FURI student Tannis Breure works with chemicals behind a protective shield.

#FURIous Research

Over 170 students presented their research projects during the Spring 2020 FURI symposium.

Explore the symposium

Welcome to the Spring 2020 Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI) Symposium!

Our students have been working on research into innovative solutions to real-world challenges in data, education, energy, health, security and sustainability.

Access to research activities from students’ first semester is a core value of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Together with highly regarded faculty, first-year students through doctoral candidates collaborate on use-inspired research.

Students conducting research in FURI and the Master’s Opportunity for Research in Engineering (MORE) programs have spent the past semester conceptualizing an idea, developing a plan and investigating their research question.

You’ll also see research and creative projects at the symposium that explore the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges through the Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP) and apply an entrepreneurial mindset with projects funded by the ASU Kern Project’s KEEN Student Mini-Grants.

These programs advance students’ skills in innovation, independent thinking and problem-solving that will support their future pursuits and careers. High-level research also opens doors to opportunities for scholarships, internships, graduate research and travel to prestigious conferences.

We are proud of what our students have accomplished and we’re excited to share their work with you.

Kyle D. Squires

Dean, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering

Professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering

Tami Coronella

Director

Student Success and Engagement

Jay Oswald

FURI faculty director

Associate Professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering

Patrick Phelan

MORE faculty director

Professor, mechanical and aerospace engineering

Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs

Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative

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

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.

KEEN Student Mini Grants

Students who apply curiosity and connections to create extraordinary value for stakeholders are supported by KEEN Student Mini Grants, funded by the ASU Kern Project. Their projects can be part of student organization activities, group research or individual work that exemplifies an entrepreneurial-minded approach. These students are invited to present their entrepreneurial projects at the FURI Symposium.

Grand Challenges Scholars Program

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 Spring 2020

FURIStudents

0

FURIMentors

0

MOREStudents

0

MOREMentors

0

GCSPStudents

0

GCSPMentors

0

KEENStudents

0

MOREMentors

0

Projects are in six different themes representing the Fulton Schools core research disciplines.

Where are they now?

Life AfterFURI

Each semester we invite FURI alumni to share where they are now as they embark on their careers or the pursuit of advanced degrees. They also look back on how FURI helped them build valuable skills, learn about themselves and succeed in their current endeavors. Over the past four semesters, 151 FURI alumni responded to our surveys.

34%

of FURI alumni
in Arizona

64%

of FURI alumni
in the US

2%

of FURI alumni
around the world

FURI was an experience that enabled me to learn from world-class researchers and provided a foundation for my graduate studies in aerospace engineering.

Ben Jimenez

FURI Spring ’07–Spring ’09

Aerospace engineering ’10

MBA student, Duke University

Spend as much time as you can in the lab and keep industry skills in mind. It is probably the most transferable experience in respect to skills when going into industry.

Shaun Wootten

FURI Fall ’14–Spring ’16

Biomedical engineering and biochemistry ’17

Director of R&D, Aesthetics Biomedical, Inc.

FURI improved my confidence in my ability to both independently and collaboratively produce and prototype a novel product.

Alexandra Aguilar (Hoffman)

FURI Fall ’15–Spring ’16

Biomedical engineering ’16

Patent engineer, Karsten Manufacturing Corporation (Ping Golf)

Research is about gaining new scientific knowledge, and how exciting it is that you can be the one to discover it. Don’t be afraid to think big, and attention to detail always pays off.

Anne Silverman (Ranes)

FURI Fall ’04–Spring ’05

Mechanical engineering ’05

FURI greatly improved my initiative as an engineer and gave me an opportunity to learn how to learn new and difficult material.

Max Ruiz

FURI Spring ’13–Summer ’13

Electrical engineering ’16

Software engineer, Ophir Corporation

Don’t be afraid — to ask questions, to talk to your student mentor, to talk to your faculty mentor, to get bad research results to get a failed experiment — that’s how you grow.

Julia King

FURI Fall ’14–Spring ’15

Chemical engineering ’16

Chemical engineering doctoral student, University of Washington

FURI alumni are...

...working exciting careers

Priya Ball (Challa) is a propulsion engineer at Blue Origin.

Celia Barker is a product manager at the National Cancer Institute.

Alison Gibson s a guidance, navigation and control engineer at SpaceX.

Omar Habib is a senior software development engineer at Apple, Inc.

Matthew Jackson is performing underwater acoustics research at Georgia Tech and applying the signal processing skillset he learned at ASU.

Elisabeth Perea (McLaughlin) is a chemical engineer conducting research for commercial and government clients at nonprofit scientific research institute and organization SRI International.

Alex Weir is the global director of supply chain for Olin Chlor Alkali Products.

Shaun Wootten creates innovative, personalized dermatology products and medical devices as director of R&D at Aesthetics Biomedical, Inc.

...pursuing advanced degrees and working in academia

Nicholas Berk is a law student at Harvard Law School.

Michael Machas is a lecturer at ASU.

Gabe Oland is in his general surgery residency at UCLA and designing medical devices.

Andrew Payne s pursuing a doctorate in addiction neuroscience at Brigham Young University.

Anne Silverman (Ranes) is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.

Joana Sipe is pursuing her doctorate in environmental engineering at Duke University.

...starting their own companies

Rick Ahlf is the co-founder and chief technology officer of 6-4-3 Charts, which provides weekly advanced scouting reports and analytics for baseball.

Taylor Graber is running a company revolving around a patent for a biomedical device that facilitates airway management for anesthesiologists, and a company called ASAP IVs, which provides on-demand IV therapies for hydration, wellness, immunity boosting and athletic performance recovery.

FURI Symposium Totals

TotalProjects

0

FacultyMentors

0

OnlineSymposia

0

ResearchFocus Areas

0

FURIStudents

0

MOREStudents

0

KEENStudents

0

GCSPStudents

0