URSP Student Highlights: Lucretia Sissoho

My name is Lucretia and I am a rising senior from The Gambia in West Africa, majoring in Bioengineering. I am currently working in the sensorimotor and function lab in the Nguyen Engineering building, working on further developing research on fNIRS. My project this summer is understanding and further developing the use of functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) for analysing neural activity during bi-manual movements.

I decided to pursue this particular project because I am very passionate about discovering new means to analyze brain activity and in this case, during various minimal tasks and I feel that I would benefit further from dedicating my time to collect more data on fNIRS which can potentially lead to a breakthrough in the field; bearing in mind that it is considerably new, and very little research and experimentation has been done with it. It has potential and could eventually lead to further advances in how we analyze brain activity while the subject is performing motor tasks. I am interested in it primarily because of its convenience, as well as having very little limitations on motion and immaculate spatial resolution.

This being my first research experience, having the opportunity to collect raw data, verify and analyze it, as well as develop bimanual tasks and map the brain, has been memorable so far. I have had the honour of working with truly influential and inspiring people like Dr. Laurence Bray and Dr. Wilsaan Joiner, as well fellow undergraduate and graduate students.

URSP Student Highlights: King Cheng

My name is King Cheng, and I am a senior majoring in Computer Science. I am currently working with Dr. Shanjiang Zhu and his students. My main task on the project is developing an Android version of GMU parking helper application for mobile devices. The main purpose of the application is to inform the users how busy the parking lots are, and collecting data from users if only they agree to provide the information to us. On a daily basis, I spend most of the time developing features that interact with users and the database that manages crowdsource data. Moreover, testing the mobile app before publishing to Google Play store is another major task during the project development. I am also teaching myself how to use the features in Android Studio, which is a software that is used for developing Android application. I am also learning how to develop an Android application while working on the project. Even though Java uses the same language, there are many features, which I have not used before. Working on the project has helped me improve my problem solving skills and the skill of self-teaching. I believe these skills will be appealing to my future employers even though I may not work as a mobile app developer in the future.

URSP Student Highlights: Gillard Groom

I am writing a program that will make it easier for composers to use non-Western or completely new invented scales in their compositions.  This is based mainly on the process of approximating logarithmic functions using continued fractions, or, more specifically, the convergents of the continued fractions.  This summer was spent mostly coming up with various algorithms as I balanced working on my project and my other responsibilities.

 I happened upon my topic while I was researching a relatively routine project.  I was to create a musical piece in the style of Wendy Carlos’s Switched on Bach, an album that changed how electronic music was received by mainstream audiences.  However, while reading through Carlos’s essays, it became apparent that she had done much more research into alternative tunings after Switched on Bach.  In fact, one particular article, “Tuning at the Crossroads,” changed what had begun as a regular project into a passion that would take years to realize.

My research into microtonality and non-Western tunings inspires me not only when I am discovering music but as I compose as well.  There are many sounds, textures, and musical ideas that are not easily realized in Western music, and my research is aimed at tackling this compositional difficulty.  The thing that makes the research interesting is the fractal nature of it; it seems that the more I dig into a topic, the more complex it gets.  That can be frustrating at times when I am trying to reach a goal; falling down a researcher’s rabbit hole is not helpful.  However, more often than not, the twists and new information is fascinating.

URSP Student Highlights: Forrest Bussler

Hello! My name is Forrest Bussler and I am a senior in the Bioengineering department. I have been working with Dr. Agrawal in the microscale laboratory in Krasnow building since the beginning of the Fall semester 2015. Currently, I am working on looking at how the area a cell occupies its level of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Besides my area of research in ER stress, other projects in the lab focus on cell transfection, microscale device fabrication and analysis, as well as gradient analysis. Many of the studies done in the lab involve working with cancer, mainly breast cancer.

My interest in bioengineering grew due to how diverse it is and its ability to help others maintain a healthy and functional lifestyle through various engineering methods mixed with experience in other areas such as programming, electrical engineering, and biology. There will always be more ways to improve the lives of the less fortunate, and I want to be at the forefront of that movement.

Cancer is a biological phenomenon that even today, is still not completely understood. It is different for each person and treatment options may be limited due to the size of a tumor, the degree of metastasis, or the location of the cancer. It effects nearly everyone whether it be a loved one or oneself, and because of this, I want to understand it better and develop techniques to better treat and diagnose it.

The entire lab meets each Monday to discuss progress, options for moving forward with the projects, and one person in the lab does a formal presentation of their work so far and the background associated with it.

In addition to my patterning research with cell area and ER stress, I am working with graduate student Steven Roberts to create a chemical gradient on a microdevice to simulate cancer extravasation due to differences in a chemoattractant.

URSP Student Highlights: Jeremy Johnston

I am a student in the Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering department at George Mason. The fields in our department are primarily geared toward developing structurally sound and sustainable infrastructure as well as analyzing and modeling natural events to help develop infrastructure improvements. My research has been focused more on the latter aspect and collecting useful environmental data such as air quality, water quality, and weather data to be used for the improvement of current storm water systems.  I also hope this data will improve our understanding of environmental changes during extreme weather events.

 Working with the guidance of Drs. Viviana Maggioni (CEIE), Paul Houser (GGS), and Celso Ferreira (CEIE) I have been developing a new type of sensor system. While most sensors are programmed to send data at an unchanging rate, I have been working to create a reactive network. This network is capable of responding to environmental factors like thunderstorms, high winds, temperature extremes and any other sensed variables by collecting data at a higher temporal resolution (more data points, higher quality data). If any sensor station in this network senses a value above a predetermined threshold (such as high wind, rainfall, high or low temperature etc.) it will respond. What makes this system unique is the ability of the sensor to not only respond itself, but to send out radio signals to the other sensors in the network causing them to increase their sensing rate as well. This is why it is referred to as a “Smart Sensor Web”.

Personally, I have been in charge of programming of the sensors, building and setting up the sensors in the field, as well as analyzing incoming data. The process has been very time intensive, but very rewarding. I have expanded by knowledge of computer programming having worked with C++ and python over multiple operating systems. I have also learned a lot about what to expect in my field, how to carry myself, and how to solve problems in team environments. Beyond this I have learned about sensor operation and Arduino/Waspmote technology, circuitry and electrical wiring, as well as radio communication.

It has been a wonderful experience to this point and I have learned a great deal. I anticipate the growth of this network on campus in the future and I hope to be around to help improve this system following my time in the URSP program. While many improvements need to be made, I believe the most difficult challenges have been met and I hope to witness this system working up to its full potential in the near future.