51猎奇

Senior Design teams battle for dominance in project competition

group shot of men in front of a projection

Christian Kenig, Riley Flasch, Cohen Mleziva and Michael Hotchkiss built a testing tool that makes it easy to measure how much force it takes to hammer a nail into different kinds of wood. The team, sponsored by Milwaukee Tool and mentored by teaching faculty Mohamed Yahiaoui, took top honors in the Senior Design Project competition in mechanical engineering.

Students from all departments created a host of real-world solutions in their senior design courses and then presented them to judges. One winning team from each department will be recognized at the Order of the Engineer ceremony on Saturday, May 17.

Senior design projects are the students’ capstone, hands-on learning experience, where they apply what they鈥檝e learned as they participate in a team-based project. Many thanks to GE HealthCare, the overall sponsor of the Senior Design competition, and to all the companies who submitted projects. See the information on all the teams. The other department winners are:

Biomedical Engineering

Designed a trigger signal generator for cardiac 3D mapping applications.

Students:

  • Alec Kaufmann
  • Nina Marchigiani
  • Abhi Roop Reddy Tokala
  • Nathanael Sovitzky

Advisor: Mohamed Yahiaoui
Industry sponsor: UMedec

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Redesigned the intersection of Lincoln Memorial Drive and Clybourn Street in Milwaukee to make it safer and easier to use by drivers, bikers and pedestrians.

Students:

  • Arshdeep Chahal
  • Joseph Jutley
  • Ryder Weisensel
  • Nathaniel Wurzer

Advisors: Sarah Blackowski and Clayton Cloutier
Sponsor: Wisconsin DOT

Computer Science

Designed a campus navigation app to alleviate stress and anxiety associated with way finding at 51猎奇.

Students:

  • Jia Chen
  • David Doyle
  • Mouhameth Fall
  • Sana Sees
  • Colin Young

Advisor: Ayesha Nipu

Electrical Engineering

Designed an advanced indoor air quality monitor to ensure safe indoor breathing.

Students:

  • Trevor Block
  • Audrey Faison
  • Stone Mahan
  • Colton Smith
  • Jack Wolak

Advisors: William Dussault and Jeff Kautzer

Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering

Worked to create a standardized Six Sigma process to reduce and stabilize the quantity of defects in parts coming out of deburring fabrication.

Students:

  • Bao Bui
  • Jessica Martinez
  • Mustafa Ameen

Advisor: Iftekaruddin Khan
Industry sponsor: Krones, Inc.

Materials Science & Engineering

Worked to identify the origin and cause of a catastrophic failure in a pinion gear and make recommendations to prevent identical incidents.

Students:

  • Kee Jepson
  • Brett Johnson
  • Katelyn O’Brien
  • Sam O’Neill

Advisor: Nidal Abu-Zahra
Industry sponsor: BRP Marine Division

Niu receives $50,000 IGNITE Grant to advance lithium-ion batteries with material made from low-cost silicon

Professor Junjie Niu, materials science & engineering, has been awarded a $50,000 IGNITE Grant for Applied Research from WiSys and the Universities of Wisconsin. The grant funds a one-year project aimed at developing more efficient lithium-ion battery technology using an innovative anode material made with low-cost, micro-sized silicon or recycled silicon waste.

Silicon has long been recognized as a promising alternative to graphite, the conventional material used in li-ion battery anodes. It offers significantly higher energy density, packing more energy into a small size and leading to a longer life – an advantage especially important for high-demand applications like electric vehicles.

However, silicon also presents a major challenge: It expands dramatically during charging, leading to mechanical stress and a decline in performance over time.

To address this, Niu鈥檚 research will explore a new approach that uses micro-sized silicon particles – sourced from milled scrap silicon rather than costly nanoparticles. These micro-particles will be combined with a conductive polymer to form a composite anode material, replacing the graphite.

The goal is to improve durability by managing the volume changes that typically degrade silicon-based anodes, while managing costs.

The project will evaluate how these silicon micro-particles perform compared to traditional solutions and determine whether this composite material offers superior performance over silicon nanoparticles.

Proposals for the IGNITE Grant were reviewed by experts from private industry, academia, and the UW Office of Academic Affairs. Evaluation criteria included technical merit, the likelihood of successful completion, and the potential for economic impact in Wisconsin.

Ghose receives Microsoft sponsorship to dive into the state of Wisconsin’s AI workforce鈥�

a female faculty member and a female doctoral candidate in industrial engineering are looking at the camera

The adoption of artificial intelligence is transforming the workplace, but it鈥檚 also raising challenges such as job-skill mismatches and uneven adoption rates. Where are vulnerabilities in Wisconsin鈥檚 workforce when it comes to AI?

Rina Ghose, professor, industrial & manufacturing engineering, has received sponsorship from Microsoft to extract the status of AI in the workforce at different locations around the state, revealing the impact of AI disruption and regional variations in areas, such as access to workforce training.

The information is needed for guiding policymakers as they help foster growth and workforce readiness in the AI-driven economy.

Ghose specializes in data science and will analyze AI labor force data across the state. Her expertise in Geographic Information Science (GIS) will help her to harness locational intelligence, by analyzing locational data with other datasets to reveal relationships and patterns over time and place.

During the one-year project, Ghose will answer placed-based questions, such as where current and projected employer needs are, where the resources are currently deployed, where the skilled workers are, and where they are needed.

The study鈥檚 geospatial aspect makes it unique, she said, because seeing information on a map often addresses distribution questions that can help direct public policy interventions.

鈥淲hat could really be useful is to know the conditions broken down by localities,鈥� Ghose said.

Time is also important because industry is just beginning to adapt AI to their needs. 鈥淪o, this year’s job postings can be totally different even from last year鈥檚,鈥� she said.

Ghose and doctoral student Fahimeh Mohebbi also will focus on Milwaukee County as a case study because many industries are located in Milwaukee, and they can gain insight into AI workforce development across different industries. Also, they can potentially find patterns that can help them understand similar challenges in other regions.

鈥淎s AI reshapes the labor market, it鈥檚 critical that public policy is grounded in data that reflects local realities,鈥� said Jasmine Thomas, Senior Director at Microsoft. 鈥淧rofessor Ghose鈥檚 research is compelling and will illuminate geospatial insights for policymakers to advocate for targeted, evidence-based strategies that prepare Wisconsin鈥檚 workforce to thrive in the AI economy.鈥�

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella earned his master鈥檚 degree in computer science at 51猎奇. Last year Microsoft made a $3.3 billion investment in several projects around the state, which includes establishing the nation鈥檚 first manufacturing-focused AI Co-Innovation Lab at 51猎奇鈥檚 Connected Systems Institute. The new lab will give students and companies hands-on learning with AI and connect them with Microsoft experts.

Six NMDSI Student Research Scholars from the college named

Six new winners of the Student Research Scholars Program, funded by the Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute, were announced to collaborate with faculty on applying data science in research this summer. Engineering students being supported during the summer, their projects, and their faculty mentors are:

“Developing an Intelligent Agentic System for Knowledge Transfer and Personalized Therapy in Physical Rehabilitation.”

  • Student: Tanvir Ahmed
  • Faculty Mentor: Mohammad Habib Rahman, professor, mechanical and biomedical engineering

“Practical AI Framework with Provable Security, Auditing, and Incentive Mechanisms.”

  • Student: Hiba Alsghaier
  • Faculty Mentor: Tian Zhao, associate professor of computer science

“Towards Proactive and Dynamic Pedestrian Safety at Crosswalks Using Trajectory Data.”

  • Student: Anisha Tasnim
  • Faculty mentor: Tian Zhao, associate professor of computer science

“Use of AI in Leveraging Alternative Data in Mortgage Industry.”

  • Student: Sajede Farahani
  • Faculty Mentor: Wilkistar Otieno,associate professor of industrial & manufacturing engineering

“Predictive Modeling of Uranium Flushing in Contaminated Groundwater Using Machine Learning.”

  • Student: Abul Borkot Md Rafiqul Hasan
  • Faculty Mentor: Kishna Pillai, professor of mechanical engineering

“Enhancing Explainable AI through Human-Centered Interaction with Large Language Models.”

  • Student: Masoud Khani
  • Faculty Mentor: Jake Luo, associate professor and bioinformatics graduate program director

Student Excellence Awards go to students and student organizations from the college

four headshots

Four students and two student organizations from the college were recognized in the annual Student Excellence Awards on April 29.

The awards, sponsored by the 51猎奇 Student Involvement, honors those who go above and beyond to create a vibrant, supportive and engaged campus environment. Altogether, 21 individual students and sixorganizations won awards. Here are the college’s honorees:

  • Student Organization of the Year:
    Society of Women Engineers and Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects
  • Outstanding Graduate Students
    Telemachos Agoudemos (mechanical engineering) and Abul Borkot Md Rafiqul Hasan (mechanical engineering)
  • Student Organization Leader of the Year:
    Jaiden Lefeber (civil engineering)
  • Agent of Change Award:
    Carol Martinez (materials science & engineering

Avi Shaked and Dr. Babs Waldman greet CEAS scholarship recipients at April reception

three people talking among themselves

Avi Shaked (’80 Electrical Engineering) and spouse Babs Waldman, MD, met with about 30 students at a reception on April 29 celebrating both scholarship donors and recipients for the 2024-25 academic year. 

The couple established the Avi Shaked & Babs Waldman Engineering Scholarship for the college in 2005 and have added to the original amount twice since. At over $3 million, the fund has helped nearly 1,100 undergraduate engineering students pay for their degrees.

Ricky Frieseke (right front) and other scholarship recipients chat with the donors at the April reception.

This academic year alone, 87 students from the college received the scholarship. The average award per student was more than $2,000.

The scholarship fund is emblematic of an upward trend in giving this year, 51猎奇 Chancellor Mark Mone told the attendees.

“During the last academic year, 51猎奇 awarded more than $28 million in student scholarships,” Mone said. “That was an 8% increase over the previous academic year.”

Niu lab boosts energy and safety of next gen li-ion batteries with new coating

Junjie Niu with his arms in a vacuum chamber

A spray-on coating developed by Professor Junjie Niu, materials science & engineering, and his research team has improved the energy density of lithium-metal batteries by 20 to 30 percent 鈥搘hile also reducing the fire risk that has long limited their commercial use. The results, recently , could accelerate the development of next-generation rechargeable batteries.

鈥淭he results surpassed our expectations,鈥� Niu said. 鈥淥ur coating offers a dual benefit 鈥揵etter performance and better safety.鈥�

Niu鈥檚 research focuses on lithium-metal (LM) batteries, a newer type of lithium-based battery that replaces graphite electrodes with solid lithium. LM batteries can hold significantly more energy than traditional lithium-ion batteries, making them attractive for high-demand needs, such as electric vehicles or energy storage for the grid, Niu said.

鈥淲ith the current li-ion batteries, you can drive, let鈥檚 say, 300 miles on a charge,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith a LM battery, you can double the energy density 鈥� maybe 500 to 600 miles. That鈥檚 even better than a gas-powered vehicle!鈥�

But there’s a catch: LM batteries are notoriously unstable. The problem stems from dendrites 鈥搉eedle-like structures of lithium that form during charging. Dendrites can pierce the battery’s electrolyte, causing short circuits and even fires.

To address this, Niu鈥檚 team developed a spray-on coating that combines MXene compounds 鈥搆nown for high electrical conductivity 鈥� with a large-molecule polymer that stabilizes the battery surface. The polymer helps prevent dendrite formation, while the MXene improves charge transport.

The innovation targets a key challenge that has stalled commercial rollout of lithium-metal batteries, despite their promise and the considerable industry investment.

The research was completed with a grant from the National Science Foundation. 

Two engineering students take a ride in the 鈥楺uiz Cart鈥�

3 guys

How much do you know about Milwaukee and 51猎奇?

Undergrads Daniel Maistelman, mechanical engineering, and Ben Witt, electrical engineering, each were featured in the 鈥淨uiz Cart,鈥� a video produced by the Alumni Association in honor of 414 51猎奇 Giving Day.

The 鈥淨uiz Cart鈥� videos, modeled after the TV program 鈥淐ash Cab,鈥� are shot with passengers in a campus golf cart who answer questions about 51猎奇 in order to get a free ride to their destination. However, participants have to disembark if they get three wrong answers.

Rohatgi named an honorary member of AIME/TMS

a man holding a plaque

51猎奇 Distinguished Professor Pradeep Rohatgi was elected as an honorary member of the Metals, Minerals and Materials Society of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME-TMS) 鈥� the organization鈥檚 pinnacle award 鈥撀爄n March at the 2025 annual meeting.

Rohatgi was recognized as a world leader in research on solidification processing of metal matrix composites, education of materials professionals, and founder of laboratories for materials research.

Rohatgi also is a Fellow of TMS and has served on TMS technical committees. He has served as the founder and director to two national laboratories of CSIR in Trivandrum and Bhopal, India, and the 51猎奇 Centers for Advanced Materials Manufacture and Composites at 51猎奇.

He is a recipient of number of awards for research excellence from all over the world, a fellow of 10 professional societies, and a member of the National Academy of Inventors.

New members of faculty and staff governance elected from the college

Hats off to the 12 faculty and one staff member who won positions in the 51猎奇 governance structure in recent elections.

Members of the college newly elected to committee seats include:

John Boyland, Woo-Jin Chang, William Musinski, Michael Nosonovsky, Wilkistar Otieno, Matthew Petering, Habib Rahman, Shuaiqi Shen, Brooke Slavens, Yin Wang, Jian Zhao and Tian Zhao.   

Those continuing in previously elected seats are: Nidal Abu-Zahra, Ryo Amano, Sarah Blackowski, John Boyland, Qingsu Cheng, Ben Church, Rina Ghose, Chiu Law, Wilkistar Otieno,     Kishna Pillai, Deyang Qu, Nathan Salowitz, Konstantin Sobolev, Jerald Thomas and Tian Zhao.

For Academic Staff, Marketing Manager Lisa McGovern was elected to an at-large seat on the Academic Staff Senate, and Robert Packard continues on the International Committee.