Participants were organized into advocacy teams based on geographic location. Ryu and聽her team (of North Carolina 4th Congressional District) met with the offices of U.S. Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis through their legislative assistants and held an in-person meeting with U.S. Representative Valerie Foushee of North Carolina鈥檚 4th Congressional District. In each meeting, Ryu participated in the discussions focused on聽STEM education and continued federal funding, through the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DoE), and National Institutes of Health (NIH), to sustain and strengthen the U.S. STEM workforce.

The conversations emphasized that mathematics is foundational to nearly every STEM field, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity, climate modeling and advanced manufacturing. While often operating behind the scenes, mathematical sciences provide the analytical framework that enables innovation across STEM fields. Federal support, such as NSF, ensures that students receive high-quality training in quantitative reasoning, data analysis, and interdisciplinary problem-solving鈥攕kills that are increasingly critical in a rapidly evolving economy.

As a faculty member at a primarily undergraduate institution, Ryu highlighted how her NSF-supported research directly benefits students from various STEM majors at 麻豆视频. NSF funding allows faculty to engage undergraduates in authentic research experiences that integrate teaching and scholarship. Through these projects, students gain hands-on experience working with real data, computational models, and collaborative research teams. Many of her former and current students have gone on to graduate programs in STEM, federally funded research positions, or STEM careers in industry and healthcare, contributing directly to the national workforce pipeline.

The meetings also underscored the important role that primarily undergraduate institutions play in educating a diverse STEM workforce, including first-generation students and those from rural or underserved communities. Investments in NSF programs that support undergraduate research help expand access to STEM pathways and ensure that talent from a wide range of backgrounds is represented in the nation鈥檚 scientific workforce.

By participating in #MathSciOnTheHill, Ryu helped amplify a collective message from the mathematical sciences community: continued federal investment in mathematics education and research is a strategic investment in the strength, adaptability, and competitiveness of the U.S. STEM workforce.

The Capitol Hill visit highlighted how faculty advocacy can connect classroom and research experiences at 麻豆视频 to national conversations about innovation, economic growth, and workforce development. Her Capitol Hill visit was supported by the American Mathematical Society.

The undergraduate research conference聽established in 2018 by a team of Wake Forest University students who wanted to give students from smaller institutions, without the resources of major universities, the opportunity to present their research and interact with students from other colleges and universities.

Each person wanting to present their research will present it to faculty judges and receive constructive feedback. This feedback is only given for the benefit of the person presenting. There will be no prizes or awards given for the best presentations. This is done to ensure that this conference celebrates research and does not denigrate anybody鈥檚 efforts.

There will also be a 60-minute panel session focusing on the jobs available in STEM fields and academia. The conference will also feature an hour-long keynote speaker discussing exciting opportunities in research. This year鈥檚 speaker is Keriayn Smith, associate professor of genetics at UNC School of Medicine.

Associate Professor of Mathematics聽Hwayeon Ryu and Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Nancy Scherich are on the organizing committee for the conference.

If you are interested in presenting your undergraduate STEM research at the conference or are just interested in being an attendee, you can register at . Registration is free. The deadline to sign up for presenters is Saturday, March 29, and the deadline for regular attendees is Saturday, April 5.

If you have any questions or would like more information on this event, contact Hwayeon Ryu at hryu@elon.edu.

Missy Cummings, a leader in AI and robotics who is co-director of the at George Mason University, will address this critical topic with audiences during the next Voices of Discovery lecture Monday, Nov. 11. Cummings will deliver 鈥淭he Promises and Perils of AI鈥� at 3 p.m. in Lakeside Meeting Rooms.

Though AI鈥檚 presence spans industries, Cummings warns of the potential dangers when it is applied in fields like transportation and healthcare. As a former military pilot and naval officer, she brings a rigorous understanding of safety to her research of AI in robotics. Currently directing the Mason Responsible AI program and George Mason鈥檚 robotics center, Cummings is committed to 鈥済etting it right,鈥� teaching and modeling responsible AI, and ensuring AI鈥檚 efficiency, accuracy and safety.

Her work emphasizes human-AI collaboration, teaching principles of responsible AI to mitigate risks associated with incorrect AI usage. Cummings encourages this approach to prepare students and corporate partners to tackle AI鈥檚 real-world complexities effectively. Among many other accolades, Cummings is also an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Royal Aeronautical Society Fellow.

Voices of Discovery brings preeminent scientists and mathematicians to 麻豆视频 to share their experiences and perspectives with students and the community. Sponsored by 麻豆视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and 麻豆视频, the annual speaker series is fundamental to creating a science-conscious community developing students as informed, critically thinking citizens.

The final Voices of Discovery speaker of the 2024-25 academic year will be Kate Brauman, deputy director of the Global Water Security Center at the University of Alabama, on March 10. Her lecture will be 鈥淲ater Security: Making Sense of Global Trends in Water Availability and Water Use.鈥�

Fans of the 2001 movie-turned-musical are no doubt familiar with its loveable canine sidekicks: the iconic Bruiser, main character Elle Woods鈥� chihuahua, and Rufus, manicurist and confidant Paulette Bonafont茅鈥檚 bulldog.

In a collaboration between 麻豆视频鈥檚 Music Theatre Program and the Department of Engineering, the show鈥檚 co-starring dogs will be played by quadruped robots programmed, costumed and controlled by engineering students. The musical follows heroine Elle Woods as she journeys from UCLA to Harvard Law School, tackling stereotypes and navigating sexual assault and harassment, on her way to becoming a lawyer.

鈥淚 think Bruiser and Rufus are definitely going to steal the show,鈥� Emily Stober 鈥�25 said, laughing. A music theatre major from Hickory, North Carolina, Stober plays Elle Woods in 麻豆视频鈥檚 production. 鈥淭his is the perfect balance of having a live animal onstage versus an inanimate object. It still has that 鈥榖reath鈥� to it, and it鈥檚 a tool I think could be used more in theatre and music in the future.鈥�

鈥淟egally Blonde鈥� opens Friday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in McCrary Theatre in 麻豆视频鈥檚 Center for the Arts. The musical runs for five additional showings on Oct. 26, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1-2 at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at .

The creative partnership showcases the kind of interdisciplinary collaboration that鈥檚 a hallmark of 麻豆视频鈥檚 approach to education, where ideas and input from a wide range of academic perspectives are sought out and celebrated. It鈥檚 also illuminated new career paths for some of the students involved.

It began when Assistant Professor of Music Theatre Courtney Liu, who is directing 鈥淟egally Blonde,鈥� and Assistant Professor of Engineering Blake Hament were brainstorming ways to blend their fields at 麻豆视频. Liu researches the psychology of performance, and beyond that desires to provide 麻豆视频鈥檚 budding professionals with broad experiences that will enrich their careers. Hament鈥檚 research includes developing quadrupeds and other robots for use as service animals.

The project advances solutions in both disciplines. Trained animals are expensive and can be unpredictable during live performances. The public often finds quadruped robots鈥� appearance unsettling but finding ways to make them appear more lifelike could advance their use as service animals. Liu and Hament received a grant from the 麻豆视频 Fund For Excellence in the Arts and Sciences to pursue the collaboration.

鈥楽o many doors have opened鈥�

Zoe Scherpbier 鈥�25 jumped at the chance to design and fabricate the dogs鈥� costumes. An engineering major from San Diego, California, she鈥檇 completed undergraduate research with Hament in 2023-24 to develop touch-sensitive 鈥渇ur鈥� for quadruped robots. She also has a theatre background and has sewn since her grandmother taught her at a young age.

鈥淚 love theatre. The costumes and the bedazzlement have always drawn my eye,鈥� Scherpbier said. 鈥淭he actors and actresses in 鈥淟egally Blonde鈥� have had such a great reaction to the dogs. They really loved them, and it鈥檚 been fun being a part of the community of actors and crew as they work so hard to put on this show.鈥�

Since the summer, she鈥檚 spent one day a week at the (UNCSA) in Winston-Salem, which hosts one of the nation鈥檚 top animatronics programs. With graduate student Carlitos Ayma Gonzalez, she鈥檚 designed silicone molds and flocked them with 鈥渇ur鈥� to look like real dogs. In the process, Scherpbier discovered a new career path and plans to pursue graduate studies in animatronics at UNCSA.

鈥淭his has broadened the horizons of what I can do with an engineering degree, seeing that there鈥檚 a place I can use what I鈥檝e learned in engineering and in the arts鈥� Scherpbier said. 鈥淏eing an Imagineer at Disney would be so cool. So many doors have opened through working with Dr. Hament.鈥�

Scherpbier worked with Liu and Hament to design the costumes for function and aesthetics. Rufus鈥� dog costume posed the greatest challenge. The dog has been transformed into a pitbull mix for 麻豆视频鈥檚 production to allow the robot to move beneath the costume and for quick battery changes between scenes.

The more than 30 other students in the Department of Performing Arts staging 鈥淟egally Blonde鈥� were enthusiastic when they learned that engineering students would be part of the production. They鈥檝e put in more than 25 hours a week rehearsing and preparing the show and were ready to welcome new team members into their community.

鈥淚 was really excited to work with the engineering department,鈥� Stober said. 鈥淪o much of acting is just play, and things like this keep it exciting for us actors. It鈥檚 been fun to have students who don鈥檛 know theatre as much join us in this process. It鈥檚 been interesting to see them learn our lingo and us learn their lingo, and I鈥檝e appreciated being part of a collaboration I might not have had elsewhere.鈥�

Liu attributes that to the kinds of students 麻豆视频 recruits to its music theatre and performing arts programs: ambitious, highly talented and interested in having broad educational experiences in the liberal arts unavailable at conservatories. 麻豆视频鈥檚 Music Theatre Program is regularly recognized as among the best schools in the nation for music theatre.

鈥淭hese students understand the connection between responsibility, hard work and true collaboration,鈥� Liu said. 鈥淚 am absolutely in awe of their dedication, grit, thirst for excellence, athletic prowess, artistic depth and commitment to each other and their craft.鈥�

Expanding opportunities for students

Behind the scenes, other engineers have entered the spotlight. Jack Delucco 鈥�26 programmed the robot controls. Maggie Dion 鈥�26 and Amalie Keefe 鈥�26 will control the dogs movements, reacting to dialogue and queues, during the staged performances.

Dion, from Attleboro, Massachusetts, is controlling Bruiser. Keefe, from Durham, North Carolina, is handling Rufus, whose onstage role is slightly more complex. In the wings with the technical crew, they manipulate the robots to perform dances, nods, spins and wags alongside actors onstage. Dion previously researched quadruped robots with Hament, exploring adding 鈥渄og ears鈥� of different shapes to make them look friendlier. Keefe researched the creation of a voice module that would turn human commands into code that would trigger the robots鈥� actions. Both have benefitted from seeing the time and effort that goes into staging a musical, and each are interested in future robotics research and collaborations.

鈥淭his has taught me that engineering and robotics can exist in unexpected places,鈥� Dion said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have thought I鈥檇 be involved in a play this year, but now I see that engineering can be in other parts of life.鈥�

Though engineering and music theatre may not at first seem complementary, Liu and Hament have discovered that they employ similar problem-solving methods and constraints in each of their disciplines. Infusing new perspectives also brings better solutions, they said.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen concern globally that some engineers are developing technology that has downsides or risks they hadn鈥檛 considered,鈥� Hament said. 鈥淚f we bring more voices into the conversation and work with people outside our field, that will help steer AI and technology in better directions.鈥�

The professors remain excited by the prospect of advancing future collaborations and exposing students to disciplines outside of their majors.

鈥淭hese kinds of collaborations expand opportunities for our programs and students,鈥� Liu said. 鈥淚n theatre, they allow us to explore additional material and works we might not have. We鈥檙e always looking for creative solutions so we can create bigger art.鈥�

When 鈥淟egally Blonde鈥� ends its run, Liu and Hament expect to publish an article about the experience with 麻豆视频 undergraduates as co-authors.

The events, initiatives and workshops funded through Fund For Excellence mini grants will strengthen community outreach, promote deeper understanding of historical and contemporary issues, and support scholarship or enhance existing programs.

The Fund for Excellence advances 麻豆视频鈥檚 mission by supporting projects and programs that deepen the values, intellectual community, research, teaching and ways of thinking that are characteristic of the liberal arts and sciences. Faculty, staff and students are eligible to apply for funding, and proposals can be departmental or organizational, as well as interdisciplinary or collaborative across departments, schools and other campus entities.

鈥淭he purpose of the Fund for Excellence in the Liberal Arts and Sciences is to support projects that enhance student opportunities to engage with academic exploration, to deepen knowledge in the arts and sciences, and to broaden their perspectives as they prepare to become global citizens. These initiatives meet that mission,鈥� said Nancy Harris, associate dean of 麻豆视频 College and professor of biology, who coordinates the fund through the 麻豆视频 College Dean鈥檚 Office. 鈥淭he variety, scope and number of proposals submitted this year reflect the collaborative and innovative approaches to the liberal arts and sciences across 麻豆视频鈥檚 faculty, staff and students.鈥�

A record 16 proposals were submitted in spring 2024. Each year, recipients are selected by a committee appointed by the president of 麻豆视频鈥檚 chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. This year鈥檚 committee members were Harris; Heather Lindenman, associate professor of English; Patricia Perkins, associate professor of law; Shannon Tennant, coordinator of library collections and associate librarian; and Karen Yokley, professor of mathematics.

Projects awarded funding for 2024-25 included:

STEM Saturday at 麻豆视频

An outreach program for students in the Alamance-Burlington School System to explore studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics at 麻豆视频. The event is led by students in 麻豆视频鈥檚 STEM clubs.

• Submitted by Anthony Rizutto, associate professor of , and Ahlam Armaly, assistant professor of chemistry.

Making the Invisible Visible: German-Jewish Migration from Nazi Germany to Latin America

Brings scholar Bjorn Siegel, a researcher at the Institute for the History of the German Jews in Hamburg, to 麻豆视频 to meet with 麻豆视频 classes and deliver his presentation, 鈥淢aking the Invisible Visible: German-Jewish Migration from Nazi Germany to Latin America,鈥� aligning with curricula in the Latin American Studies, Jewish Studies, International and Global Studies and Museum Studies and Public History programs.

• Submitted by Andrea Sinn, associate professor of history, and Juan Leal Ugalde, assistant professor of Spanish.

Creative Approaches to Complex Pasts

This project will create a dance film based on one of 10 episodes in 麻豆视频鈥檚 2020 Report from the Committee on 麻豆视频 History and Memory. Assistant Professor of Dance Keshia Wall will choreograph and direct the film. The spring 2025 screening will be accompanied by a panel discussion including partners and community members.

• Submitted by Keshia Wall, assistant professor of dance; Buffie Longmire-Avital, professor of psychology, faculty administrative fellow, and director of the Black Lumen Project; Evan Gatti, professor of art history; and Amanda Laury Kleintop, assistant professor of history.

African Diasporas in North Carolina: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Understanding the History & Legacies of Enslavement

Provides three opportunities for the 麻豆视频 community to engage with the history of slavery and the African diaspora in North Carolina during Winter Term. Those include a screening and panel discussion of the documentary 鈥淭alking Black in America: Roots,鈥� and visits to the Stagville State Historic Site and Burlington鈥檚 African American Cultural Arts and History Center.

• Submitted by Amanda Laury Kleintop, assistant professor of history; Archie Crowley, assistant professor of English; Erin Pearson, assistant professor of English; Keshia Wall, assistant professor of dance; Devin Proctor, assistant professor of anthropology.

Cinematic Bridges

In association with the Global Film and Cultures Minor, this project will bring two international films to campus for discussion; invite screenwriter, filmmaker and co-creator of the Slamdance Film Festival, Dan Mirvish, to 麻豆视频 as a guest speaker; and include a pre-recorded interview with Phylicia Pearl Mpasi 鈥�15, a star of 鈥淭he Color Purple,鈥� to accompany that film鈥檚 screening.

• Submitted by Kai Swanson, assistant professor of cinema and television arts, and Lina Kuhn, lecturer in English.

Equipping the EcoVillage LLC

This project will provide workshops and guest speakers to lead events at the EcoVillage in its first year, including topics in Afro-Caribbean herbalism, nature drawing and environmental justice.

• Submitted by Jacob Rutz, lecturer in environmental studies; Michael Strickland, lecturer in English and environmental studies; and Ashley Hollan, visiting assistant professor in arts administration.

Alumni Voices: Conversations with Political Insiders on the 2024 Election

This series of events will bring alumni to campus who are working in policy, politics and journalism ahead of the November elections. They include an investigative reporter covering campaign fraud, an advance manager for a governor and a state political director for a presidential campaign who will share their experiences with campus audiences.

• Submitted by Jillian Auditori, lecturer in political science and policy studies, and Israel Balderas, assistant professor of journalism.

Engineering Takes Center Stage: Bridging the Arts and Sciences

An interdisciplinary project between 麻豆视频鈥檚 Departments of Engineering and Department of Performing Arts for engineering students to program the choreography and design artificial fur for two robot dogs that will perform in scenes of 鈥淟egally Blonde: The Musical.鈥�

• Submitted by Courtney Liu, assistant professor of music theatre, and Blake Hament, assistant professor of engineering.

Celebration and Appreciation of Holi

麻豆视频鈥檚 Periclean Scholars will enhance the annual Holi event hosted by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life in March 2025 by adding traditional music, dance, decoration, Indian food, and cultural crafts like henna.

• Submitted by the Periclean Class of 2026

Stories Beyond Borders

Lula Carballo, a Qu茅b茅cois author of Spanish American descent and Emilie Guerette, a Qu茅b茅cois film director, will visit 麻豆视频 for guest lectures, readings and a film screening. Their appearances will provide students鈥� deeper understanding of issues around immigration from their lived experiences and creative works.

• Submitted by Bethany Sudibyo, lecturer in Spanish, Ketevan Kupatadze, senior lecturer in Spanish, and Olivia Choplin, associate professor of French and interim director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.

Climate, Communities and Conversations

Expands the Highway 64 Project, which covers communities across the state, to include issues of climate change and resiliency in North Carolina. It also would connect 麻豆视频 to communities by hosting virtual roundtable discussions and bringing expert speakers to campus for workshops and lectures.

• Submitted by Michael Strickland, lecturer in English and environmental studies.

Campus Sustainability Week Keynote Speaker

This initiative brings attorney and author Corban Addison to 麻豆视频 and 麻豆视频 Law as the keynote speaker of Campus Sustainability Week and to meet with students, faculty and staff. Addison is the author of the international bestseller, 鈥淲astelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial,鈥� which tells the story of an eastern North Carolina community鈥檚 legal battle for environmental justice against a company in the hog industry.

• Submitted by Kelly Harer, associate director of sustainability for education and outreach, and Eric Townsend, assistant vice president for academic communications.

Analogue Experience in a Digital Age

Develops a philosophy and film course that integrates analog films and student filmmaking into an interdisciplinary study of philosophy. The course would culminate in a symposium and screening.

• Submitted by Nathan L. Smith, assistant professor of philosophy, and Stephen Bloch-Schulman, professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy.

With gloved hands, she places the cigarette into a nozzle attached to an Erlenmeyer flask, lights it and 鈥� using a plastic syringe 鈥� draws air through the flask and a couple feet of tubing. Altmann leans away from the hood as a faint smell of tobacco smoke fills the lab.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very smelly, but this just being a couple of cigarettes, it won鈥檛 get too bad,鈥� she says.

鈥淏ut if you鈥檙e in here for a long time and doing lots of them, you鈥檝e got to schedule a shower after,鈥� her mentor, Associate Professor of Chemistry Justin Clar, says. Altmann nods and smiles in weary agreement.

Scientific research can be a messy process. Sometimes it鈥檚 downright dirty.

To better understand how much and what kinds of metals are leaching from and being adsorbed by littered cigarette butts, Altmann knows this all too well. The Goldwater Scholar, Lumen Prize recipient and Honors Fellow has spent the last two years collecting and studying cigarette butts and using her improvised smoking apparatus to create fresh ones.

Cigarette butts are more than just litter. They鈥檙e a global problem. Each year, an estimated 4.95 trillion cigarette butts are littered, ending up in runoff, polluting oceans or languishing in the dirt. Once they鈥檙e tossed, they do more than linger. All those butts are actively releasing and adsorbing trace metals, influencing the global cycling of these elements.

A chemistry and computer science double major, Altmann became interested in environmental chemistry before college. A native of Burlington, N.C., she completed general chemistry with Clar while still in high school. As an undergraduate searching for honors thesis topics related to chemistry and the environment, Clar 鈥� an expert in the study of metals and nanoparticles in environmental systems 鈥� recalled questions he鈥檇 had about littered cigarette butts since his post-doctoral work with the EPA in Cincinnati.

Altmann dove into existing research and discovered gaps in what had been studied about the release of metals from cigarette butts, namely that cigarettes had been tested in labs but not collected from litter. A light went on and Altmann had the nut of her research question: What and how much are all of these littered butts releasing into or adsorbing from the environment?

鈥淪he came up with this comparison on her own. Since then, she鈥檚 chosen everything we鈥檝e done with solutions, solvents, time periods and collections, everything,鈥� Clar said.

Altmann鈥檚 exploration of that issue earned awards nationally and at 麻豆视频.

In her sophomore year, she was awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most selective awards in the country given to undergraduates intending to pursue research careers in STEM. She was only the second Goldwater Scholar from 麻豆视频 to win the award as a sophomore. That same year, she was awarded the Lumen Prize, 麻豆视频鈥檚 top research award that annually provides 15 rising juniors with $20,000 to advance their undergraduate research projects.

In addition to paying for necessary materials during a period of pandemic-related rising costs, those prizes bolstered Altmann鈥檚 confidence in her research and afforded opportunities she may not otherwise have had. She attended the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Conference, twice attended American Chemical Society conferences 鈥� where she will present her research later this month 鈥� and traveled to Rice University to give an invited talk.

鈥淗aving that money allowed her to network with a lot of people, which is going to open doors for her in graduate school,鈥� Clar said. Altmann has already been accepted to a number of environmental engineering doctoral programs, including those at Yale, Duke, Clemson and Carnegie Mellon.

As demonstrated by the improvised tube-and-flask method of creating fresh specimens in the lab, Altmann went to great lengths to gather enough samples to glean solid data. That included rallying volunteers over Homecoming Weekend to collect butts around and near campus.

鈥溌槎故悠� is a non-smoking campus, so we weren鈥檛 sure if we would find enough, which is why we collected on the day of a big football game when we thought people might be tailgating. We were surprised how many we found,鈥� Altmann said.

That day, they collected four gallon-sized bags of filters 鈥� a few thousand butts weighing in close to 2.5 pounds 鈥� in various states of degradation. Altmann spent the next few weeks sorting them by their condition, from freshest to most degraded. She analyzed them for metal content and put others in chemical solutions to test for leaching.

Preliminary analysis shows that cigarette butts are both leaching and adsorbing metals. Sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium and aluminum were leaching in the highest concentrations. The more degraded the butt, overall, the lower the concentration of leaching. Chemical solutions didn鈥檛 play a significant role in how much or which metals leached.

鈥淎s of now, the data indicates that cigarette butts from the environment contain between 11 and 16 metals depending on the level of degradation, with the most degraded butts containing metals not found in artificially smoked or less degraded samples,鈥� Altmann said. 鈥淭his indicates that the butts are picking up metals from the environment, which is potentially problematic because of the balance of naturally occurring metals in soils. Chromium, nickel and lead were in the most degraded butts but nowhere else, and aluminum, iron, and zinc were higher in more degraded butts than in the less degraded butts.鈥�

Some of the leached metals, like aluminum and zinc, can cause health problems.

鈥淲e are most concerned about arsenic, mercury and lead, and we are sending samples to another lab for external analysis of those metals. If we find them, that would be more concerning to us health-wise,鈥� Altmann said.

She hopes her future research will involve environmental remediation.

鈥淚鈥檓 really interested in looking at how to remove metals from water. In this project, I was looking at how metals enter water from a new source, but I鈥檓 more interested in aspects of remediation,鈥� she added.

Altmann initially found the research process intimidating but it resulted in the most rewarding part of her college career.

鈥淛ust because something is new to you doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 do it,鈥� Altmann said. 鈥淚 was worried I would fail at research and worried it would be difficult to find a mentor and work on a long project. I鈥檓 so glad I pushed through that fear.鈥�

Leaving her comfort zone developed both self-confidence and research skills.

鈥淪he鈥檚 taken a lot of ownership of the project and I just make sure what we鈥檙e doing is in line with the big-picture goals,鈥� Clar said. 鈥淚t turned into her coming to me and saying, 鈥業鈥檓 going to do this,鈥� which is an indicator that, instead of me telling her what to do, she鈥檚 directing where it鈥檚 going and I鈥檓 just making sure we stay on the tracks.

鈥淚 don’t have to worry about Anna. She just chugs along and gets the job done.鈥�

As for smoking, Altmann has no plans to pick up the habit and is glad her days of lighting cigarettes in labs are behind her.

鈥淚f this project taught me one thing, it’s that I’m surer than ever that I won鈥檛 smoke,鈥� Altmann said. 鈥淗aving to smoke those cigarettes for hours upon hours and seeing the gunk that filled the tubes was disgusting. So, while I have loved my research, I am happy to not smoke anymore.鈥�

Liquid Robotics is a subsidiary of Boeing, developing defense technology that uses sensors, connectivity, and cloud computing to collect and communicate ocean data in real-time. One of its products is the Wave Glider, an unmanned solar- and wave-powered vehicle that gathers data in conditions and places previously too costly or challenging to navigate. Reinckens is the lead REA (responsible engineering authority) for all of the Wave Glider鈥檚 printed circuit board assemblies. His duties entail designing new boards, troubleshooting faulty boards and the development of new test procedures.

鈥淩ight now, our electrical engineering team is small. There鈥檚 only a handful of us, so we do it all,鈥� Reinckens said. 鈥淓very day is different.鈥�

Reinckens graduated from 麻豆视频鈥檚 dual-degree engineering program, earning a B.S. in Engineering-Physics from 麻豆视频 and completing his B.S. in Electrical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He later went on to earn his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University in 2021.

麻豆视频 offered the opportunity to grow his STEM skills in smaller classes with professors who are passionate about teaching and provided the opportunity to pursue extracurricular interests in sports and service. But what Reinckens values most about his time at 麻豆视频 was the emphasis on effective collaboration.

鈥溌槎故悠� prepared me for all the other schooling and classes I took at my engineering and graduate schools, and it showed me that as technical as engineering can be, it鈥檚 really about being able to effectively communicate and work with others,鈥� he said.聽Reinckens recalled the numerous late-night study sessions with classmates on the STEM floor in Staley Hall.

After graduating in 2016, he was initially hired by Boeing in St. Louis as an electronic design and analysis engineer on the F/A-18 program. Over the next six years, he worked a variety of roles at Boeing Defense including designing power supplies for flight control hardware, testing electronic components for quality and safety, and leading projects for INS/GPS and navigation mission computers.

At Liquid Robotics, the best part of his job is working with colleagues and knowing the work they are doing has significant outcomes in the maritime industry.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always something more and new to learn, and it鈥檚 constantly evolving and changing,鈥� he said. 鈥溌槎故悠� and all the schools I attended showed me that learning is a contact sport and that it鈥檚 continuous. My desire to learn is what keeps me active long after graduating college. It challenges me to become a better problem solver and, consequently, a better engineer.鈥�

This is the question David Jennings 鈥�23 is exploring as he creates and tests a virtual-reality game designed to train users for the job interview process. Players level up by scoring well in areas like researching the company and position, collecting materials to bring into the interview and following up afterwards.

With Assistant Professor of Computer Science Pratheep Paranthaman as his mentor, Jennings is exploring the concept of gamification 鈥� using games in a non-gaming context 鈥� to motivate users. They will study user interaction in the spring, including using EEGs to measure brain activity to identify stressful or exciting aspects of the game and interview process.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to see how gamification affects different applications and using the framework of a job-interview application,鈥� Jennings said. 鈥淲e want to identify specific aspects of gamification that help people prepare for interviews, to find what鈥檚 effective and what鈥檚 not and point the way for future applications to take inspiration from this research.鈥�

Jennings, a computer science major with a game design minor, is also an 麻豆视频 College Fellow and Odyssey Scholar. He embarked on the research as part of the College Fellows program, which culminates in a closely mentored, two-year research project. He presented his research paper, 鈥淐onceptual Design and Early Prototypes of a Gamified Virtual Reality Interview Training Application,鈥� virtually at the sixth World Conference on Smart Trends in Systems, Security and Sustainability held in London on Aug. 27. Jennings previously presented his research in SNCURCS (State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium) in fall 2021.

As part of the development process, Jennings designed an initial prototype system in virtual reality. While studying abroad in Copenhagen this semester, Jennings is in the process of refining the system for a complete VR experience.
He began his project in spring 2021 after participating in a VR research project also mentored by Paranthaman.

鈥淭hat was my first experience with VR technology and the inspiration for my own research,鈥� Jennings said. 鈥淲e looked into areas where VR is used outside of gaming. There are tons of venues for health education鈥� for nursing and medical professionals. 鈥淎lmost everyone goes through a job interview and a lot of people aren鈥檛 sure what to expect, especially if it鈥檚 their first interview.鈥�

Paranthaman has been an ideal mentor, Jennings said, giving him the freedom to explore areas of interest while remaining available when questions or hurdles arise.

鈥淗e鈥檚 been able to guide me without holding my hand,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e improved as a researcher and a programmer because of him.鈥�

Jennings鈥� accomplishments are the result of his ambition and work ethic, Paranthaman said.

鈥淒avid has been instrumental in developing this research idea from the ground to a functional prototype,鈥� Paranthaman said. 鈥淎t the start of the research process, he had a vision and equipped himself with the resources 鈥� such as learning about the state-of-the-art research and development process 鈥� to transform the vision into a working system.

鈥淰irtual reality development is a challenging area with multiple complications, such as device configurations, ever-changing software versions and usability factors. David worked with all these constraints and adapted himself toward the challenges in this research and constantly progressed to the outcomes he envisioned.鈥�

Jennings is planning a career in game design and programming.

Danielle 鈥淒ani鈥� Cooke 鈥�16 sees miracles every day. Even better, she helps make them happen.

As a clinical applications specialist in neurosurgery for , she trains neurosurgeons on how to use technology to perform noninvasive brain surgery using the company鈥檚 Exablate Neuro system to treat patients suffering from tremors due to conditions like Parkinson鈥檚 disease.

鈥淪ome patients have suffered from tremors their whole lives, and then 鈥� within a matter of hours 鈥� their hands are still. It鈥檚 one of the most rewarding things in the world to witness,鈥� Cooke said. 鈥淚t amazes me every day. I have truly found my dream job.鈥�

Exablate Neuro uses focused ultrasound waves to target a small area in the thalamus, heating it and causing a small lesion which interrupts tremor pathways. The procedure is FDA-approved to treat essential tremors and Parkinson鈥檚-induced tremors.

Cooke graduated from 麻豆视频鈥檚 dual-degree engineering program, earning a Bachelor of Science in bio-physics/biomedical engineering from 麻豆视频 and continuing at Columbia University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering.

鈥淔or my career, 麻豆视频 in particular offered me two of the most essential and foundational tools,鈥� Cooke said. 鈥淔irst, 麻豆视频 professors instilled in me the fundamental concepts of engineering in creative ways. I am constantly reminded of certain classes and projects I completed in those three years.

鈥淭he second is the ability to communicate, which I believe is crucial to being a successful engineer, and I think often can be overlooked in engineering curricula. At 麻豆视频, there鈥檚 not only a natural exposure to building communication skills through the Core Curriculum, but also within the engineering program: through poster presentations, working on team projects and even visiting an elementary school to teach engineering basics. All of these experiences and more taught me how to effectively communicate my ideas and thoughts.鈥�

Those skills are vital to communicating with people at the many different knowledge levels 鈥� surgeons, physicians, patients and fellow engineers 鈥� she encounters in her role at Insightec.

Cooke wasn鈥檛 planning to be an engineer when she enrolled at 麻豆视频. Though plotting a course toward medical school, during orientation she attended an interest-session about engineering led by Associate Professor Emeritus Rich D鈥橝mato.

鈥淗e started talking about biomedical engineering, and it was like the doors opened up and sunlight came in,鈥� Cooke said. 鈥淎fter that, I knew it was exactly what I wanted to pursue. I took that feeling and changed my course-load a few days before classes started. It was one of the best things that鈥檚 ever happened to me.鈥�

She discovered her interest in the brain 鈥� 鈥渢he biggest puzzle left to solve鈥� 鈥� during a summer internship at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, New York, as an assistant researcher in a project examining transcranial magnetic stimulation鈥檚 positive effects on spinal cord injury patients. In her last year at 麻豆视频, she completed a capstone project with Associate Professor Scott Wolter researching carbon nanotube coatings for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson鈥檚 patients.

She advises 麻豆视频 students to take advantage of opportunities to study abroad and immerse themselves in the range of subjects available to them.

鈥淚t changed my life going to that one seminar,鈥� Cooke said. 鈥淕o outside of your comfort zone to learn as much about as many fields as possible, even if you鈥檙e sure you have a path already. This is a unique experience and time in your life, you may find something new that鈥檚 exactly what you鈥檝e been looking for.鈥�

The formation coincides with the opening of the first two buildings in 麻豆视频鈥檚 Innovation Quad, a state-of-the-art center for engineering and physics research and cross-disciplinary collaboration featuring 60,000-square-feet of cutting-edge lab and prototyping spaces.

Associate Professor Scott Wolter will serve as the department鈥檚 first chair. After years of strategic growth in enrollment, curricula, and programming, as well as significant attention by university leadership to advancing excellence in 麻豆视频鈥檚 STEM programs, the department is primed to flourish, Wolter said.

鈥淲e want to be a nationally recognized small engineering school,鈥� Wolter said, echoing an objective of the Boldly 麻豆视频 plan. 鈥淥ur goal is to graduate around 100 students in each class with a solid academic foundation and strong engineering skills. We anticipate that enrollment will continue to grow in the near future to meet this target. With the excitement of the new learning spaces and spaces dedicated to collaboration, our program is poised to provide the type of innovative engineering education to meet the challenges of the 21st century.鈥�

The transition to a department comes as the program expands to offer additional courses and degree concentrations, made possible by faculty expertise and the cutting-edge facilities of the Innovation Quad.

麻豆视频鈥檚 engineering program has been part of the Department of Physics since 1999, when the university partnered with N.C. State University to offer a dual-degree engineering program. That program grew to count nine partner institutions, currently including NCSU, Georgia Tech, Clemson University, Penn State and the University of Notre Dame.

Evolving a distinctive brand of hands-on and project-based learning infused with liberal arts perspectives, 麻豆视频 launched its own four-year Bachelor of Science in Engineering major in 2018. Enrollment has steadily grown since. It graduated the first three students in 2020. In 2022, eleven graduated with the degree. This fall, 48 incoming first-year students will join the program for a total of 123 students in the four-year and dual-degree tracks.

That growth indicates the unique strengths of 麻豆视频 engineering, said Gabie Smith, dean of 麻豆视频 College, the College of Arts and Sciences.

鈥溌槎故悠碘�檚 engineering curriculum is truly innovative, providing a rigorous preparation in engineering skills within the rich context of a liberal arts education,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淥ur undergraduates develop the technical prowess, broad critical thinking and collaborative dexterity needed to solve complex problems and thrive in the field.鈥�

In addition to the general engineering B.S., students can concentrate in biomedical engineering, computer science, and 鈥� beginning this fall 鈥� environmental engineering. Several engineering minors are also in development. This fall, the interdisciplinary Engineering Design Minor will begin enrolling students in a curriculum that equips non-engineering majors with foundational engineering skills applicable to a broad range of disciplines.

Associate Professor Sirena Hargrove-Leak joined 麻豆视频 in 2004 as the program鈥檚 second faculty member with Associate Professor Emeritus Rich D鈥橝mato. She coordinated the four-year degree through this spring. She and Wolter stressed the shared mission of continuous improvement in the program by faculty and staff.

鈥淲e鈥檝e expanded in terms of the breadth of options for our students, as well as the depth of our curriculum. We are always working to strengthen our courses,鈥� Hargrove-Leak said. 鈥淚n 2004, we couldn鈥檛 envision a school of engineering, but the program has been improving, progressing and growing continuously, so now it is clear that it is possible.

鈥淥ne of the most beautiful things about that is that the gains engineering is experiencing aren鈥檛 isolated to the program. They extend to the entire university community. We expect to attract different kinds of students and I鈥檓 excited that everyone stands to benefit,鈥� she added.

Among strategic milestones in the last few years, 麻豆视频鈥檚 engineering program:

• Completed Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology’s (ABET) rigorous accreditation process from 2019 to 2022, and a formal announcement of accreditation is expected this fall. ABET accreditation signifies a program鈥檚 success in graduating engineers prepared to meet the needs of global employers.
• Added new faculty and staff, including Associate Professor Bethany Brinkman, Assistant Professor Will Pluer, Lab Manager Matthew Banks and Director of Engineering Outreach John Ring.
• Convened the Engineering Advisory Board, which consists of industry professionals across the country, alumni and parents helping guide the program to excellence.
• Established the Engineering Scholars program, enrolling up to 20 talented and engaged budding engineers into the program each year. Twenty scholars will enroll in fall 2022.

Wolter is especially proud of the cohesion and shared investment by engineering faculty and staff.

鈥淭he culture of our program is very important. We are motivated and excited about the growth of the program, we all enjoy teaching, and we recognize the value in maintaining close relationships to manage the challenges of the pace and growth,鈥� Wolter said. 鈥溌槎故悠� makes it happen. Our leadership enables great teaching and I think everyone in our STEM programs feels聽their support.鈥�

In addition to opening the Innovation Quad this fall, the university is also extensively renovating Dalton L. McMichael Sr. Science Center鈥檚 laboratories, classrooms and meeting spaces to advance studies in the natural sciences. The first phase of those renovations will be completed this month. A second phase is planned for summer 2023.

鈥淭hese facilities represent new possibilities for our students,鈥� Hargrove-Leak said. 鈥淭hey will have dedicated spaces to do the types of things that they get so excited about: designing and building. They will also be able to test their creations in a more robust way. This facility is going to be life-changing for them.鈥�