Congratulations to PCEC’s 2023-24 University Awards of Excellence Recipients

University Award of Excellence for Teaching

Dr. Salman Siddiqui, senior lecturer in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE), is a devoted educator who earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Florida State University. He joined Georgia Southern as a Visiting Assistant Professor in 2013, transitioning to a Lecturer role the following year, and achieving promotion to Senior Lecturer in 2020. In 2018, his dedication to teaching excellence and impactful influence on student success earned recognition from the First-Year Experience office, where he was honored as an “Outstanding Advocate for First-Year Students.” Furthermore, in 2019, he received the esteemed “Teaching Excellence” award from the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing. Dr. Siddiqui’s teaching philosophy prioritizes active learning strategies and project-based experiences, ensuring students are prepared for success in their fields from day one. Beyond the classroom, he serves as an advisor for the IEEE Robotics Club, mentoring students in extracurricular activities as part of the professional student organization, and leads the recruitment and outreach activities for the ECE Department. His research interests encompass project-based education, STEM outreach, and the integration of new instructional technology into classroom instruction.

University Award of Excellence for Research and Discovery & Innovation

Dr. Sevki Cesmeci, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, describes himself as both a dedicated researcher and educator. His research has been centered around innovative product and technology development. In this line of research, he served as the sole Principal Investigator for projects funded by the U.S. Department of Air Force, U.S. Department of Energy, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, totaling $1.55M. He published more than 30 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers at respected venues and won 20 awards as a Faculty Mentor at the college, state, national, and international levels. Dr. Cesmeci’s dedication to scholarship and teaching has earned him the 2022-2023 College of Engineering and Computing Faculty Award for Scholarship and the 2022-2023 Georgia Southern University Award of Excellence: Student Success.

Last updated: 4/25/2024

Georgia Southern Students Placed 1st and 2nd in Casting Competition at Foundry Society Regional Conference

Two student teams consisting of seven students from Mechanical Engineering (MENG) and Manufacturing Engineering (MFGE) departments participated in the student metal casting competition held during the American Foundry Society Southeast Regional Annual Conference in Birmingham, Alabama last month.

The casting competition challenged students to manufacture a cast iron brake rotor with their choice of process. Students were tasked to complete a Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), which is commonly seen in the real-world manufacturing field. 

The PPAP required student teams to achieve a targeted microstructure, mechanical property, and dimension tolerance on their final products. Teams were evaluated by industry professionals based on casting quality, PPAP completion, and level of manufacturing efficiency. 

Both Georgia Southern teams were able to successfully cast the brake rotor and meet the PPAP requirement. The first team was led by Evan Carter, a graduate student from the MFGE department. Carter’s team earned first place in the casting competition, and was awarded a scholarship of $1,500. 

The other Georgia Southern team was led by Robert Myers, a Sophomore in the MENG department. Myers’ team placed second, and was awarded with a scholarship of $1,000. 

Dr. Mingzhi Xu, Foundry Education Foundation key professor and associate professor in the MENG department, attributes the students’ success to the Georgia Southern community.

“The support and involvement we have received from university administrators, the industry, and our students has significantly contributed to the success of the metalcasting program here at Georgia Southern University,” Dr. Xu said. 

Last year, Georgia Southern had three student teams competing at the 2023 American Foundry Society Southeast Regional Annual Conference and they made a clean sweep.

Last updated: 4/24/2024

MSIT Students Nafeeul Walee and Damilola Elelegwu Presented Their Research at IEEE SoutheastCon 2024 in Atlanta

Information Technology has played an important role in many sectors and research areas, particularly in project management and cybersecurity. Our MSIT students recently presented their (team’s) research findings at the IEEE SoutheastCon 2024 in Atlanta on March 23. 

    Nafeeul Alam Walee and his team (with Tasnim Akter Onisha, Azeezat Akinola, and Gijs van Deventer) used machine learning techniques (logistic regression, linear regression, and decision tree regressor) to explore and compare the differences among various project management methods (Agile vs. others), and measured management impacts using prediction probabilities, classifications, confusion matrix, R-squared, and Mean Square Error (MSE). The research findings offer valuable insights into understanding Agile’s impact on IT industries, encouraging further exploration and refinements to make informed decisions on project management strategies and fostering future research to enhance IT project success rates. Their paper will soon be included in IEEE Xplore: Nafeeul Alam Walee, Tasnim Akter Onisha, Azeezat Akinola, Gijs van Deventer, and Lei Chen, “Impact of Agile Methodology in IT Industries: A Comparative Study”, in Proceedings of the IEEE SoutheastCon, Atlanta, March 21-24, 2024.

    Damilola Elelegwu (graduated in Dec. 2023) introduced a novel browser extension designed to effectively thwart keylogger malware attacks. His approach analyzes input-related processes, promptly identifying and flagging any malicious activities through a developed browser add-on/extension, which empowers users with the immediate choice to terminate the suspicious process or validate its authenticity. According to Damilola, this is the first of its kind to offer end users such crucial real-time anti-keylogger control through a web browser. He is seeking possible patents and potential business collaborations from this research and development. His paper, co-authored with his thesis committee, will soon be included in IEEE Xplore: Damilola Elelegwu*, Lei Chen, Yiming Ji, and Jongyeop Kim, “A Novel Approach to Detecting and Mitigating Keyloggers”, in Proceedings of the IEEE SoutheastCon, Atlanta, March 21-24, 2024.

Last updated: 3/28/2024

PCEC Student Accepted into NASA Pathways Engineering Trainee Program

Sebastian Oviedo is a student in the Paulson College of Engineering & Computing
currently studying Electrical Engineering with a minor in Physics. Oviedo was recently informed
that he has been accepted into the NASA Pathways Internship Program for Engineering.

NASA’s Pathways Internship Program offers internships in a variety of disciplines, and
invests heavily in the growth of students. Students that complete this program earn the
opportunity to be evaluated for full-time employment with NASA upon their graduation.

Masoud Davari, Associate Professor in the department of Electrical & Computer
Engineering, has supervised Oviedo in various contexts, and attributes Oviedo’s success to his
ambition. According to Dr. Davari, Oviedo has been informally attending his upper level courses
since he was an undergraduate research student.

In addition to prioritizing being proactive in his studies, Dr. Davari also noted Oviedo’s
participation in the NSF-IRES-INNOVATOR Program in Summer 2023. This program allows
students the opportunity to participate in an international research project to assess and improve
the reliability of two-level voltage-source converters employing innovative controls in a possible
globe-spanning supergrid—an essential component of the energy sector to integrate renewables
and battery systems to respond to urgent environmental concerns caused by climate change and
global warming at an alarming rate and international agreements.

The NSF-IRES-INNOVATOR Program operates from two locations—the Laboratory for
Advanced Power and Energy Systems (LAPES) founded, directed, and led by Dr. Davari in
Engineering and Research Building right here on Georgia Southern’s Statesboro campus and the
Center of Reliable Power Electronics (CORPE) at Aalborg University (AAU) in Aalborg,
Denmark. Post-trip follow-ups are conducted in LAPES at Georgia Southern.

Dr. Davari is the lead Principal Investigator of this NSF-funded project and works alongside
Professor Frede Blaabjerg, Villum Investigator in the Department of AAU Energy at AAU, in
order to provide students with interdisciplinary, multicultural, cutting-edge research experiences.

Oviedo not only participated in the NSF-IRES-INNOVATOR Program last summer—whose
work will be presented at the IEEE SoutheastCon 2024 conference in March 2024 and published
in its proceedings—but he has also been selected to participate in the program this summer for
his second consecutive year.

To follow more student successes in the PCEC, be sure to connect with us on social
media: https://linktr.ee/gscec.

Last updated: 3/20/2024

Six PCEC Students Awarded with Second Phase of Prestigious Environmental ProtectionAgency P3 Grant

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A group of six undergraduate student researchers from Georgia Southern’s Departments
of Manufacturing Engineering and Civil Engineering & Construction were awarded the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Grant last year
for their research on developing 3D printed technology to enhance water filtration and prevent
pollution in runoff.
The research was led by Dr. Kamran Kardel, associate professor in the Department of
Manufacturing Engineering, and Dr. Francisco Cubas, associate professor in the Department of
Civil Engineering & Construction.
According to Dr. Kardel, the team applied for and received the first phase of the grant
almost two years ago. They presented their research at the Annual EPA P3 Conference and
Exhibition in Washington D.C. in June of last year and applied for the competitive second phase
of the grant in order to continue their research. Dr. Kardel recently learned that the team was
selected to receive the second phase of the EPA P3 Grant.
“We suggested a new [biofiltration] system using a 3D printed media that can be used
inside that biofiltration system or module,” Dr. Kardel said. “It can provide very high surface
area for all microorganism attachment and development and will enhance nutrient removal such
as nitrogen and phosphorus removal. Its focus is on wastewater and runoff of both urban and
agricultural watersheds.”
Their research aims to improve the effectiveness of biofiltration devices in order to better
treat stormwater and runoff. Not only does this research contribute to environmental
conservation efforts, Dr. Kardel says it offers students in the Paulson College of Engineering and
Computing the opportunity to better equip themselves for a successful future.
“I guess that really was the main thing about this EPA P3 program, having
undergraduates learn more and do more,” Dr. Kardel said. “Not just passing some courses, but
doing a significant project. Normally in our federal grant proposals we don’t use undergraduate
research assistants, but this project required undergraduate researchers, and had very good
results.”
Though most of the students who participated in this research have since graduated, one
of them, Michael Jones, remains at Georgia Southern as a graduate student. Jones described his
experience working on this project as both rewarding and enjoyable.
“It was really rewarding to be able to design something as complex as the media we were
using, presenting it to our group, and then adjusting the design based on feedback,” Jones said. “I
was able to see this project start as a simple idea and then turn into a real product to be used by
the EPA and industries. I think this project gave me some great experience and helped prepare
me for a career in the industry.”

Last updated: 3/18/2024

Elsie Lappin Receives the Georgia Institute of Transportation Engineers Scholarship Award

Elsie Lappin, a senior in Civil Engineering, stood out as the sole recipient from Georgia
Southern for the Georgia Institute of Transportation Engineers (GAITE) Scholarship Award last
month. According to their website, the Georgia ITE has awarded over $250,000 to students in
Georgia through the GAITE scholarship. Read more about the GAITE scholarship here:
https://gaite.org/Scholarship.

Ms. Lappin recently collaborated on a groundbreaking GDOT project with Dr. Hossein
Taheri, assistant professor in the Department of Manufacturing Engineering, making her a
promising candidate for the scholarship. Amongst a pool of talent from Georgia Tech, Kennesaw
State, and UGA, Ms. Lappin’s work earned her the second-highest award amount of $3,000 at
the GAITE annual luncheon meeting.

Ms. Lappin is currently working with Dr. Taheri on the “Investigation of Ultrasonic
Nondestructive Testing for High Accuracy Defect Sizing and Localization in Civil Steel
Structures,” and will present this research in the 2024 PCEC Student Research Symposium on
April 19, 2024.

Last updated: 4/23/2024

Three Students Successfully Represented GS Engineering & Computing at the State Capitol

Madison Procyk and Winnie Mwangi, two BSME students at Georgia Southern, were
selected to present their research at the Posters at the Georgia State Capitol event last Tuesday.
Yuzheng Mei, BSECE student at Georgia Southern, was also chosen to present his research at
the event.

Procyk and Mwangi’s research was led by Dr. Sevki Cesmeci, assistant professor in the
Department of Mechanical Engineering, and focused on developing an automated insulin
delivery system (AID) for Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) patients. Their research was sponsored by the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a global organization with the goal of curing T1D. Last
year, Dr. Cesmeci received a $200,000 Innovative Grant Award from the foundation to fund the
project.

In addition to presenting at the Capitol event, Procyk, Mwangi, and Dr. Cesmeci were
featured on the University’s Eagle Eye View podcast last year to discuss their research. “I’ve
always loved the applied side of engineering and this research is actually very much applied
research,” Dr. Cesmeci said on the podcast. “I’m more interested in applying that knowledge,
model, or algorithm to innovate products and technologies for the betterment of society,
environment, and economy.”

Mwangi also spoke about her passion for the applied uses of mechanical engineering on
Eagle Eye View. “I really do love mechanical engineering also because of applied science and
the hands-on working part,” she said. “You know, building and making society better. That’s the
whole point of mechanical engineering for me.”

“A lot of people don’t think about the medical side of things when they think of
mechanical engineering,” Procyk said on the podcast. “Mechanical [engineering] is so broad that
these skill sets can translate later to our jobs.”

Another department in the College of Engineering & Computing was also represented at
the Capitol last week. Mei is a student in the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, and was mentored by Dr. Rami Haddad, professor and interim department chair.
Their research focused on a solution to improve the readability of blurry license plate images
taken on hit-and-run cameras.

“Our students were able to interact with many senators, representatives, GS SGA
delegates, fellow undergraduate research students, and many others during this event,” Dr.
Haddad said. “We represented GS and the College very well.”

Last updated: 4/23/2024

Cybersecurityguide.org Names GS’s BIT Online #1 Most Affordable and #4 Overall Best for 2024

Becoming part of Cybersecurityguide.org‘s affordability rankings is no easy feat.  More than 100 schools were examined against our proprietary guidelines of academic rigor, Centers for Academic Excellence, and overall program cost.  Navigating the selection of the right online IT degree program involves a blend of key elements.  For a vast number of students, affordability often leads the decision-making process.

With this in mind, the Cybersecurity Guide research team has meticulously put together a dynamic list, now spotlighting the best online IT degree programs, with a special emphasis on overall affordability in terms of tuition costs.  However, low costs shouldn’t mean a compromise on premier career readiness.  Therefore, our 2024 rankings for the most affordable online IT degree programs also require that each featured institution is recognized as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, ensuring a blend of value and quality in your educational journey.

This year, 25 online IT bachelor’s programs in secured their place on the Cybersecurity Guide most affordable list.  Each program is designed with an online-first approach, ensuring a comprehensive and flexible educational experience.  Many include practical learning and research opportunities, guiding students toward their ideal career paths.

2024 rankings for the most affordable IT degree online programs

Georgia Southern University’s Information Technology department unfolds a comprehensive suite of programs for an ever-evolving tech landscape.  Pursue a Bachelor’s in IT with specializations such as Cyber Security or Network and Data Center, or elevate your expertise with a Master’s degree.  At Georgia Southern University, we focus on hands-on experience in state-of-the-art facilities bolstered by strong industry connections, ensuring students acquire practical, job-ready skills.  With options ranging from traditional on-campus courses to a fully online Bachelor’s program, the department offers a well-rounded IT education that meets various learning preferences.

The best online IT degree programs for 2024

Last updated: 1/10/2024

GS Engineering & Computing Represented Well by King and Queen

Last updated: 11/14/2023

Valesia Davis, BSME ’23, Wins Louis Stokes Alliance Award

Valesia Davis, BSME ’23, earned the Louis Stokes Alliance Award, receiving a stipend of living and educational expenses while continuing her education at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T). The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program focuses on granting minority STEM graduate students an opportunity to continue their education, with the goal of diversifying STEM fields by implementing evidence-based strategies .

Davis is partaking in the LSAMP Bridge to Doctorate Activity program through the NSF so that she might gain more research experience before working in the engineering industry. Having completed a summer internship with Lam Research, a semiconductor research firm in California, she hopes to meet more people and network with engineers in other areas of engineering.

While volleying her options after completing her mechanical engineering degree, Davis unexpectedly found the grant that would cover her tuition in addition to the stipend. “It might have been difficult to achieve without funding help,” she added. “I have more time to decide exactly what I’m going to do.” With a master’s degree, Davis will be able to receive a higher position in the industry than if she were to enter the field immediately after graduating with a bachelor’s degree.

“I’m really interested in mechanical system design, material processing, and heat transfer,” she said. Even with industry experience and a variety of courses, along with the other recipients, Davis’s advantage with this program will give her a better well-rounded experience before committing to a job.

The Bridge to Doctorate Activity program at NC A&T is rewarded for one year and benefits a dozen students with an overall grant of $1,075,000. To encourage these students to pursue a PhD, this grant requires prospective students to study applied sciences and technology; computational data science and engineering; computer science; electrical, industrial and systems, mechanical, or nano engineering.

Last updated: 11/6/2023