SITP Student Francis Akenkora works on Fusing OpenROV for Subsea Infrastructure Assessment.

I can still recall the day I became interested in this project. One of my friends came to me informing me that his professor was interested in adding additional undergraduate students into his lab with the purpose of fusing an OpenROV for subsea infrastructure assessment. I immediately became interested in when Dr. Zhang told us he wanted to see if it would be possible to leverage the OpenROV to use object detection methods based on machine learning. I’ve dealt with problems regarding detection and estimation throughout my academic career as an EE in both the classroom and through my capstone project, but neither allowed me to explore some of the hot button topics within the field. Using some of the fancy new ultra-fast detection methods such as YOLO (You Only Look Once) and SSD (Single-shot Detection) have convinced me that machine learning works! While machine learning does in fact work, it’s not to say that it is without hiccups. One thing I learned is that like humans, machines need a lot of exposure in order to learn. Trying to train a neural network can be hard especially if there aren’t any publicly available data sets (or any data sets for that matter) regarding what you’d like your network to be able to detect.

On a weekly basis, I would say most of my time is spent reading. I knew that there was a lot of information I needed to understand before I could truly appreciate the research I was conducting, but I didn’t anticipate there to be this much reading! For just about every problem I could’ve asked myself, there was thankfully a research paper that managed to answer that question, even if it wasn’t directly related to my research. Borrowing ideas from others has been an eye-opening experience to the wealth of knowledge that is readily available.

One thing this project has taught me is that I really do love soling problems and finding more problems to solve. I hope to pursue a career that manages to blend the interests I’ve acquired throughout my academic career. I love SONAR and I love image processing as well, so I hope to pursue a career where I can develop systems that use SONAR to generate images. If I do decide to pursue a graduate degree, this is the field I would become heavily interested in. 

USTF Student Ruth Tallman Jasperse Presents her Research at Computers and Writing hosted by Michigan State University

Ruth Jasperse was thrilled to take her analysis of the Super Seducer game series to Computers and Writing, hosted this year at Michigan State University. Computers and writing hosts a thriving interdisciplinary academic group focused on digital rhetoric, composition, and pedagogy, in which Jasperse’s psychologically framed rhetorical analysis of digital media fit into the larger academic discussion.

Despite being an undergraduate she was welcomed to the Graduate Research Network workshop at the beginning of the conference to roundtable her research with other students and advising professors. 

Knowing of the silent auction held each year to raise money for graduate travel funding Jasperse also made and donated a quilt featuring the conference tee of the previous year with a winning bid of $250 for the fundraiser.

Jasperse feels she had an excellent experience of intellectual exchange and learning, being exposed to so many wonderful projects, and receiving invaluable feedback on her own research. New connections and opportunities for collaboration have been forged and she is tremendously grateful to have been welcomed into this academic community and for their encouragement of taking the next steps in expanding her analysis. Jasperse thanks OSCAR, Dr. Beth Caravella and Dr. Leah Adams for their contributions with which this experience would not have been possible

Companion website for the poster at http://superseduceranalysis.strikingly.com - likely best matched with “her analysis of the Super Seducer game series.

STIP Student Hannah Lewis Studies how Ecology and Entomology can be used to Support Forensic Evidence

What originally got me interested in this project were ideologies and methods of approach similar to the TV series Crime Scene Investigation (CSI). I was 12 years old and found his use of insects to help solve crimes fascinating. While growing up on a cattle farm, I was always around insects in nature and in how the tiny creatures could flourish on nearly every continent of this planet. This project is related to my long-term goals by providing me an opportunity to use the scientific method with a more tangible subject than what I am normally used to as a Psychology major. Honestly, the project has allowed me to realize how much I enjoy working with science within nature. In addition, it has allowed me to meet and work with great mentors and researchers that have provided priceless insight for my future.

What I do on a weekly basis- depending on the week –includes running experiments, collecting samples, sitting at a microscope classifying insects, and recording data. There is also a great deal of research needed to become more familiar with identifying traits of each taxon of insects. Most of the time is spent at the microscope identifying insects though. This term I discovered more about how ecology and entomology can be used to support forensic evidence. I also discovered a whole new outlook on insect communities within our everyday lives. My skills using the scientific method have been sharpened and my interest in ecology has been encouraged.

USTF Student Liam Timmons Attends the 2019 State Politics and Policy Conference

My experience at the 2019 State Politics and Policy Conference was valuable and enriching. I was able to speak to leading scholars in an emerging area of political science, state and local politics. This is a field that is rapidly growing in prominence, so it was fascinating to see all the cutting-edge research being done. In addition, although it is rare to present at this conference as an undergraduate, I felt entirely supported throughout the whole process, not only by Professor McGrath who helped me immensely on this project but everyone I spoke to at the conference. The feedback I received from my panel discussant has been valuable in helping me improve my work for a poster session at the 2019 APSA Annual Meeting in addition to eventual manuscript preparation. I was also able to hone my presenting skills through sitting in on panels and poster sessions. Overall, my experience at SPPC 2019 was worthwhile and rewarding.

USTF Student Yuina Waugh Performs at Carnegie Hall in New York City

Any musician can tell you that the prospect of performing at the legendary venue of Carnegie Hall in New York is something they can only dream of. I, along with some peers in the University Chorale, had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do so under Dr. Lisa Billingham this past May. The opportunity was first presented to us during the Fall 2018 semester, and over the next few months, we rehearsed our piece – Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest. We held a concert to present the piece to our local friends here at Mason one week before the Carnegie performance, and had great reception. That following Friday, we set out for New York. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings were dedicated to the full-choir rehearsals of the combined choirs of the University Chorale, Sullivan County Community Chorus, and Morris Knolls High School Chorale, for a grand total of almost 150 vocalists. On Tuesday afternoon, we had the dress rehearsal and had the chance to step onto the stage in the Stern Auditorium for the first time. That evening, we had our performance, starting at 8 PM. Our choir was the first of the three performances scheduled for the night, and we absolutely nailed it. I remember being overwhelmed by many different emotions as we stepped off the stage, as were many others; some with tears, some with a grin from ear to ear, you name it. After the performance, we had the opportunity to go on a dinner cruise down the Hudson, and we got to see many sights from the river, including Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Overall, the trip was filled with lots of fun, hard work, exploration, and excitement, and I hope to do something like this again in the near future.