to attack and identifying, monitoring and reducing threats. Fulton Schools researchers — faculty and students — are addressing issues of national defense, homeland security, border security, cyberwarfare and more, devising technology solutions as well as legal, policy and social implications.
Sustainability
The central thrust behind sustainability is the capacity of metropolitan areas to grow and prosper without destroying or depleting natural resources. The Fulton Schools’ research focuses on restoring and improving urban infrastructure, access to clean water and air, advanced construction techniques and management, environmental fluid dynamics, transportation planning, as well as geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering.Project count in the current symposium
Sponsored students
Some of our researchers get extra funding through grants, industry and alumni sponsors. To learn more about sponsorship, contact the Fulton Schools Development team.
Ahmad Family Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative Fund
Jalal U. and Syeda F. Ahmad and their children — Jaheen N., Raisa N. and Nafisah N., all of whom attended the Fulton Schools — established a fund to give back and support undergraduate students in their pursuit of knowledge and the advancement of research. Their endowment, which funds a materials science, mechanical, biomedical or electrical engineering student, was created to help more students have the life-changing experience of conducting research through FURI.
W. L. Gore & Associates
W. L. Gore & Associates is a uniquely creative, product leadership enterprise that has served a variety of global markets for 60 years, and provides innovative solutions that its associates stand behind. Gore established funds to support undergraduate students in the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative program and graduate students in the Master’s Opportunity for Research in Engineering program, and values student-driven research and developing relationships with students in the programs.
Featured mentors
Fulton Schools faculty members guide students through the research process in their role as FURI and MORE research program mentors.
Christopher Plaisier, featured FURI mentor
Christopher Plaisier, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, has been mentoring FURI and MORE students for three years. His work focuses on genetic research for discovering diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and new drug targets. In his lab, Plaisier trains his students to be cross-disciplinary researchers. Read more
Kenan Song, featured MORE mentor
Kenan Song, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has been a faculty mentor in the FURI and MORE programs for five years. Song’s research interests include advanced composite materials and advanced manufacturing. He enjoys including students from a variety of backgrounds in his research and encourages other faculty members to be open to undergraduate and graduate students who may end up being excellent doctoral candidates. Read more
What FURI and MORE alumni are saying
Research opportunities like FURI and MORE help students build valuable skills, learn about themselves and succeed in their future endeavors. Learn more about what our FURI alumni go on to do after they finish the program.
FURI gave me the tools to become a good researcher. It helped me improve my presentation skills and how to prioritize and work efficiently to deliver milestones that are all relevant and applicable to my job today. Be open-minded and think outside the box. Take on new challenges and trust the process.
MORE gave me a perspective of industry needs and I aligned my project based on them. This helped me work on the latest technology and derive solutions that align with industry expectations. Try to understand the impact of your research in industry or real life. This will give you a broader perspective, motivate you and help you come up with additional ideas.
The MORE program was a great source of support — both financially and professionally — during my graduate research. The whole journey taught me things that I otherwise would not have experienced, such as budgeting my research, proposal writing and poster presentation. I will always be thankful for this opportunity.