A Significant Stevens Advantage
Hundreds of students gathered at last week's Student Research Colloquium to display and discuss the research they led this summer. While a long-standing tradition at Stevens, the fall student research exhibit this year was a special highlight as the Colloquium kicked off a long weekend of exciting events celebrating the inauguration of Dr. Nariman Farvardin as the seventh president of Stevens Institute of Technology.
Among the packed crowd of students, faculty, and outside audience members attending the Colloquium, was the President himself, who expressed being inspired by the open forum.
“I am overly excited about what I see. I am amazed that some of these students have started their research in their first summer at Stevens and are only in their second year now. For them to do so much already is very impressive. These students are so bright, and I can see the spark in their eyes.” Dr. Farvardin added, “These are the leaders of the future.”
Access to research for Stevens undergraduates is one of the great advantages of being a student at Stevens and is an educational approach that is deeply rooted in Stevens' legacy. It's no surprise the Student Research Colloquium played an important role in the presidential inauguration this year.
The research projects presented evolved from summer research in various disciplines, including chemical engineering, technology management, ocean engineering, music and technology, and many more. Students had access to hands-on research in collaboration with faculty mentors through two elite programs for especially high-achieving undergraduate students:
the Stevens Scholars and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summer Research programs.
Through their research activities, Stevens and Technogenesis Scholars acquire experience in advanced research, design, and business development projects and develop skills which, among many benefits, give them a leg up in the
job market and/or disctinction as prospective graduate students of competitive graduate programs around the world.
In addition to leading the inauguration weekend, the research exhibit was also distinct this year in the scope, diversity, and multidisciplinary characteristics of the students' work. "This year was a watermark in the history of our undergraduate research programs," said Shane Topping, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Stevens. "The number of students, from across all the disciplines, as well as the broad range of projects they led are all very impressive indications of the limitless opportunities for hands-on, real-world, collaborative exploration and problem-solving here at Stevens."
Victoria Baldwin, class of 2013, completed her project on photovoltaic efficiency through nonporous anti-reflective thin films. “As renewable energy continues to grow in significance each and every day, so does its compatible power sources, particularly in the photovoltaic field,” said Baldwin. “The question is whether photovoltaic efficiency can be significantly increased in order to make this field a more reliable and effective source of power for consumers.” Chemical engineering and materials science professor and chair Ronald Besser served as the faculty advisor for Baldwin's work.
Nicholas Catania presented his project, "Research and Development of an Interactive Learning Display for the Liberty Science Center," advised by music & technology professor David Musial. Catania is majoring in engineering physics and music & technology.
Robert Moakler, a double major in physics and service oriented computing, created a project based on the human psyche. His research is based on the concept that groups of users can successfully lie on the Internet using services like Twitter and Facebook. Moakler named the project “Anatomy of a Lie.” Professor Jeff Nickerson of the Howe School of Technology Management served as advisor.
Joseph Huyett and Angela LoPiccolo, both sophomore mechanical engineering majors, partnered to research vibration energy harvesting. Mechanical engineering and nanotechnology professor Frank Fisher served as advisor. The goal of their project was to autonomously tune piezoelectric beams to ambient vibrations. Magnets were utilized in order to change the stiffness and resonant frequency of the beams. During the course of the experiment, the prototype was redesigned to reduce the play in the system. A linear potentiometer was added to transmit data about the position of the beams to a microcontroller.
“It was a great experience. There was no one babysitting us during the research, so it really taught us how to be our own boss," said Huyett. "I now know the value of time management, and, overall, I feel like we accomplished a milestone that I am truly proud of.”
Associate Provost of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Stevens, Christos Christodoulatos, took an opportunity to praise the research programs. “I think this is a tremendous success for our students and advisors,” he said. “Students are gaining experience through their projects, which emphasize innovation and entrepreneurship and teach our students the value and impact they have on society. They are given both the soft skills and business skills needed to compete in the real world.”
