Engineers' Forum February 2021

Engineers’ Forum FEBRUARY 2021

VOLUME 42 NUMBER 1

VIRGINIA TECH’S PREMIER STUDENT-RUN ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

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Photo / CAMEO

On the Cover CareerFest Interviews

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CAMEO CareerFest Soumya Khanna

Association for Women in Computing (AWC) Dianna Kim

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Hybrid Electric Vehicles Team (HEVT) Isabella Bartolome

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New Majors in Mechanical Engineering Adeline Ghosh

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The Women of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering Sumaiya Haque

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Happy New Year!

Our team hopes you are having a great start to the spring semester and continuing to stay healthy. We’re glad you’re able to find time outside of virtual learning to pick up a copy of our February issue.

With the CAMEO CareerFest coming up on February 15, Soumya Khanna captures the minority engineering organizations and staff who work behind-the-scenes to organize the virtual event on Brazen.

Dianna Kim dives deeper into one of the CAMEO organizations, Association for Women in Computing (AWC), and places emphasis on their inclusive computing and hackathon events.

Continuing our Ware Lab team spotlight, Isabella Bartolome interviews the Project Manager of the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) to give you a deeper look into their design and competition processes.

Interested in learning what new majors are offered in the mechanical engineering department? Adeline Ghosh showcases the impact of these majors by providing several student perspectives.

Advocating for the powerful women within the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, Sumaiya Haque highlights students who have made a unique impact in their respective domains.

Enjoy.

Until the April issue,

Julia A. Pimentel Editor-in-Chief

**Photos shown throughout this issue may have been taken prior to COVID-19 and Virginia Tech’s recommended best practices, including wearing masks, and social distancing.**

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Engineers’ Forum Editor-in-Chief Creative Director Chief Copy Editor Managing Editor Business Manager Social Media Managers

Writers

Photography Team

Design Team

Faculty Advisors

Julia A. Pimentel - Materials Science and Engineering (‘22) RJ Weaver - Industrial Design (‘22) Dianna Kim - Public Relations, Professional and Technical Writing (‘22) Alexander Petsopoulos - Aerospace Engineering (‘22) Soumya Khanna - Computer Science (‘21) Jessica Barbish - Mechanical Engineering (‘22) Mehak Kamal - Computer Science (‘22) Jessica Barbish - Mechanical Engineering (‘22) Isabella Bartolome - Electrical Engineering (‘21) Kashyap Bhatt - Mechanical Engineering (‘22) Christine Dinh - Professional and Technical Writing (‘23) Fatemah Ebrahim - M.S. Civil Engineering (‘20) Adeline Ghosh - General Engineering (‘24) Sumaiya Haque - Industrial Systems Engineering, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (‘23) Maaz Hasan - Mechanical Engineering (‘23) Mehak Kamal - Computer Science (‘22) Soumya Khanna - Computer Science (‘21) Alexander Petsopoulos - Aerospace Engineering (‘22) Julia A. Pimentel - Materials Science and Engineering (‘22) Meredith DePuy - General Engineering (‘24) Maaz Hasan - Mechanical Engineering (‘23) Sean Stroud - WIldlife Conservation (‘22) RJ Weaver - Industrial Design (‘22) Hayley Stout - Industrial Design (‘22) Sumaiya Haque - Industrial Systems Engineering, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (‘23) Linda Hazelwood Alex Parrish

@vtengineers_forum

(Background) Parts from Randolph Hall Photo / Kendal Price

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Virginia Tech - Engineers’ Forum

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Photos / Sean Stroud

(1) Hahn Horticulture Garden on Virginia Tech’s campus comes alive in the springtime, with vibrant tulip fields providing a great place for students to relax.

(2) The Virginia Tech campus glistens at sunset under a new layer of snow.

(3, 4) Views from inside the raptor observatory at Hanging Rock. This building was originally used as a fire watch tower, but has since been repurposed for recreational bird watching.

(5.) McAfee’s Knob is one of the most popular hikes among Virginia Tech students, and the sunrises from the top are hard to beat!

With the trailhead about 30 minutes from campus and views like this, it is easy to see why this hike is a favorite in No. the area.

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CAMEO

CareerFest Article /

Soumya Khanna (‘21)

Council for the Advancement of Minority Engineering Organizations (CAMEO) is an umbrella organization for the minority engineering organizations at Virginia Tech. CAMEO provides funding and scholarships and organizes the CareerFest career fair during the spring semester. This student-run organization provides help and support to peers so they can meet their career goals and aspirations.

This umbrella organization is made up of five organizations: Association of Women in Computing (AWC), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

CAMEO CareerFest.

(Photo taken prior to the COVID pandemic) Photo / CAMEO

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1. Valeria Lebron, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) 2. Leo Olivera, Society of Hispanic

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Professional Engineers (SHPE) 3. Ashita Anuga, Association of Women in Computing (AWC) 4. Nonso Onyia, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 5. Betelhem Demissie, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 6. Julia Pimentel, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) 7. Anvitha Anumolu, Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Dr. Bevlee Watford, Associate Dean for Equity and Engagement, is responsible for the recruitment and retention of diverse students, both undergraduate and graduate. The office for Equity and Engagement includes a wide array of programs such as C-Tech^2, Galipatia, Peer Mentoring, and STEP developed and implemented for pre-college students as well as programs supporting the academic, professional, and personal development of current students.

CAMEO is a group of member organizations with the goal to increase their representation in the field of engineering. “CareerFest was created almost a year after CAMEO was formed and was the glue that joined the member organizations,” Dr. Watford recalls. The then SHPE President and SEC Engineering Expo Chair, Monique Jackson brought in the knowledge and resources for organizing the student-run CareerFest. Though being a dominantly student-run career fair, the office of the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED) became a part of the CAMEO due to the lack of infrastructure.

Due to COVID-19, the CareerFest career fair will be held virtually on February 15, 2021. The committee of CAMEO representatives along with Dr. Watford and Taylor Cupp meet on a need-basis to plan the CareerFest. The member organizations are also plan-

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Dr. Bevlee Watford

ning to collaborate for professional development events and workshops before the career fair.

Taylor Cupp, Assistant to the Director of CEED, helps run the CAMEO CareerFest and organizes the Dean’s Team. With an experience of 8 years in running career fairs for the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech, Taylor is looking forward to the virtual CareerFest being run via Brazen.

Taylor Cupp

CareerFest is historically held in-person and had a total of 104 companies in attendance last year. In the previous years, about 1700 students attended the career fair. However, this year the committee is working towards providing a better experience to all attendees. Understanding student complaints from Engineering Expo, Brazen added new features that enable attendees to see their position in line and give an estimated waiting time. Student registration will begin at the start of February via Brazen. So far, about 60 companies have registered to attend the career fair.

Each CAMEO member organization is responsible for separate tasks that are essential to the success of the CareerFest. Due to the shift from in-person to a virtual setting of the career fair, a majority of tasks have been changed. However, the CAMEO committee has adapted very well and is preparing to provide the attendees with a comfortable experience despite the challenges.

Valeria Lebron, Vice President Internal for SHPE, and Leo Olivera, SEC representative for SHPE, are responsible for creating a guidebook for CareerFest.

Being a professional organization, SHPE organizes events such as mock interviews, resume reviews, and company events to help prepare its members for the career fairs.

The guidebook will provide an overview of how everything works for both employers and students.

CareerFest means a lot to SHPE members as the employers are specifically looking for students from the member organizations and giving them the representation they’re looking for.

rently looking into masks for students as a form of advertising and planning events to increase student registration in communities like Galipatia. AWC provides support to its members by sharing professional development opportunities and preparing them for virtual or in-person career fairs. CareerFest provides opportunities for networking and preparing students for the upcoming career fairs as well. It is helpful to have a career fair for the minority student population as AWC’s mission is to promote the recruitment and retention of women in the tech industry.

Nonso Onyia and Betelhem Demissie, Senators for NSBE, are responsible for creating a resume book.

The resume book will be sent to the companies prior to the CareerFest. “Having a career fair geared towards minority organizations is very important as it provides good exposure for our members”, said Nonso Onyia. Although the majority of recruitment takes place in the fall, CareerFest has its own merits.

It provides students with a different avenue to search and network for internships and jobs.

Julia Pimentel, External Vice President for SASE, is responsible for organizing informational sessions that are aimed at preparing students to succeed at the career fair. These sessions such as interview preparation, resume review, and elevator pitch preparation will be held by the CAMEO member organizations as an interconnected and collaborative effort. With an emphasis in the field of computer science and electrical and computer engineering, SASE has students from a variety of backgrounds. Since the CareerFest is held in the spring, it gives students another opportunity to network and improve their representation in the field.

Check out cameo.vt.edu for more information.

If you have any questions about the CAMEO CareerFest, please feel free to reach out to:

cameo.vt@gmail.com

Ashita Anuga, CAMEO chair for AWC, is responsible for advertising for the CareerFest. She is cur-

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The Association for Women in Computing at Virginia Tech Article /

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Dianna Kim (‘22)

Women in Computing Day participants engaging in an exciting workshop. (Photo taken prior to the COVID pandemic) Photo / Association for Women in Computing

What is your name, major, and role?

Asha Cheruvu: I am Asha Cheruvu! I was a double major in computer science and computational modeling and data analytics. I’m coming back this spring semester as a Master of Engineering student in computer science with a concentration in data analytics in machine learning. I am the Vice President of AWC this year. I’m in charge of coordinating our meetings and helping the president in whatever way I can.

Ashita Anuga: My name is Ashita Anuga. I am a computer science major and I am a sophomore at Virginia Tech. My role in AWC is the CAMEO chair! I am responsible for representing my organization.

What is AWC and the organization’s mission?

C: It’s a club for everyone! The goal is to promote women on the same level as men when it comes to different STEM careers and industries. Our big mission is to level the playing field and put us on the map the same way men are and find opportunities that will help us grow in our careers, and just support other women in that particular endeavor.

A: It stands for the Association of Women in Computing, but anyone can join! You just have to support women in tech and the overall mission is to promote more women going into tech. To do this, we hold

a lot of general body meetings. We also have networking opportunities, and if you join as a member we give you opportunities to hear from companies.

Connections essentially get you into this male-dominated industry.

Why should students get involved in AWC? C: It’s a great club for anyone and everyone! We have people that aren’t even STEM majors that are in the club because they want to see the initiatives that are out there for women to advance their careers.

We have company meetings, and networking and mentorship opportunities, so you can connect with upperclassmen and people of different majors. We also have this very inclusive nature — we’ve had men on our board of officers in the past as well. We’ve had men attend our meetings because of the sheer amount of opportunities that we get, and all the companies that really want to connect with us.

A: I joined AWC last year as a freshman. I also joined a lot of female-empowering organizations, like Hypatia. In my case, AWC was the best fit for me because it focused on computing. As a computer science major, the opportunities that I got were a lot more focused on my field. These kinds of organizations are where you get to meet a lot of people who are just like you. It tends to be awkward and a little more difficult to make the same connections with your male peers when you’re walking into the classroom and

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there are like 60 dudes and just three girls. So getting yourself a network of women around you who are going through the same thing as you is very important.

What is one big standout event that AWC holds?

C: A big event is Women in Computing Day. We host that around maybe March or April and it’s more of an outreach event for middle school girls. We rent out the CRC and have around four different workshops for the girls to participate in. It’s a great opportunity for them to learn about different computing topics that they probably otherwise wouldn’t have. In the past, we’ve introduced cryptography, robotics, animation, circuitry, programming. These workshops are often either conducted by our members or a professor that we have been working with for a long time.

A: We host HackViolet, which used to be called SheHacks. Anyone can join this competition, but it focuses on female empowerment! This was actually my first hackathon. I think it was intimidating to get into it, especially as a freshman when you don’t know anything, but I had a great experience even though I didn’t do a project. It’s great for networking and if you want to do a project, that’s even better.

Tell me more about AWC’s plans for the upcoming spring semester!

C: We have a presentation scheduled with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. They’re going to be presenting on women in STEM and on the reasons why women are such a minority in that particular field. We’re excited to speak to them about our mission statement and get a deeper understanding of how it works. We also have a couple of things coming up with Capital One. We’re also hoping to add a research panel as well to cater to those who might want to get into undergraduate research.

A: During the fall semester, we were trying to see how it would go with doing more technically focused meetings instead of professional development like we’ve done in the past and it’s worked out pretty well. We’ve gotten good feedback! So, we’re thinking about carrying forward with that more in the spring.

But for now, it’s just mostly trying to get more people to sign onto Zoom meetings and changing the direction to professional development and technically focused meetings that are hosted and co-hosted by industry professionals.

SheHacks 2020, now known as HackViolet, participants working hard on their projects. (Photo taken prior to the COVID pandemic) Photo / Association for Women in Computing

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What is your favorite memory from your time at AWC?

A Women in Computing Day participant explores the wonders of a virtual reality headset. (Photo taken prior to the COVID pandemic) Photo / Association for Women in Computing

C: I was previously the Women in Competing Day co-chair for a couple of years. Part of that day includes having to go out and snacks for all the kids.

I remember going to Walmart with my co-chair and filling up two whole carts of chips, soda, juice boxes, and candy! I remember on the day of the event we were arranging everything, and when it was time for snacks the kids’ eyes grew wide. I was in that position for two years because it’s a cause so close to my heart. It was a great experience just watching the kids go wild and have a good time doing the workshops. I love that event.

A: My favorite memory from AWC is my first hackathon. I was reluctant to go but I messaged the officer who was in charge and she was giving me all the information that I needed. I didn’t know anything because I was a freshman, but these two senior girls kind of adopted me, which was nice. They were talking to me and giving me advice about computer science. Although I didn’t do a project that year, I still got to talk to different people from different companies and partake in all of that good networking stuff.

It was a great experience because I wasn’t expecting it to go that way at all. Even though I didn’t like do a project, it was fine because it let me comfortably dip my toes into the water when it came to hackathons!

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Ware Lab Series:

Hybrid Electric Vehicle Article /

Isabella Bartolome (‘21)‘

What is your name, major, and role?

My name is Dan Harvey, I am a second-year master’s student in Mechanical Engineering, and I am the Project Manager for HEVT; I joined the team in the fall of 2017. As Project Manager, I organize the entire team. I coordinate communication between the undergraduate students and our industry sponsors, as well as address all scheduling needs. I am also the oversight of our sub-teams, so I allocate any resources or materials that they may need and I assist the sub-team leaders when needed.

What is Hybrid Electric Vehicle?

We are an advanced engineering design team that has been a part of Virginia Tech for about 25 years and is comprised of about 70-80 undergraduate and graduate students. Our team competes in Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions, which are sponsored by General Motors, the United States Department of Energy, and MathWorks. This competition series tasks universities across North America with overcoming challenges that surround the automotive and technology industries.

Currently, we are in the EcoCar Mobility Challenge; it is a four-year advanced engineering competition that tasks twelve universities across North America with hybridizing a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. The main goal of the competition is to ultimately reduce energy consumption, integrate advanced propulsion systems and connect it with automated vehicle technology (e.g., sensors and cameras), integrate communication components that allow the vehicle to communicate with other vehicles and features in its environment (e.g., traffic lights and pedestrians), all while ensuring safety and consumer appeal.

(Photo taken prior to the COVID pandemic) Photo / Jacob Levin

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Why should students get involved with HEVT and what are some of the benefits of being on the team?

Students should get involved with HEVT because we offer them the ability to experience something they would not typically have the opportunity to do. We have very deep connections in the industry, and the competition series we participate in was founded to give students more relevant experience that will make them stronger candidates for when they apply for jobs. Ultimately, we are looking for students who are motivated on the project so they can become stronger candidates when they pursue their own careers after they graduate.

Besides the job aspect, we offer a variety of experiences to students who are interested in challenging themselves by working on a vehicle and learning about vehicle autonomy or sensor fusion in the process; I think this is very exciting at the undergraduate level. Everyone gets a lot of academic experience in the classroom, and it can be somewhat hard or intimidating to branch out and experience something different, but our project is very exciting, so we can certainly offer a lot of opportunities to students who get involved.

Another benefit to joining HEVT is all the great experience working with different kinds of software and hardware, which is directly relevant to many different industries. Working on our team does not silo you to just go into the automotive industry because a lot of the work we do is relevant in the engineering industry in general. In addition, being on HEVT provides a lot of great experience working on a team and challenging yourself to work through problems that you likely have not faced before.

How can students get involved with HEVT? Before the pandemic, we would encourage students to come out to the Ware Lab to volunteer and see what our team does. We are unable to do that at the moment, but interested students are encouraged to reach out to us via email at hevt@vt.edu. There, we can give students more information or direct them to someone on our team who can better answer questions and motivate them to join. We also try to send out recruitment emails to all the engineering majors; this typically happens at the middle of each semester, so we try to encourage students to keep their eyes peeled around that time to learn more about

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Team photo taken prior to the COVID pandemic Photo / Jacob Levin

who we are and to apply if they are interested. This semester, we will begin recruitment sometime in March.

Our application asks the students questions about their experience, why they are interested in joining, and to attach their resume as well. Team leadership will review the applications and we then select candidates for interviews. We have a formal interview process that is now conducted over Zoom, and the goal is to find interested and motivated students who are willing to challenge themselves; we are not necessarily looking for people who have a ton of experience. After the interview process, we then select candidates to join the team.

Do you have to be a specific major or grade to join?

Not at all! We encourage students across the entire university to join the team, so anyone from any major or any grade is welcome to reach out and get involved. Our new team members take an independent study course in the Mechanical Engineering department that we teach, so we do tend to recruit more sophomores and juniors since their schedules are more flexible regarding when they can take it. Juniors are also able to take the course for credit, so we can give students the opportunity to complete their degree requirements across all the engineering majors. We can also grant students credit for their senior design, which is very exciting because not only are you part of a team working on projects and tasks, but you can also finish your undergraduate degree in the process.

Juniors tend to reap the most benefits because they can receive these credit hours, but this does not mean we exclude other students from joining.

We typically recruit many Mechanical Engineers since our team is rooted in Mechanical Engineering and it is a very big department. We also have a lot of electrical engi-

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neers, computer engineers, and computer science majors on the team because we are working on a lot of sensor fusion and vehicle autonomy. We also have a communications team, including one to two people majoring in communications or public relations.

The communications team assists us with a lot of our outreach events. We do a lot of community service, including reaching out to local schools, organizing different kinds of educational events through Virginia Tech and other organizations, and the communications team helps us coordinate all of those.

How long have you been the Project Manager of HEVT and what drew you to the position?

This is my second year as the Project Manager for HEVT. I will be graduating in May, so someone new will be taking my place, which is very exciting. When the spot for Project Manager opened for the first year I would be entering graduate school, Dr. Nelson and I had a few meetings and decided the position would be a good fit for me and, after two years, I would definitely say it was.

I have learned a lot as Project Manager and I am extremely grateful to all the undergraduate students who have been a part of the team. It is always a lot of fun working with everyone on the team because you get to form a personal connection with all the members. Since you are all working on the same project for two years or so, it is very exciting to see everyone grow as they move through college. Our industry sponsors have also been very kind, gracious, and generous, so I have been very grateful to have this opportunity and it has been a lot of fun these past two years.

What is the design/competition process for HEVT? Currently, we are competing in the EcoCar Mobility Challenge; it is a four-year competition and we are in year three. Year one was focused on the design and component selection of the vehicle. Once you are given a stock vehicle and a list of very general requirements to meet, you have to go into CAD software and design the system, conduct market research, select components, and decide how to put everything together so you are prepared to build in year two.

Before COVID-19, year two involved building the vehicle up to baseline functionality. Years two and three are usually coupled together, so we are still finishing

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a lot of the integration, and we will shortly move on to vehicle testing and initial refinement to ultimately get our hybrid system to be functional. A functional hybrid system typically includes a conventional mode, meaning that the vehicle can drive with its normal engine, a motor, and battery pack to propel the vehicle or both combined together. This is the biggest hurdle, developing a robust hybrid strategy.

Year four involves the final refinement of the vehicle, including fixing up any remaining issues or optimization problems with the propulsion system and really pushing the connectivity and autonomy aspects. By the end of this year, we should have baseline longitudinal autonomy, so the vehicle can slow down if another is approaching or speed up if it is tracking another car. By year four, we are also supposed to have accomplished autonomous lane change, so the vehicle should be able to change lanes by itself.

It is also supposed to have more driver monitoring features, as well as more robust communication between other vehicles and infrastructure.

There is a competition at the end of every year. Right now, we are hoping that we will still have our competition in May. Each year, it is held in a different location in the United States, so year one, the competition was in Atlanta, Georgia, and year two was supposed to be in Yuma, Arizona. At each compe-

tition, we go out to a test track with all the other universities and our vehicles and drive them over different kinds of tests and events. We then present our vehicle and how we performed to a panel of judges, who select a winner. The winners earn trophies, and the sponsors also award money to assist the schools with the next year of competition.

Virginia Tech has done well at these competitions. Unfortunately, there was no competition during year two due to the pandemic, which is why we hope to have our competition this year. In year one, we won second place overall which was very exciting, so we are hoping to continue that legacy. In the past competition series, we have consistently ranked in the top five. It is always exciting to spend so much time on something and finally see things work at the end of the year.

What is the best thing/favorite moment you have gotten out of HEVT?

(Photo taken prior to the COVID pandemic) Photo / Jacob Levin

My favorite moment was probably being in Atlanta for year one competition when we placed second. A lot of work goes on during the year and especially during that week at competition; you do not sleep a whole lot since you are preparing for presentations as well as practicing and refining things, so it was really gratifying to place.

We knew we were neck and neck with a few schools, so it was very exciting to go up on that stage, accept the award, and thank everyone.

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(Photo taken prior to the COVID pandemic) Photo / Jacob Levin

Any last thoughts for potential team members?

Take the risk or opportunity to explore what you think you would be interested in. It does not have to be HEVT; it can be anything. As an undergraduate student, HEVT really engaged me outside of the classroom, which I am extremely grateful for. It has been an absolutely incredible experience, so I would definitely encourage students to look for something that they are passionate about because college is a great time to expose yourself to different kinds of experiences or opportunities.

I would also like to thank everyone who has been a part of the team and who I have had the privilege to work with, from Dr. Nelson to all of our undergraduate team members. It has been a fantastic experience and they do a lot of great work.

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(Photos taken prior to the COVID pandemic) Photos / Jacob Levin

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THE WOMEN

OF VIRGINIA TECH’S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Article /

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Sumaiya Haque (‘23)

Engineers’ Forum | www.ef.org.vt.edu

Three Hokie engineers (from left to right) Victoria Hardy, Ashley Girod, and Kimberly Ikediobi.

According to the Office of Analytics and Institutional Effectiveness at Virginia Tech, only 21 percent of the incoming freshmen at the College of Engineering are identified as female. Considering that Virginia Tech “supplies more than 50 percent of the engineers to Virginia’s workforce,” the importance of increasing representation is clear now more than ever. Yet, there are countless women at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering that have overcome societal limitations and have broken the glass ceiling.

No matter how determined, it would be impossible to capture all the grace and excellence of every high-achieving, female, engineering Hokie one short article, but Victoria Hardy, Ashley Girod, and Kimberly Ikediobi are some of the many women that come to mind.

Hardy, a sophomore double majoring in mechanical engineering and computer science, was raised by two engineers in Williamsburg, VA. After visiting Virginia Tech and witnessing the hands-on design and research opportunities and talented professors in the College of Engineering, Hardy knew that being a Hokie engineer would set her up for achieving her goals. Living in Hypatia Living Learning Community, she was 21% surrounded by female engineers who Female shared her drive.

It didn’t take her long to immerse herself and apply her curiosity by joining the Design Build Fly Ware Lab M team her first year.

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More recently, Hardy was accepted a position as a Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) in the unmanned systems lab. Through this initiative, Hardy is providing humanitarian aid in Afghanistan through creating drones that will fly in refugee camps. This project especially excites Hardy, because she believes it is so important to utilize engineering concepts for public good and live out Virginia Tech’s motto, “Ut Prosim.”

“It’s interesting to think about how much technology shapes society. If you design everything with purpose, suddenly engineering is the key to solving any issue and promoting public wellbeing.”

Yet, the impact Hardy has made at Virginia Tech transcends STEM. She is also the Ring Design Chair for the Class of 2023’s Leadership Team, an Apartment Fellow in East Ambler Johnston Hall, and a leader in Chi Alpha.

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Victoria Hardy virtually presenting about Google for Design Build Fly’s summer spotlights.

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In the future, Hardy dreams of exploring the intersection of technology and community building exercises, exploring satellites, or maybe even owning her own company or becoming a professor one day.

Another example of an engineering Hokie that has demonstrated remarkable leadership and capabilities is sophomore ISE major and Calhoun Scholar, Ashley Girod.

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I love thinking in systems. I have always been deeply analytical of environments, and learning how to quantify it can help make more accurate decisions.

An education in engineering teaches students a framework for problem-solving, which is bounded by perseverance and hard work.

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Girod’s decision to come to Virginia Tech began when she was assigned to project teams to derive a solution concept for accessible relief during a natural disaster, which was prompted shortly after the lower Puma volcanic eruption in Hawaii in early May of 2018 for the C-Tech^2 program. Girod experienced firsthand that Virginia Tech supported women in engineering, and wanted them to be at the forefront by designing, inventing, and contributing to contemporary research.

Sophomore ISE major and Calhoun scholar, Ashley Girod working in her research lab.

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More recently, Girod has been involved in an academic project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Specifically, working for Dr. Alejandro Salado, she created workflows that captured the design phases of components as they were integrated into a satellite subsystem. Girod analyzed engineering data and utilized MATLAB to discover the optimal solution that satisfied both the project budget and system safety requirements.

Ikediobi on The Drillfield with her Natural Kuru products.

Furthermore, Girod is a Calhoun Discovery Program Scholar, where she collaborates with students of various majors and backgrounds and leading companies.

“I am motivated by completing a difficult project and seeing it through from start to finish, and being able to go on that learning journey with others is very rewarding for me.”

There have been many obstacles thrown her way, yet Ikediobi’s high spirits have pushed her through it.

She admits that having a business is not easy when “you’re your only employee.” As she formulates her products, she had to take the time to perfect it to prevent molding. Another hurdle for Ikediobi is struggling to market her products when there are bigger companies that people are more inclined to.

Kimberly Ikediobi is a sophomore from Houston, Texas majoring in chemical engineering, and is another example of a student who has taken all the opportunities provided to them at Virginia Tech to achieve their goals. Ever since Ikediobi was little, she loved making crafts out of cardboard and other materials. She made mailboxes, shoe organizers, and trophies for her dad on Father’s Day.

Still, launching a company at such a young age is what Ikediobi enthusiastically declares her proudest moment, as she reached $1000 in sales within just the first four months of her launch. Ikediobi was also featured in a Houston magazine and her YouTube channel, “Natural Kuru” has almost reached 1000 subscribers.

“I loved watching ‘How It’s Made’ videos. Then towards the end of my junior year, I found my passion for making hair products/cosmetics so chemical engineering fit with that vision.”

Outside of being the CEO of her own beauty company, Ikediobi is excited to have recently committed to her first chemical engineering summer internship for the Eastman Chemical Company.

With her ambition and drive, it was clear to her Virginia Tech was her place. It didn’t take Ikediobi long to translate her knowledge into real-world applications. As early as her first year, she was able to start her own company called “Natural Kuru.” As someone who personally struggled with haircare, this company was important to her because she wanted to instill confidence through affordable hair products. Using her knowledge of chemicals and science, Ikediobi makes the products using raw organic materials and packages the products herself.

“What motivates me is the future. I’m so determined to be successful in the future that I do everything I can now to chase my dreams and ensure that I’ll be comfortable later on.”

While Hardy, Girod, and Ikediobi may have different paths and interests, what they all have in common is their unmatched passion, curiosity, and ability to jump through any hurdle that comes their way. These three women, and the countless other female Hokie engineers, all serve as examples of how important it is to have representation and avenues for women in STEM to thrive at Virginia Tech.

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What Are the New Mechanical Engineering Majors?

Article /

Adeline Ghosh (‘24)

Introduction You may have heard that Virginia Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has recently added two new majors to the list of degrees! For those who felt that they didn’t quite have the major that matched what they wanted to pursue, this could be the news you have been waiting for. For students who are still exploring majors, this might overwhelm you. Regardless, this article will provide more insight into what these new majors are.

Without further delay, the two new majors within the Department of Mechanical Engineering are robotics and mechatronics and automotive engineering. These majors provide specialization within the two highlighted subjects of mechanical engineering.

The electric propulsion system behind a battery pressure vessel used in the 2019 SpaceX Pod Competition in Hawthorne, CA. Photo / Hyperloop at VT

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Goodwin Hall, Virginia Tech Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Photo / Meredith DePuy

Student Perspective In general, students that are interested in these majors believe that they’ll be beneficial to them in the future. Virginia Tech student Victoria Hardy was originally going to pursue a double major in computer science and mechanical engineering; however, the new robotics and mechatronics major has allowed her to get the experience she wants without taking the heavy workload of a double major. She says, “Having the robotics and mechatronics major is a great package for combining the two while avoiding a double major!” Hardy said. There’s also so many applications of robotics in every sector of engineering, so it’s a really unique, useful major!” The addition of these two majors also allows students to customize their classes as they see fit. This is done by choosing technical electives that match the interests of the student.

With regard to the amount of information that was provided, students have expressed that they wished they knew more about the majors. Since these majors were just added for the class of 2022, advisors and students have limited knowledge of the specific curriculum changes. The source of information was an email from advisors with general overviews of

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Picture of Virginia Tech student, Victoria Hardy.

Photo / Victoria Hardy

each as well as reference sources to find the courses of study. Unfortunately, there were no information sessions which left students feeling like they would “like to know more,” as one student mentioned. For others, just taking a look at some of the classes offered was enough to spark their interest. Virginia Tech student Kashyap Bhatt mentioned that:

“The checksheet

and the classes gave me a fair idea about the concepts that would be covered in the new major which aligned with my interests.

”

Prerequisites and Classes For the class of 2022, two prerequisites are required to be fulfilled before the fall of 2021. They are Industrial Electronics (ECE 3254) and Programming in C (CS 1044).

Industrial Electronics focuses on device and electronic principles. It has been said to cover topics like “digital, operational amplifier, and analog analysis for industrial applications and magnetic circuits” (ECE 3254 Industrial Electronics: ECE: Virginia Tech).

To take this class, students need permission from the electrical and computer engineering department unless they are already a part of the mechanical engineering program.

Programming in C focuses on the concepts of problem-solving within software. Adjunct Professor, K. Todd Stevens, also noted that some of the topics covered are “IDE use, the basic structure of a C++ program, [and] conditional (if, switch) statements.”

This is an introductory class so it’s ideal for students with limited experience with the C++ programming language.

In order to complete either major, students are required to complete 15 credit hours of technical electives. These can be personalized to an extent by the

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Check sheets for automotive engineering and robotics and mechatronics.

Photo / Adeline Ghosh

student to focus on a path which they are most interested in. For Bhatt, “the technical electives decided for the new majors are specifically tailored to provide more knowledge regarding the field of mechanical engineering, whether it be in robotics or automotive engineering.”

For robotics and mechatronics, some of the technical electives that students can choose from including Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery (ME 3604) and Mechatronics: Advanced Topics and Applications (ME 4754). The classes that differentiate the major include the Robotics and Mechatronics Seminar (ME 4734) and Robotics and Automation (ME 4524).

Some of the topics within the classes include the application of fundamental engineering principles and advanced medical technologies, electromechanical system modeling, and robot programming and design.

Within automotive engineering, there is a varied choice of electives like Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery (ME 3604), Internal Combustion Engines (ME 4204), Advanced Technology for Motor Vehicles (ME 4554), Rapid Prototyping (ME 4644), and Mechatronics: Theory and Application (ME 4744).

These classes focus on the design and analysis of engines, environmental issues and energy use of motor vehicles, CAD models, and the connection between societal and technological issues.

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Picture of Virginia Tech student Kashyap Bhatt.

Photo / Kashyap Bhatt

Relevance for the Future Many students have only received a single email with a brief description from their advisors but as time passes, they will be given access to more information as well as data from those who completed the major. Additionally, there could be more majors created in the future. For the robotics and mechatronics and automotive engineering majors, there were technical electives with those specializations in the past but labeling them as a new major now gives students a leg up in the workforce. They are given more credit for their level of concentration within a subject.

With regard to the job world, employers review many students’ resumes when going through the hiring process. Having a major that stands out and is relevant to the job position gives students higher chances of getting an interview. Students have also expressed the same sentiment as one stated that specialized majors “give students a good little foot up in job opportunities.” Since these majors are more specific, it gives them experience with specialized topics, even before being exposed to the workplace. If you are interested in either of the new majors, the best course of action is to contact the Department of Mechanical Engineering, whether that be the department head or an advisor!

An “under the hood” shot of the suspension and lateral stability module used in the SpaceX Pod Competition Photo / Hyperloop at VT

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Virginia Tech Duck Pond inhabitants in early January 2021. Photo / Andrea Connor

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