systems engineering

Mason hosts workshop for researchers addressing global warming from aircraft clouds

Tama Moni — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:13:49 +0000

Mason hosts workshop for researchers addressing global warming from aircraft clouds Tama Moni Fri, 09/23/2022 - 16:13

In This Story

More than 220 researchers from three continents participated in a virtual workshop hosted by George Mason University and NASA Langley Research Center on Wednesday September 7, 2022.

The workshop was the first time that airlines, air traffic controllers, climate scientists, aircraft and jet engine engineers, and policymakers gathered to share the science and understand the practical operational constraints for contrail mitigation. George Mason University was the natural host of the meeting given its previous work and its reputation in the field.

The workshop aimed to foster information exchange and discuss opportunities to address the global warming from clouds generated by aircraft. Lance Sherry, associate professor of system engineering, leads an inter-disciplinary team of researchers and students at George Mason who conduct pioneering research in this area.

“Contrails are the thin white clouds you see trailing behind aircraft,” explains Mason PhD student Amy Tal Rose. “Water and soot emitted from jet engines form ice crystals at high altitudes that lead to the formation of high clouds. These ice-clouds are like a blanket that traps ‘thermal radiation’ emitted by the Earth and leads to global heating.”

“The thing that surprised me most about the global heating effect of contrails,” says Brian Romero Lopez a system engineering student working on the research team, “is that contrails account for two percent of the total human made global heating. Green-house gases account for 98 percent of global warming, and contrails make up the remaining two percent. No one talks about this.”

“Mitigating the effects of contrails is considered a Wicked Problem,” explained co-host of the workshop, Chief Technologist for Future Airspace Operations at NASA Andy Lacher. “There are multiple stakeholders with complex interactions that require delicate tradeoffs. The science and practical operational constraints must be fully understood before any mitigation steps can be taken.”

“The time to act is now!” said Ulrich Schumann, from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the German Aerospace Center at the workshop. A sentiment echoed by other participants in attendance.

“Wicked Problems are the bailiwick of System Engineering,” adds System Engineering Department Chair John Shortle. “The complex climate related opportunities cannot be solved by politicians or economists alone. It requires system engineers to fully understand the science and the needs of all the stakeholders involved. Sherry and the team have been applying the latest sophisticated System Engineering methods and techniques to these climate opportunities.”

Sherry and Lacher are optimistic that the workshop will be the first of a series of workshops that will lead to a roadmap of evidence-based activities to take this opportunity to contribute to reduce global warming.

“The time to act is now!” said Ulrich Schumann, from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the German Aerospace Center at the workshop. A sentiment echoed by others who attended the conference.

For more information on System Engineering and climate adaptation research contact John Shortle, chair of the Systems Engineering & Operations Research Department.

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How System Engineering students plan to disrupt air travel with a blimp

Tama Moni — Wed, 18 May 2022 17:42:07 +0000

How System Engineering students plan to disrupt air travel with a blimp Tama Moni Wed, 05/18/2022 - 13:42

In This Story

John Shortle

The air transportation industry is entering a period of disruptive innovation. New composite materials, powerful lighter-weight batteries, and AI are enabling new classes of air vehicle designs.

Hybrid Air Vehicles (Bedford, England) and Mason Systems Engineering students are leading the charge.

“Hybrid Air Vehicles have developed a next-generation blimp using the latest technology,” explains Habiba Salada Systems Engineering major. “The helium in the blimp creates buoyancy that provides the lift force for the aircraft. The use of helium, an inert gas, eliminates the risk of fire such as what happened with the Hindenburg which used hydrogen.”

Hybrid Air Vehicles sponsored a Systems Engineering Capstone team to develop a tool to assess the best seat and payload configuration for their vehicle for routes in the U.S. market.

“The tool models passenger demand and the prices passengers are willing to pay on a specific route, and then compares the revenue to the cost,” says Adam Abu-Jamous Systems Engineering Capstone team lead. “The profit for each route can be estimated for different levels of passenger demand and different vehicle seat and payload configurations.”

The revenue-cost model used by the student team was originally developed by PhD students and faculty in the Center for Air Transportation Systems Research (CATSR) at George Mason University.

“The Hybrid Air Vehicle is best suited to short trips of less than 250 miles such as Washington, D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or New York City,” says System Engineering student Yoseph Attai. “The vehicles do not need an airport. For example, it can lift off and land from water such as National Harbor here in D.C. This eliminates the hassle of an airport. It is much quieter than a jet, and does not emit CO₂.”

System Engineering student Basma Elqadri designed and tested the tool user interface. “The revenue-cost model is quite complicated, so we had to get really creative with the visualization for the user interface. We designed and conducted usability testing on several alternatives before we got it right.”

“Most people take the user interfaces for granted,” says Habiba Salada. “We learned the hard way just how difficult and complicated human-machine interaction can be.”

“We are thrilled with the results of the project,” says Walt Kreitler, Hybrid Air Vehicles representative in the U.S. “Hybrid Air Vehicles have taken delivery of the tool the students developed and plan to use it in design and for business development.”

This System Engineering Capstone team won first place in – the Decision Analysis Track at the 2022 General Donald R. Keith Memorial Capstone Conference held in person at the United States Military Academy on April 28, 2022 “It was a great honor to compete at the conference against some of the best Systems Engineering programs in the country,” says Adam Abu-Jamous. “I would like to thank the SE Department faculty for their support and encouragement over the years.”

“Clearly, the System Engineering students graduating from the George Mason University program are well prepared to be an asset to the workforce,” says Systems Engineering and Operations Research Department Chair John Shortle. To learn more about System Engineering, robotics, and data analytics contact Systems Engineering Department Chair John Shortle (jshortle@gmu.edu).

System Engineering Capstone student Adam Abu-Jamous and System Engineering Department Chair John Shortle.

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systems engineering

Senior Capstone Project

user interface

air travel

System engineering students win award for vertiport design

Martha Bushong — Tue, 11 May 2021 16:06:44 +0000

System engineering students win award for vertiport design Martha Bushong Tue, 05/11/2021 - 12:06

Toavina Ratolojanahary, a senior systems engineering student didn’t know what a vertiport was until his first class in her senior design capstone course. Now he and his team know that a vertiport is an airport designed for aircraft that take off and land vertically.

The team of systems engineering students won first place in the fourth annual Andrew P. Sage Memorial Capstone Design Competition (SMDC-21) held in Fairfax on April 26, 2021. The project, “Design of a Vertiport Traffic Flow Management System,” developed an innovative algorithm to coordinate traffic at a vertiport.

“To overcome road congestion, innovative companies such as Uber and Lilium, are developing an Urban Air Transportation System that flies commuters in metropolitan areas over the rush hour traffic. For example, first-class passengers arriving at Dulles Airport may want to get to their meetings on Capitol Hill, Tysons Corner, or Bethesda in less than 20 minutes,” says Ratolojanahary. "Using new battery-powered helicopters, they would fly from the airport to a landing pad at a vertiport in the urban area.”

“As you would imagine, the vertiport in an urban area is space-constrained but must handle a large volume of traffic,” says system engineering student Betelhem Kebede. “For this reason, the bottleneck in the air traffic flow will be on the ground at the vertiport, not in the air.”

The student team developed an agent-based simulation of traffic at a vertiport.

“The simulation allowed us to test out thousands of configurations to handle all plausible scenarios such as when a helicopter is low on battery and requests an emergency landing,” says systems engineering student Furat Allawi. “There are also cases when a vehicle doesn’t depart on schedule or is stuck on the taxiway. You wouldn’t believe all the things that could happen in such as small space.”

“This was a great project,” says team leader Parul Chabbra. “We spent a lot of time interviewing the stakeholders to understand their points of view and their requirements. Once we had the simulation results we cycled back and reviewed the proposed design with the stakeholders. That was probably the most gratifying part of the project.”

“Participating in the design competitions was also an amazing experience,” says Chabbra. “Teams from all over the county compete. The range of the projects addressed and the ingenuity was inspiring. That made winning the first place even more rewarding.”

“The awards in the competition is evidence of the quality of the systems engineering program here at Mason,” says John Shortle, department chair of systems engineering and operations research. “We challenge the students with a rigorous academic program to prepare them for the real world. Watching them succeed on their capstone courses is very fulfilling.”

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Senior Capstone Project

systems engineering

Applying a systems engineering mindset to political challenges

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 17:14:01 +0000

Applying a systems engineering mindset to political challenges Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/12/2021 - 13:14

College of Engineering and Computing alumna Mary Barthelson is taking her systems engineering and operations research knowledge to the political stage as she challenges Virginia district 36 state delegate Kenneth Plum in the Democratic primary election.

Mary Barthelson is a Mason two-time Mason alumna who hopes to apply her problem-solving knowledge to politics.

Barthelson has always had an interest in politics, but the past few years have opened her eyes to how she can contribute. “Technology has really gotten ahead of us in the past four years; I felt it was a really important time for people that have a technical background to get into politics.”

Barthelson graduated from Mason in 2014 with her bachelor of science in systems engineering and 2017 with her master’s in systems engineering, focusing on operations research.

“I chose operations research because there wasn’t one discipline in particular that I was interested in. I liked looking at things from a very high level to understand the big picture, and I think operations research fit that description the best,” she says.

And now, she wants to apply that big-picture thinking to Virginia state politics. “Systems engineering is the engineering of problem-solving. We learn to use data to work with stakeholders with a wide range of skill sets to design the best solutions to problems. So, I think that having an engineer’s eye to examine policies and communicate them between legislators and the public can help us avoid challenges that states have run into,” says Barthelson.

Currently, Barthelson works at M.C. Dean as a security engineer. She hopes to channel her knowledge to navigate a path for Virginia out of the current challenges the state is facing with technology. “We are seeing the negative effect technology can have on politics when they’re combined, and we need better laws to protect that,” she says.

She wants to address technology challenges, such as deep fake use in politics, the ubiquity of disinformation, and the shift to green energy.

Besides technology, she hopes to address the funding disparities in low-income schools and help low-income people get into the workforce. “I’m a problem solver. I’m always open to new ideas, and at the end of the day, solving the problem for constituents is what really matters,” she says.

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U.S. News ranks two Mason online master’s programs best in Virginia

Melanie Balog — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 22:50:13 +0000

U.S. News ranks two Mason online master’s programs best in Virginia Melanie Balog Mon, 01/25/2021 - 17:50

Editor's note: Earlier versions of this story indicated Mason was first in the state for special education, it is second in the state for that program. We regret the error.

George Mason University has two online graduate programs ranked first in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report, leading the state in curriculum and instruction, and accounting.

Mason’s online graduate programs offer the flexibility that is essential for working professionals who are looking to grow in their careers.

“Through the COVID pandemic, enrollment in online education programs of graduate education has surged, as has the perceived value of these programs for students,” said Provost Mark Ginsberg. “These rankings further affirm the esteem in which our programs are held and is another important indication of their quality.”

Mason’s College of Education and Human Development had several programs highly ranked, with the curriculum and instruction program ranked first in Virginia (tied with UVA), 17th among publics, and 19th overall.

The curriculum and instruction program is designed for students who want to pursue careers in teaching, instructional design, and curriculum development. It offers seven different areas of concentration including teaching, instructional design, and curriculum development. The concentration on blended and online learning for K-12 educators focuses on blending online and face-to-face instruction, teaching and designing fully online courses, or evaluating online educational options—a particularly relevant line of study given the pivot to online learning in many parts of the country as a result of the pandemic.

The master’s in special education ranked second in Virginia, 5th in the country, up ten spots from 2020. The special education master’s program is targeted to both classroom educators and those who work in other special education contexts such as private practice, agencies and home environments. The program ensures these education professionals have the skills and knowledge to support the needs of individuals with disabilities.

Mason is also ranked 12th among public universities, and 13th overall, for its education administration and supervision program in CEHD. The master’s in education programs ranked 41 among public universities and rose to 46 this year overall.

“These programs serve the diverse needs of a broad student population preparing to advance as professional educators,” said Robert E. Baker, CEHD interim dean. “Our students are supported by expert faculty who are renowned for their research and instruction, and our graduates are highly employable as a result.”

Mason’s online master’s of science in accounting was ranked first in Virginia, 26th among public universities, and 38thoverall. The accounting program is focused on developing knowledgeable leaders to overcome the challenges of the future and provide solutions. It offers classes in module format, allowing students to enroll in one or two courses every eight weeks.

“We believe we offer an online experience with a carefully crafted curriculum that gives students advanced analytical, technological, and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in today's accounting profession,” said School of Business Dean Maury Peiperl.

The online accounting program allows students to earn a certificate in one of three specialized areas of accounting. Accounting for government contracts and government accounting both capitalize on Mason’s unique position in the federal government space. The forensic accounting program helps prepare students for the growing demand in this field to work in fields, such as law enforcement, financial institutions, insurance companies, risk consulting and more, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Mason’s master’s in industrial/systems engineering ranked 13th among public institutions and 16th overall nationally. The program helps engineers prepare for technical leadership positions.

Mason’s online master’s programs in information technology ranked 26th among public universities and 37th overall. The master’s program in engineering jumped to 46this year from 65 in 2020.

Mason’s online MBA program, which provides students a diverse skill set and global expertise to apply to a broad range of industries and in-demand leadership opportunities, rose to 111 this year from 123 in 2020.

According to its website, U.S. News ranks programs in five general categories: student engagement, faculty credentials and training, services and technologies that allow students greater flexibility to take classes and labs from a distance, student excellence, and a survey of “high-ranking academic officials.”

Here is a preview of Mason’s rankings for its online master’s programs. It will be updated if additional rankings become available:

MBA

Overall: 111 (up from 123 in 2020)

Veterans programs: 63rd (unranked last year)

Business

Overall: first in Virginia, 26th among public universities, 38th overall

Information Technology

Overall: 26th among public universities, 37th overall

Education

Overall: 41st among public universities, 46th overall (up from 48th last year);

Special Education: 2nd in Virginia, 5th among public universities and also 5th overall (up from 10 last year);

Administration and Supervision: 12th among public universities, 13th overall

Curriculum and Instruction: first in Virginia (tied with UVA), 17th among public universities, 19th overall

Engineering

Overall: 37th among public universities, 46th overall (up from 65th in 2020);

Industrial/systems: 13th among public universities, 16th overall

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Andrew Sage Capstone Competition goes virtual

Martha Bushong — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 13:20:48 +0000

Andrew Sage Capstone Competition goes virtual Martha Bushong Sun, 03/29/2020 - 09:20

Learn More About the Competition

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In keeping with the COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research (SEOR) will keep the Andrew P. Sage Capstone Design Competition virtual on its original date of 27 April 2020. "Instead of a live competition in the Johnson Center as planned, we’ll be using WebEx sessions for each track in the morning and afternoon," says John Shortle, department chair of SEOR.

The competition is a student-focused international forum for the design of complex systems and a leading showcase for undergraduate and graduate (master’s) design projects. Projects may include those from capstone design courses or from baccalaureate, honors, or design-oriented graduate theses. Running the competition will give all participating seniors an opportunity to showcase the culmination of their studies, whether at Mason or at other participating universities.

Format: Each conference track will have its own WebEx session, with sessions in the morning and afternoon. We will provide the links to the various sessions with the electronic program after the papers are submitted (~April 23).

Important Dates: Registration fees are waived and registration deadline is moved to March 27th and the paper submission deadline remains April 20. To facilitate presentation coordination, presentations are due April 25th.

Awards: Best paper awards for each track will still be awarded based on a panel of judges that will be in each WebEx session and announced via email that afternoon.

Sponsors for the event include Boeing, Booz Allen Hamilton, DCWater, General Dynamics, LMI, IBM, Metron Aviation, MITRE, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon.

Learn more about the conference.

Engineering students step up to help others during coronavirus crisis

Nanci Hellmich — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 12:34:08 +0000

Engineering students step up to help others during coronavirus crisis Nanci Hellmich Sun, 03/29/2020 - 08:34

Statistics major Brody Receveur (right) and his parents invited computer science sophomore Nawaf Alshathri to live with them in Hampton, Virginia for the rest of the semester because Alshathri can't make it back to his home in Saudi Arabia.

Mason Engineering students are using their innovative skills to solve more than engineering problems.

They are coming up with creative ways to do random acts of kindness, both big and small, during the coronavirus outbreak.

For example, statistics major Brody Receveur and his family invited computer science sophomore Nawaf Alshathri to stay with them for the rest of the semester.

The students are friends who lived in the same residence hall at Mason. When classes became virtual after spring break, Receveur was at home with his parents in Hampton, Virginia, while Alshathri was on campus because he couldn’t get back to his home in Saudi Arabia.

Receveur asked his parents if Alshathri could come live with them for a while, and they agreed. Receveur returned to the Fairfax Campus to pick up Alsharthri.

Mason Engineering students Brody Receveur (left) and Nawaf Alshathri (center) are spending time with Receveur's parents April and Tim in Hampton, Virginia, while the students finish their courses remotely.

When they’re not taking their classes online or studying, the two have been working out together, walking on the beach, and playing board games with the family.

“I taught him how to make Yankee cornbread and steaks,” says Receveur, an Honors College student. “He’s gardening with my mom (April), and my dad (Tim) is talking to him about the history of our area. My dad wrote a book about it. They talk all the time.”

Alshathri says he’s enjoying his time with the Receveur family. “Tough times make the best qualities of people shine,” he says. “The Receveurs have been caring and kind. They took me in during this period of uncertainty, and they are teaching me valuable life skills. I will have some vegetables that should be grown by the end of the semester, thanks to them.”

He’s also enjoying the family dog, Puzzles, and he enjoys playing with their dog when he is done with his work for the day.

Alshathri says the family living near the beach is a bonus. “You expect to be locked up during quarantine, but the beach is pretty empty, so we can go out and take walks.”

Other members of the Mason Engineering community are finding ways to show kindness to faculty, family, and others while still maintaining social distancing:

Angelica Watson, a senior in mechanical engineering, has been doing random acts of kindness daily, including calling to check on her grandmother.

Reaching out virtually

Angelica Watson, a mechanical engineering senior, has been calling her grandmother every day to check on her. When her grandmother asked why she was calling so often, Watson said to remind her to stay home and be safe.

Watson also has been going to the grocery store to get supplies for her family. “Today when I went looking for some cleaning supplies, there was an older lady in the store who couldn’t reach the bleach on a higher shelf, so I passed her two bottles of it,” she says.

“I also saw a lady looking for toilet paper, and I gave her a pack of wipes that I had picked up. ... It’s the little things that warm people’s hearts.”

Arash Touhidi, a senior in electrical engineering, gave his entire paycheck to a Mason alumna who is struggling financially.

Paying it forward

When Arash Touhidi, a senior in electrical engineering, heard about a Mason alumna/friend who was struggling financially in part due to the coronavirus outbreak, he knew he wanted to help.

“Although it wasn’t much, I gave her the money from my recent paycheck from my work at the Bioinspired Robotics and Intelligent Control Lab so that she can get by,” he says.

“I live with my mom so I don’t have many bills, except for a car payment and insurance” he says.

“I’m still texting with my friend, and we’re offering each other moral support.”

Mechanical engineering major Vineet Nair sent emails to faculty thanking them for preparing for remote classes over the extended spring break.

Sending a word of thanks

Vineet Nair, a senior in mechanical engineering, sent emails to several faculty members and staff thanking them for going the extra mile to make online learning work.

“I can’t imagine how hard it was for them to prepare to do this in a week or so,” he says. “They are trying to give us our money’s worth and give us the tools we need when we graduate.

“I’ve had two or three classes, and there have been some challenges, but overall, it’s going very smoothly. I think what they are doing right now is tremendous.”

Ivory Sarceno, a mechanical engineering major, is sending funny stories to her family in the United States and Guatemala.

Lifting up others with humor

Ivory Sarceno, a senior in mechanical engineering, has been doing her best to stay in touch with her family in Guatemala and the United States while practicing social distancing.

Everyone is stressed out, and during this time laughter is still the best medicine, she says.

“I’ve started a family group chat with 11 members through WhatsApp where my family can share memes and uplifting stories, and most importantly our love and support for each other.”

Systems Engineering senior Jason Nembhard shared safety tips for preventing the coronavirus with a friend who might have been exposed.

Sharing safety insights

Jason Nembhard, a senior in systems engineering, says a friend of his became alarmed when someone in his building in Arlington was diagnosed with COVID-19.

“Naturally, he was stressed about catching the virus,” Nembhard says.

“I reached out to him to talk about what he's going through and suggested ways he can keep himself safe. I was able to pass along the personal safety information I had learned from my mom, who is a nurse at INOVA Fairfax Hospital.”

“He told me thank you, and then he went to work cleaning and disinfecting his apartment,” Nembhard says.

Elizabeth Johnson, an assistant professor in the Department of Statistics, said it made her day when her students wished her "Happy Birthday" in their Blackboard chat.

Brightening a professor's day

When the statistics students in one of assistant professor Elizabeth Johnson’s classes found out that it was her birthday one day recently, they all started writing "Happy Birthday" in the Blackboard chat.

“It was unexpected, and it made my day,” she says.

If you’ve done some random acts of kindness for others and would like to share them, please email your story to Nanci Hellmich.

Stories from throughout the Mason community can be submitted here.

Mason’s online master’s programs rise in U.S. News rankings

Melanie Balog — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 10:00:06 +0000

Mason’s online master’s programs rise in U.S. News rankings Melanie Balog Tue, 01/14/2020 - 05:00

Mason has seven programs ranked in the top 50 of U.S. News & World Report 2020 online program rankings. File photo/Creative Services

George Mason University has some of the nation’s top online programs as evaluated by U.S. News & World Report in its just-released 2020 rankings, with seven programs in the top 50 and several making significant gains over last year.

Mason’s special education master’s program is ranked 10th, up from 16th last year. Its business non-MBA master’s program in accounting is ranked 19th nationally, up from 39th last year and 56th in 2018, and the computer information technology master’s program, at No. 24, is ranked in the top 25 for the third consecutive year.

“Online programs are now mainstream,” said Michelle Marks, Mason’s vice president for academic innovation and new ventures. “Students across the country are increasingly choosing online. Rankings like these are indicators that Mason’s programs are strong, and we are on the right path.”

Other highly ranked Mason master’s programs are industrial/systems engineering (12th and tied with the University of Virginia, Clemson and UCLA), education curriculum and instruction (9th), education administration (11th), education (48th), and engineering (65th).

“The rankings reflect the hard work of our faculty to develop programs that are of high quality and meet the needs of our students and prepare them for success in the classroom while also acquiring the skills for success in in some of the most important fields in education today,” said Mark Ginsberg, dean of Mason’s College of Education and Human Development.

The program making the biggest move is Mason’s online MBA, which is ranked 123rd of 335 programs evaluated after being unranked last year.

“The online option of our MBA is only in its second year, so it’s fantastic we jumped into the U.S. News rankings at No. 123,” said Maury Peiperl, dean of Mason’s School of Business. “Our online MBA offers an identical curriculum to our in-class MBA, which U.S. News ranks 32nd among part-time MBAs. There are many ways students can achieve their academic and professional goals. The rankings demonstrate our commitment, and that of our outstanding faculty and staff, to deliver high-quality programs in formats that are flexible and convenient.”

Mason Engineering student teams capture prizes at second annual Sage Memorial Design Competition

Nanci Hellmich — Wed, 15 May 2019 10:00:04 +0000

Mason Engineering student teams capture prizes at second annual Sage Memorial Design Competition Nanci Hellmich Wed, 05/15/2019 - 06:00

"The quality of the papers was outstanding."

— Tom Clemons, an associate professor of Systems Engineering and Operations Research

Mason Engineering students competed recently at the second annual Andrew P. Sage Memorial Systems Engineering Capstone Design Competition.

Four Mason Engineering student teams received awards for their design projects at the second annual Andrew P. Sage Memorial Systems Engineering Capstone Design Competition, hosted by the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research (SEOR).

The event, held on the Fairfax Campus on April 29, included 30 student teams from four universities.

"The quality of the papers was outstanding," said technical chair Tom Clemons, an associate professor of Systems Engineering and Operations Research. "The student teams tackled difficult real-world problems and came up with innovative solutions."

The winners in each of the tracks were as follows:

Design engineering: “Radiological and Imagery Data Enhanced Reconnaissance Swarm (RAIDERS)” by Hayden Trainor, Nicole Plhamus, Matilda Brady, United States Military Academy, West Point.

Decision support systems: “Chilled Water System Decision Support System” by Kayla Corey, William Harding, Luke Fritzke, Caitlin Johnson, and Naif Alghunaim, George Mason University.

Social impact: “The Relationship between Instagram Usage, Content Exposure, and Reported Self-Esteem" by Marisa Lockhart, University of Virginia.

Cyber engineering: “A Novel Technique for Identifying Geospatial Image Tampering Using Machine Learning” by Stefany Cando, Ashlyn Gill, John Ailes, and Manil Trivedi, George Mason University.

Transportation engineering: “Northeast Corridor Mass Transportation System Analysis” by Natalee Coffman, Yaovi Kodjo, Jacob Noble and Jaehoon Choi, George Mason University.

System process design: “Design of a Systems Engineering Handbook to Integrate Science Experiments with a ThinSat Payload” by Lena S. Elhajj and Raghad G. Alahmadi, George Mason University.

Judging in each of the tracks was conducted by industry and government representatives from more than 13 local system engineering enterprises.

"The judges had a difficult time selecting a clear winner," says Caroline Abramson, a volunteer judge who works as a system engineer at the MITRE Corporation. "We deliberated for an extended period weighing multiple attributes before we could agree."

The students were encouraged to apply the system engineering V (SE-V) to their problems. The SE-V starts with a context analysis and stakeholder analysis to understand the problem.

"Many times, the project sponsors assign problems that are not supported by the data," says conference co-chair George Donohue, a professor emeritus of SEOR. "It is imperative to collect and analyze the data to make the team is working on a real problem."

To complete the SE-V, the students designed, built prototypes or coded simulations of the design, and tested their designs. Finally, the students developed business plans to establish the economic feasibility of the design.

“The students demonstrated that they are ready to enter the workforce and contribute right away without an apprenticeship period,” says conference co-chair Lance Sherry, an associate professor of systems engineering.

The event honors Andrew P. Sage, the founding dean of the Volgenau School, a pioneer in systems engineering, a prolific author, and a dedicated educator.

“A special thank you to all of the faculty and staff at all the universities that make this happen,” says John Shortle, SEOR professor and chair. "The spirit of the students is so uplifting. We plan to keep running the conference until there are no more problems in the world to solve."

"We plan to keep running the conference until there are no more problems in the world to solve."

— John Shortle, chair of the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research

Engineering students’ system helps restore mobility to frozen shoulders

Nanci Hellmich — Tue, 07 May 2019 18:39:12 +0000

Engineering students’ system helps restore mobility to frozen shoulders Nanci Hellmich Tue, 05/07/2019 - 14:39

Five systems engineering seniors developed a system, which includes a wearable device connected to an app, to help patients with frozen shoulder syndrome. Pictured here, left to right back row: Faisal Alharbi, Blaine Lacey, Emmanuel Kwakye-Dompreh. Front row: Will Calaman and Farzad Nikpanjeh.

“This project showcases the power of engineering to improve the quality of life of patients.”

— Lance Sherry, associate professor in systems engineering and operations research.

Five Mason Engineering students have created a system to help patients with frozen shoulder syndrome.

The senior design team's wearable device, which is connected to an app, increases the likelihood that patients will stick with prescribed rehabilitation exercises and improve their quality of life.

“We identified a specific problem for one condition and focused on fixing an aspect that will help a lot of people,” says team leader Farzad Nikpanjeh, a senior in the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research (SEOR).

The group received an Outstanding Project Award at the Volgenau School of Engineering’s Undergraduate Research Celebration, as well as a chance to present their project to the Dean’s Advisory Board. They also finished third at the Patriot Pitch competition.

“This project showcases the power of engineering to improve the quality of life of patients,” says faculty advisor Lance Sherry, an associate professor in systems engineering and operations research.

Frozen shoulder syndrome, a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint, is most common among people ages 40 to 70, especially women. Health care providers prescribe exercises for patients to do at home between physical therapy sessions, but many patients do not comply, says systems engineering senior Will Calaman.

The group devised a system that includes a wearable device that patients put on their upper arm, just above the elbow, to monitor their maximum range of motion and their compliance with their rehabilitation exercises.

The device is connected to an app, which gives the patients directions on how to do the activities and tracks what they have done.

This data can be sent to patients’ health care providers to determine how much progress their patients have made and what exercise they have performed. Based on that information, providers may modify the program.

In theory, the system could save patients money by shortening their recovery time, and getting them back to work sooner, says systems engineering senior Blaine Lacey, an Honors College student. It also could be adapted for rehabilitation exercises for other health conditions.

The seniors tested their system on patients with frozen shoulder syndrome, revising it several times to improve user performance, Calaman says.

Lacey says this was especially important “because we were creating an app, an autonomous device with no human-to-human experience.”

Nikpanjeh says he underestimated how valuable user testing was. “It was a huge eye-opener. You build the system, and you think it’s perfect and makes sense, but people use it in the opposite way you imagined.”

“Engineering solutions for real-world problems are hard, hard work,” Sherry says. “When the students were done designing and implementing, they were not done as engineers. They still had to do the testing to make sure patients could use the app and wear the device.”

The students are considering their options to commercialize the product, he says. “If not, they will pass the project on to the next generation of systems engineering students who can continue the long tradition at Mason Engineering to make the world a better place.”

Other team members: Emmanuel Kwakye-Dompreh and Faisal Alharbi

“We identified a specific problem for one condition and focused on fixing an aspect that will help a lot of people.”

— Farzad Nikpanjeh, systems engineering senior