Nanci Hellmich

Bioengineering senior wants to create assistive technology to help others

Nanci Hellmich — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 19:14:48 +0000

Bioengineering senior wants to create assistive technology to help others Nanci Hellmich Thu, 09/17/2020 - 15:14

“What I like about bioengineering is the understanding of the body through an engineering lens. It expands your perspective on solutions to physiological problems."

— Allison Dockum, a senior in bioengineering

Allison Dockum majored in bioengineering so she can create medical devices that help others. "I would like to work either in industry or research and focus on assistive technology—prosthetics and biomechanical devices," she says.

Senior Allison Dockum is majoring in bioengineering to change lives for the better. She has first-hand experience in the impact of this expertise.

Surgeons and bioengineers “gave me the ability to live a semi-normal life, and I want to do the same for others,” she says.

Dockum, an Honors College student, was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, meaning her left leg was about half the length of her right leg. She underwent multiple limb-lengthening surgeries in which a surgeon cut the bone, then used a device called an external fixator to slowly stretch the limb as new bone formed. Her legs are now about the same length.

“Growing up, I was fascinated by how the fixator worked,” she says, and her surgeon, John Hertzenberg with the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, took the time to explain his work with the surgical tool developed by a Russian physician.

Dockum knew bioengineers also often develop such devices, and her interest in bioengineering was born. “What I like about bioengineering is the understanding of the body through an engineering lens. It expands your perspective on solutions to physiological problems,” she says.

“I would like to work either in industry or research and focus on assistive technology—prosthetics and biomechanical devices. I want a career in developing those products, says Dockum, who is earning a BS in bioengineering in combination with an accelerated master’s degree in data analytics engineering.

She just received a Katona Scholarship for Academic Excellence in Bioengineering, which is awarded to students who have demonstrated strong academic performance, professional leadership within or outside the university, and exceptional promise for a successful bioengineering career that would benefit society.

To prepare for her career, Dockum worked two years as a research assistant in the Biomedical Imaging Lab under the direction of bioengineering professor Siddhartha Sikdar, whose team is seeking a new way to operate prostheses using ultrasound waves to sense muscle activity.

“Dr. Sikdar encouraged me to pursue what I’m passionate about. He has provided help and resources and mentorship,” Dockum says.

Sikdar says, “Allison is an unusually motivated and perseverant student. Since her sophomore year, she has been working in my lab collaboratively with graduate students and postdocs developing data collection and analysis methods for a federally funded study involving upper extremity prosthesis control. I have been impressed with her passion and intellectual curiosity, and I think she has a bright career ahead.”

In the spring of 2020, Dockum was awarded a $1,500 research grant through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program from the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR) to study foot drop, a term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. It’s the sign of an underlying neurological, muscular, or anatomical problem.

It’s sometimes seen in people who have had a stroke, as well as those with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, says Dockum, who has a mild form of muscular dystrophy that impacts some of her day-to-day activities.

Because of the COVID-19 lockdown, she shifted the project to a study of motion data of the walking cycle. She hopes to continue this research while pursuing a doctorate.

For now, Dockum, whose bioengineering concentration is signals and systems, expanded her skills with a summer internship at the Tactical Electronic Warfare Division of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

“In my section, the research focused on how to defend sensitive electronics from electronic attacks. I learned about wave theory with electromagnetics and developed a genetic optimization algorithm for the project I was working on,” she says.

“This internship taught me that even though I have a different career goal, the concepts I’m learning in class apply to a wide range of fields and areas of research,” says Dockum, who still works one day a week for the lab.

Things have a way of coming full circle, and skills she’s learning now could help her in the future.

“I would like to work at the National Institutes of Health one day,” she says. “Their programs and dedication to public health align with my passions.”

“Allison is an unusually motivated and perseverant student. ... I have been impressed with her passion and intellectual curiosity, and I think she has a bright career ahead.”

— Siddhartha Sikdar, professor of bioengineering

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.

Stats student crunches numbers to pave path to success in class and in life

Nanci Hellmich — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 17:41:01 +0000

Stats student crunches numbers to pave path to success in class and in life Nanci Hellmich Thu, 03/12/2020 - 13:41

“I am so happy I’m here. The Stats Department faculty is amazing. There are so many opportunities and contacts at Mason, and there are so many internship opportunities being close to D.C.”

— Brody Receveur, statistics major

Brody Receveur, a statistics major at Mason, is doing a statistical analysis of the needs of refugees in South Sudan for an Honors College research class.

Brody Receveur knew the odds were good he’d major in statistics at Mason, and his first statistics class confirmed it.

“I had Professor (Elizabeth) Johnson for Stat 260. Some of the first words she said were, ‘In statistics, we play in everybody’s sandbox.’

“I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I knew I had found my place,” says Receveur, who’ll graduate in the spring of 2021 with a BS in statistics.

“I am someone who loves to work in everything, and I have a general interest in helping in all ways I can. The statistics degree provides me a platform to do that on an advanced level.”

He’s going full-steam ahead, inside and outside the classroom.

An Honors College student, Receveur works as a peer mentor for Mason Engineering, serves as co-president of Mason chapter of the American Statistical Association, and in April, he’ll participate in the DC DataFest, a weekend-long data competition in which teams of undergraduates work around the clock to find and share meaning in a large, rich, and complex data set.

He’s also doing a statistical analysis of the needs of refugees in South Sudan for an Honors College research class. His data analysis includes a breakdown of non-food needs, such as emergency shelters and mosquito nets.

To make the data easier to understand, he taught himself geographic information systems, a graphic framework for gathering, managing, and analyzing data.

He says the project is still in its infancy as he works on determining what information will be the most useful for peacemaking in South Sudan. “The whole point of the project is to help as many people as possible,” he says.

Johnson, an assistant professor in the Department of Statistics, says, “Brody is an exceptional student scholar. He loves the research process. He will be attending a highly selective statistical genetics and biostatistics summer research program at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, and also hopes to complete a fall semester abroad at Oxford.”

Receveur’s life is so tightly packed, he has a schedule in his smartphone for every hour of his day. “I’m not someone who is a fan of being bored.”

To balance his number-crunching life, he decompresses by lifting weights, doing Muay Thai kickboxing, cooking, playing guitar, praying, meditating, and playing board games with friends.

Receveur from Fredricksburg, Virginia, says the university has been a great fit for him. When trying to decide between Mason, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech—he was accepted by all three—he set up a mathematical model to predict which would work best for him.

“I did a weighting system where I weighted different variables in different contexts. After I did the math and Mason won, I breathed a sigh of relief and said to myself, ‘If I knew I wanted to go to Mason, why did I do that?’ ”

No matter how he arrived at his decision, he says, “I am so happy I’m here. The Stats Department faculty is amazing. There are so many opportunities and contacts at Mason, and there are so many internship opportunities being close to D.C.”

Mason is giving him the chance to do what he likes best. “I’m always thinking about numbers, ideas, and big concepts, as well. My brain doesn’t stop.”

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

Mason junior lands precision flying award at an event in France

Nanci Hellmich — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 15:43:22 +0000

Mason junior lands precision flying award at an event in France Nanci Hellmich Mon, 10/22/2018 - 11:43

Junior Amy Rose, who got her private pilot's license through Mason Engineering's aviation flight training minor, participated in a prestigious program in France where young pilots did daily aviation competitions and demonstrations. She's pictured here with Jean-Luc Charron, president of the Fédération Française Aéronautique.

Amy Rose came to Mason with a clear direction—to study aviation, engineering, and geography and become a pilot.

But the junior never dreamed that having her private pilot’s license and being fluent in French would land her a spot in a prestigious event in France.

Rose, 20, was selected as the U.S. representative to the HOP! Tour des Jeunes Pilotes, a two-week, all-expense-paid summer program that gives young pilots a chance to participate in daily aviation competitions and demonstrations. She was one of 45 pilots in the bi-annual event, sponsored by several associations and France’s aeronautic federation.

“I would rather have participated in this program than won the lottery because the experience was priceless,” says Rose, a geography major who earned her pilot’s license through Mason Engineering’s aviation flight training and management minor. She’s also minoring in Systems Engineering and Operations Research (SEOR) and is a member of the Honors College.

During the summer program, she captured first place in a precision flying event, which measured altitude, speed, flight path, and other factors. “They put transponders inside the cockpit, and they logged everything,” she says. “We made flight plans, and they compared our track with what we initially planned.”

One of the biggest challenges was flying an aerobatic aircraft for the first time with help from a special instructor. “It’s very different from a regular plane because it has more capabilities. I was sitting in a tiny little plane wearing a parachute.”

Another first was flying that plane upside down. “I was so nervous before that flight, but it was amazing.”

It wasn’t easy to fly in a different country in an unfamiliar plane while speaking a second language, but the experience was worth it.

“My horizons just completely opened up having seen how aviation works in a foreign country, where their licensing is top tier,” says Rose, who speaks five languages. She grew up speaking English and Hebrew at home, learned Spanish in high school, taught herself French and Portuguese, and is studying Chinese now.

Rose, trained by Aviation Adventures in Manassas, is laser-focused on aviation. She co-founded Mason’s Aerospace Engineering Club, and she explains how planes and rockets work at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly.

She’d like to fly for NASA or a major airline and is considering becoming a linguist or interpreter.

SEOR Associate Professor Lance Sherry, director of the Center for Air Transportation Systems Research, says the aviation minor gives students a significant competitive advantage when pursuing employment with airlines, airports, and air traffic control. “Students gain practical skills to get a pilot’s license, as well as experience a diversified curriculum from aerodynamics to weather to human decision-making.”

Rose says having a pilot’s license is already opening many doors, including internships and future jobs. “I wouldn’t be the pilot I am today without Mason.”

"I would rather have participated in this program than won the lottery because the experience was priceless."

— Amy Rose, Mason junior

First Mason Engineering statistics seniors share common denominators

Nanci Hellmich — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 17:10:48 +0000

First Mason Engineering statistics seniors share common denominators Nanci Hellmich Wed, 10/03/2018 - 13:10

"I have grown to love telling a story with data. I love being able to take a collection of data, figure out what it's saying, and quantify how much we can rely on what it's saying."

— Charis Vaseghi, statistics major

"Statistics' versatility is powerful, and in today's world, data is limitless. The world is going to need those who know what to do with all this data."

— Tammy Bui, statistics major

"Statistics and mathematics are super important in our everyday lives, whether we are checking weather predictions or counting down the days until the next Game of Thrones episode."

— Nhi Ngo, statistics major

"The more statistics classes I took, the more interested I became. There is so much more to it than just finding the 'P' value. I like problem-solving."

— Dillon Weier, statistics major

Dillon Weier, Nhi Ngo, Charis Vaseghi, and Tammy Bui will be the first four students to graduate this spring with bachelor's degrees in statistics from Mason Engineering's Department of Statistics. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Statistics major Nhi Ngo plans to use her data analytics skills in the food industry. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Statistics students Dillon Weier, Tammy Bui, Nhi Ngo, and Charis Vaseghi, have several common denominators:

They will be the first four students to graduate this spring with the new bachelor of science in statistics degree, which Mason Engineering's Department of Statistics began offering in fall 2017.
All four changed their majors when the new program was announced.
They believe their degrees will increase their odds of finding rewarding careers.
They’re cramming in three or four classes this semester and next, including their senior design project class, to finish their degrees on schedule.

Although they have a lot in common, each is pursuing this new major with different career goals in mind.

When Weier came to Mason, he planned to major in criminology in hopes of fulfilling his dream of working for the FBI. A statistics class inspired him to fine-tune that plan.

“The more statistics classes I took, the more interested I became,” the senior says. “There is so much more to it than just finding the ‘P’ value. I like problem-solving.”

Weier switched his major to statistics with a minor in criminology. His new goal: become a data analyst for the FBI or another crime-fighting group.

Bui’s original major was global affairs with a minor in statistics. She planned to become a diplomat. After taking a few stats classes, she realized the skills she was learning “could be applied anywhere.” She flipped her major and minor and wants to do data analysis work in global communications or social media.

“Statistics’ versatility is powerful, and in today’s world, data is limitless,” says Bui, an Honors College student. “The world is going to need those who know what to do with all this data.”

Ngo’s goal is to combine her interest in the food industry with her passion for big data. Last summer, she worked as a data intern doing sales analysis for CAVA, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant. She switched her major from math to statistics.

“Statistics and mathematics are super important in our everyday lives, whether we are checking weather predictions or counting down the days until the next Game of Thrones episode,” Ngo says. “Statistics is so interesting to me because you can create so many stories out of data."

Charis Vaseghi, an Honors College student majoring in statistics, planned to pursue a degree that “required minimal math," but she found she loves telling a story with data. Photo by Evan Cantwell

Vaseghi agrees. “I have grown to love telling a story with data,” she says. “I love being able to take a collection of data, figure out what it’s saying, and quantify how much we can rely on what it’s saying.”

She planned to pursue a degree that “required minimal math,” majoring in public administration at first, then briefly in economics. Ultimately, statistics proved to be the right fit.

Vaseghi, who is also an Honors College student, believes she can apply her degree in any field—biology, banking, finance, industry—anywhere there is a need for “competent, ethical people” to interpret data.

"These students illustrate the diverse applications of statistics and data analytics in today’s workplace," says Elizabeth Johnson, assistant professor of statistics and the bachelor’s degree program coordinator.