Undergraduate students from different disciplines made a notable impact at George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing Innovation Week 2024 undergraduate poster contest in February, presenting innovative projects addressing real-world problems.
First Place: Emma Devine, Aidan Menon, Amanda Dalagan, and Turki Alharbi
Emma Devine and her team secured first place with their project, “Design of Rear-end Collision Prevention System.” The systems and industrial engineering majors from the class of 2024 tackled the pressing issue of vehicular accidents. Aiming to make roads safer by decreasing the incidence of rear-end collisions, the team’s approach focuses on a system that could be both forward fitted to new vehicles and retrofitted to older models. The project involved included the systems engineering Vee Model and involved in-depth stakeholder analysis and design alternatives. The team has plans for a physical prototype and road testing, with a vision for their device to become as common as dashboard cameras for enhanced vehicular safety.
Second Place: Angela Sidhu and Sahishnu Hanumansetty
Angela Sidhu, a computer science major at George Mason, and Sahishnu Hanumansetty, a media arts production student at Emerson College, won second place with their study, “Forecasting Frequency of Anti-Asian American Hate Crimes.” Their research addressed the upsurge in hate crimes against Asian Americans following the COVID-19 pandemic. Using time-series analysis and ARIMA modeling, the pair established a positive trend in anti-Asian hate crimes but found inconclusive evidence on whether the trend would persist. They seek to contribute to understanding and combating race-based hate in society with their analytical work.
These undergraduate students have demonstrated how interdisciplinary approaches can be harnessed to solve pressing societal issues. Their achievements underline the value of academic research in influencing and bettering community practices.