Poster showcase and ice cream social celebrates engineering undergraduate research
On August 17, McMaster Engineering undergraduate research assistants shared the results from the research projects they have been working on this past summer at the Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Showcase and Ice Cream Social.
Hosted in partnership by Engineering Co-op and Career Services and the Undergraduate Student Research in Engineering Club, 28 students presented on topics that ranged from advancing a computational model of the cardiovascular system to better diagnose and treat patients, to creating a lighter weight industrial material to improve auto efficiency. The event not only celebrated research accomplishments but it also a helped students enhance their professional skills.
Read about the innovative research projects and experiences from some of our students:
| Names and Programs: (From L to R) Menatalla Ibrahim, Electrical Engineering; Abigail Veneman, Mechanical Engineering & Society; Jacob Dudalski, Mechanical Engineering; Melissa Baiocchi, Mechanical Engineering & Society
Project: Under the supervision of Zahra K. Motamed, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, this collaborative research group is advancing a computational model of the cardiovascular system to better diagnose and treat patients. Fusing two fields of study: “I really loved connecting engineering and medicine. We can use our engineering thinking and skills to work in medicine, even though we’re not in medical school. We’re still making a huge contribution.” – Menatalla Ibrahim |
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Name and Program: Kaylie Lau, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering
Project: Lau discovered that starch nanoparticle hydrogels allowed soybean plants to retain more moisture. This discovery could ensure plants remain healthy while being transported over a long period of time. It also allows for safer delivery of fertilizers and fungicides to plants. New research possibilities: “This was the first time I did research in a lab and it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot about the different ways research can be applied and now I’m thinking about pursuing this type of research after my undergrad.” |
| Names and Programs: (From L to right) John Vairo, Mechanical Engineering; Seamus Ingram, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering; and Nazrin Azeez, Health Sciences
Project: Working alongside Todd Hoare, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, this research team is creating nanoparticles to make drug delivery safer, faster and more efficient for diseases such as cancer. Understanding research language: “Being able to understand scientific reading and technical writing has really helped me move forward. This is something that I can keep using and it will continue to contribute to my success.” – Seamus Ingram |
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Name and Program: Roberta Dolling-Boreham, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering
Project: Roberta has created a new, integrated approach to learning to help first year students in the Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences program better understand and apply the content they learn. Students will work on year-long, hands-on projects that combine content from four core first year courses to produce real-world results. A passion project: “When I get to be part of creating something I believe in it really makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something. I am able to encourage students to learn something important.” |
| Name and Program: Erin Butt, Materials Science & Engineering
Project: Erin is experimenting with magnesium to create a more lightweight, sustainable and efficient material for industrial applications. This material could be used in the automotive industry to decrease the amount of emissions required to run vehicles. Applying new discoveries: “I learned more than I ever could have imagined. I was able to learn how to use an x-ray machine and how to truly analyze data. I will apply everything I learned to my future classes.” |
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