Connect to Campus 2025

Friday, Oct. 3

5 to 7 p.m. | EP and DEng Networking BBQ and social event.*

• This event is an opportunity for EP and DEng students who are traveling or local to connect with one another, faculty, and alumni before the formal Connect to Campus Event.

*The BBQ is restricted to EP and DEng students, faculty, and alumni. 

Saturday, Oct. 4

8:30 a.m. | Check-in and Coffee

• Light breakfast will be provided.

9 to 9:30 a.m. | Welcome*

• Sri Sarma, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Vice Dean, Graduate Education
• Dan Horn, Associate Vice Dean, Professional Education and Lifelong Learning
• Megan Barrett, Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Affairs

*Please note, a group photograph will be taken on the steps of Shriver Hall directly after the welcome remarks. 

9:45 to 10:45 a.m. | Campus Tours, Poster Presentations, and Coffee Break 

10:45 to 11:45 a.m. | Morning Tech Talks  

Tech Talk #1 – Dusty Descents: Fluid Dynamics of Ejecta and Multiphase Instabilities in Lunar and Martian Landings

• Rui Ni, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering  

Tech Talk #2 – Generative AI: Understanding the Foundations, Opportunities, and Future Directions

• Geetha Rajasekaran, Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, Engineering for Professionals

11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Networking Lunch*

*Lunch will be provided. 

1 to 2 p.m. | Afternoon Tech Talks  

Tech Talk #3 – The Moon and Cislunar Space: An International Stage for Innovation and Competition

• Wes Fuhrman, Lead, Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory  

Tech Talk #4 – Scientific Machine Learning for Modeling and Control of Energy Systems

• Ján Drgoňa, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Systems Engineering 

2 to 2:15 p.m. | Afternoon Coffee Break and Poster Presentations  

2:15 to 3:15 p.m. | Panels

Alumni Panel

Doctor of Engineering (DEng) Panel

• Ashutosh Dutta, Director, Doctor of Engineering Program; Senior Professional Staff, Applied Physics Laboratory (APL); Associate Research Professor, Institute for Assured Autonomy

3:30 p.m. | Optional Happy Hour

• Attendees are welcome to join us at Union Craft Brewery for a post-event happy hour. Two drink tickets will be provided.  

Read bios for Tech Talk presenters and abstracts for poster presentations, below and here. Updated 10-1-2025. 

Welcome

• Sri Sarma, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Vice Dean, Graduate Education
• Dan Horn, Associate Vice Dean, Professional Education and Lifelong Learning
• Megan Barrett, Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Affairs

Tech Talks

• Rui Ni, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering  
• Geetha Rajasekaran, Lecturer, Engineering for Professionals, Computer Science Program 
• Wes Fuhrman, Lead, Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory  
• Ján Drgoňa, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Systems Engineering 

Alumni Panels

• Moderator:
  • Caitlin Broccoli, Associate Director of Life Design, Engineering Masters Programs
• Panelists:
  • Arthur Ding, Engr ’20 (MSE), Aerospace Structures Engineer, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Chase Lahr, Engr ’23, ’24 (MSE), Mechanical Engineer, RPM Tech
  • Christina Lewis, Engr ’13 (MS), Associate Principal, Langan Engineering and Environmental Services
  • Michael Pryzby, Engr ’09 (MS), Mission System Engineer, Landsat Next Mission, NASA
  • C. Taylor Senf, Engr ’07 (MS), Director, CGI

Doctor of Engineering (DEng) Panel – DEng Program: Looking Ahead for Opportunities

• Moderator:
  • Ashutosh Dutta, Director, Doctor of Engineering Program; Senior Professional Staff, Applied Physics Laboratory; Associate Research Professor, Department of Computer Science
• Panelists:
  • Jeff Chavis, Engr ’21 (DEng), Chief Engineer, Applied Data Science, JHU Applied Physics Laboratory
  • Daniel Chew, Engr ’08 (MS), ’22 (DEng), Instructor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Jonas Elmerraji, Engr ’21 (MS), Quantitative Analyst, The Motley Fool
  • Amir Manbachi, Associate Professor, Neurosurgery and Biomedical Engineering
  • James Spall, Research Professor, Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics
  • Russ Taylor, Engr ’70, Professor, Department of Computer Science

Tech Talk abstracts, alumni panelists, and poster descriptions can be found here.

• Radar Multichannel Beamforming with MIMO and non-MIMO Signal Processing
  • Pablo Badia, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Abstract: A MIMO-array is best understood as a signal processing technique involving multiple transmitters and multiple receivers operating independently to transmit orthogonal or otherwise distinguishable waveforms. The use of MIMO arrays in radars is novel since MIMO-arrays fundamentally change how radar systems transmit and process signals. Traditional radar systems transmit using all antenna elements in an array. A MIMO radar transmits using independently operating subarrays, which allows the receiver channels to distinguish the contributions of each transmit subarray. MIMO-arrays provide advantages to radar systems, including high angular resolution, improved target detection and discrimination, spatial diversity, and array geometry flexibility. However, there are drawbacks to using MIMO-arrays: limited beam-forming capabilities and higher signal processing complexities—including signal separation from different channels. Additionally, while MIMO-arrays generally reduce the need for beam steering hardware, having multiple processing chains can be expensive. MIMO-arrays and non-MIMO phased-arrays play different roles for communication and radar purposes. Non-MIMO phased arrays primarily focus on enhancing signal-to-noise ratio and electronic beam steering. MIMOarrays leverage waveform diversity and spatial multiplexing to achieve higher resolution, improved angle of arrival estimation, and increased target detection capabilities. The core problem this study intends to solve is to understand the things needed to be considered when performing multichannel beamforming techniques with either MIMO or non-MIMO approaches for different radar modes and from different platform perspectives.
• Robust Noise Attenuation via Adaptive Pooling of Transformer Outputs
  • Greyson Brothers, Engineering for Professionals
  • Abstract: How do self-driving cars identify what is important, like picking out a pedestrian from a sea of vehicles? Many modern AI systems use transformer models, which condense many pieces of data into one meaningful summary. This step, called pooling, is critical for making decisions. But in real-world tasks, where much of the data is distracting or noisy, common pooling methods like averaging or picking the strongest signal may not work as intended, causing our self-driving car to ignore that stray pedestrian. Our paper shows that these pooling methods do indeed fail when there’s a large number of distractions. We then predict that a lesser-known technique, called adaptive pooling, can prevent such a performance collapse, even in the presence of many distractors. It does this by using attention to learn which parts of the input matter and what to ignore, like tuning out a noisy crowd to listen to a single voice. Our findings demonstrate that adaptive pooling can closely match the best possible summary of the inputs. More importantly, we show that simply swapping out the old methods for adaptive pooling can significantly improve the reliability and trustworthiness of transformer-based models in many applications, even when their inputs are quite messy.
• What Textile Is Your Lab Coat Made From?
  • Aalliyeh Clinton, Materials Science and Engineering
  • Abstract: Identifying the pros and cons of different types of textiles used for lab environments.
• Computing With Classics: Bridging Computer Science and Classical Scholarship
  • Suh Young Choi, Engineering for Professionals
  • Abstract: The poster describes a series of workshops I did at my previous university, where I introduced computer science principles and computational thinking to classicists and digital humanists.
• Space Weather and Lunar EVA Spacesuits
  • Talia Elkhatib, Space Systems Engineering
  • Abstract: This project aims to understand and mitigate the effects of space weather to support safe and sustainable lunar extra-vehicular activity (EVA). With no natural protection from solar radiation or cosmic rays, the Moon presents significant challenges to astronaut health and equipment longevity. We assess space weather data, define acceptable radiation exposure levels, and propose key radiation shielding features for EVA spacesuits.
• A Wearable Fluorescent Biosensor Patch for Real-Time Hydration and Electrolyte Monitoring Access Across Diverse Populations
  • Raven Holston-Turner, Applied Science Program, Engineering for Professionals
  • Abstract: Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance are critical risks for patients (ICU, elderly, pediatrics), athletes, military personnel, and workers in extreme environments. Current hydration monitoring relies heavily on delayed blood/urine tests or subjective assessments. We propose a non-invasive, low-cost optical biosensor patch that provides continuous, real-time hydration and electrolyte data.
• Strength in Numbers: Measuring Hand Function Through a Portable Device
  • Maya Lane, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Abstract: My research studies how commonly used clinical measures of hand control in stroke patients relate to lift and grip force measured by a portable device (SenseHand). The long-term goal is to develop new methods to assess hand recovery status using portable remote devices that can be used in the clinic and at home.
• Clear-SiR for Deep Raman Biomolecular Sensing
  • Michael Lee, Mechanical Engineering
  • Abstract: Novel engineered pathway that bridges Raman spectroscopy to non-invasive clinical diagnosis
• Generalized Category Discovery for Time-Series Applications via Koopman Operator Feature Representation
  • Daniel Peterson, Applied Science Program, Engineering for Professionals
  • Abstract: Generalized category discovery of time-series data is challenging because of the temporal complexity of the data. Koopman operator theory has been shown to be effective for extracting informative features from time-series data for various machine learning tasks. Although it has been applied to clustering, forecasting, anomaly detection, and classification, its use in generalized category discovery remains unexplored. We propose a Koopman-based approach to generalized category discovery using dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) to extract a low-dimensional and interpretable feature embedding from time-series data. We show that this approach can extract meaningful structure from time-series data, enabling generalized category discovery. A comparative study across several dynamical systems highlights the advantages of using Koopman-based methods for feature extraction over other feature extraction methods.
• Synthesis and Characterization of WO3 and MoO3 in Polymer Matrix Nanocomposites
  • Duaa Ramadhan, Materials Science and Engineering
  • Abstract: Tungsten oxide (WO3) and molybdenum oxide (MoO3) are photochromic materials that change color upon going from one oxidation state to another by absorption of ultraviolet light, and these types of materials have applications in areas such as displays, imaging devices, “smart windows,” and solar energy conversion. In this work, a method based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was used for in situ growth of tungsten oxide (WO3) and molybdenum oxide (MoO3) nanoparticles in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and in poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene) (also known as fluorinated ethylene propylene or FEP). The resulting polymer matrix nanocomposites (PMNCs) display a range of interesting and useful, photochromic and photocatalytic behaviors related to the properties of the particles present in the matrix. To synthesize WO3-FEP, WO3-PDMS, MoO3-FEP, and MoO3-PDMS PMNCs, the polymer matrix and an organometallic precursor were placed into a reaction vessel, the vessel was evacuated to the desired pressure, and then subjected to a two-step heating process. This process causes vaporization of the precursor, which diffuses into the matrix. Subsequent decomposition of the precursors results in nanoparticle growth. This synthesis method produces a homogeneous distribution of the nanoparticles throughout the polymer matrix [2]. WO3-FEP, WO3-PDMS, MoO3-FEP, and MoO3-PDMS, PMNCs were characterized using UV-Vis-NIR spectrometry and x-ray diffraction (XRD) to understand and analyze the optical and structural properties of the PMNCs. In particular, Tauc plot analysis was used to determine the bandgaps of these materials. Producing WO3-FEP, WO3-PDMS, MoO3-FEP, and MoO3-PDMS PMNCs with this synthesis technique can be used to produce materials for green energy applications.
• Embrace the Accelerated Frame of Reference
  • Michael Todora, Engineering for Professionals
  • Abstract: Outline the pedagogical benefits of using comoving frames of reference early on in physics education rather than standard fixed lab frames with coordinate axes.

Tech Talk abstracts, alumni panelists, and poster descriptions can be found here.

Tech Talk #1 – Dusty Descents: Fluid Dynamics of Ejecta and Multiphase Instabilities in Lunar and Martian Landings 

Rui Ni, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering  

• Planetary landings on the Moon and Mars generate complex interactions between rocket exhaust plumes and unconsolidated regolith, leading to the mobilization of vast quantities of dust and granular ejecta. These interactions present both engineering hazards and scientific opportunities, influencing lander stability, surface modification, and environmental contamination. This talk presents recent advances in modeling and experimental studies of ejecta dynamics, with a focus on multiphase instabilities that arise during plume–surface coupling. High-speed imaging, scaling analyses, and computational fluid dynamics reveal the development of particle-laden shear layers, jet–particle interactions, and clustering phenomena that drive nonuniform dust transport. These mechanisms underpin the onset of coherent ejecta jets, turbulent entrainment, and lofting mechanisms that differ significantly between lunar vacuum conditions and the rarefied Martian atmosphere. By identifying the governing dimensionless parameters and instability pathways, this work advances predictive capabilities for future landing missions and supports the design of mitigation strategies to ensure safe and sustainable extraterrestrial operations.  

Tech Talk #2 – Generative AI: Understanding the Foundations, Opportunities, and Future Directions

Geetha Rajasekaran, Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, Engineering for Professionals 

• Generative AI has rapidly evolved from a research concept into a transformative technology reshaping organizations, academia, research, and everyday life. This talk traces the journey from classical Natural Language Processing (NLP) to Large Language Models (LLMs) built on Transformer architectures, providing a technical overview of how they are trained, fine-tuned, and aligned to generate coherent text and code. Building on that foundation, the talk will examine the concepts of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for grounded answers, orchestration frameworks like LangChain for integrating tools and workflows, and the emergence of agentic AI capable of planning and acting autonomously. The discussion highlights opportunities across domains alongside key challenges such as hallucinations, bias, privacy, cost, and evaluation. The session concludes with future directions, including multimodal LLMs, efficient and edge inference, and responsible AI practices that enable trustworthy, high-impact deployments. 

Tech Talk #3 – The Moon and Cislunar Space: An International Stage for Innovation and Competition 

Wes Fuhrman, Lead, Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory  

• The Moon is a cornerstone of solar system science and the closest world beyond our own on which humans may establish a sustainable presence. The scientific, economic, and national security value of cislunar space has brought about an era of intense international cooperation and competition, marked by unprecedented utilization of the space beyond geosynchronous orbit. In this talk I will cover global interests in the Moon and cislunar space, the technologies that are driving humanity’s expansion into space, and give a glimpse of where and how a sustainable presence could emerge on the Moon. 

Tech Talk #4 – Scientific Machine Learning for Modeling and Control of Energy Systems   

Ján Drgoňa, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Systems Engineering 

• This talk presents an overview of scientific machine learning perspective (SciML) for modeling, optimization, and control of dynamical systems. We will also discuss the use of SciML methods in energy systems applications, including modeling of networked dynamical systems, building control, and dynamic economic dispatch problems in power systems. 

Tech Talk abstracts, alumni panelists, and poster descriptions can be found here.

This event will take place on JHU’s Homewood campus. Nearby hotels can be found here, including the Inn at the Colonnade and the Study Hotel, both of which are within walking distance of campus. 

Please see our  Events Information webpage for more information about directions to campus, campus maps, and more.

South Garage (map) is the closest parking garage to the event and is located under the Decker Quadrangle with elevator access to the surface level at Mason Hall. Price: $16/weekday; $9/weekend day

San Martin Garage (map) can be used for overflow parking and is located at San Martin Center, which can be accessed via San Martin Drive. Price: $19/weekday; $9/weekend day

Please contact WSE Special Events at WSEEvents@jhu.edu no later than Monday, September 22 to request accessibility accommodations. In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide reasonable accommodations. 

Campus Accessibility:

To find information about on campus accessibility, visit our JHU Accessibility webpage.

Things to Do

• Friday to Sunday, Oct. 3 to 5 | Toby’s Dinner Theatre Presents: Saturday Night Fever | Various times | Toby’s Dinner Theatre Columbia 
• Friday, Oct. 3 | JHU vs. York Women’s Volleyball | 7 p.m. | Goldfarb Gymnasium
• Saturday, Oct. 4 | JHU vs. Bryn Mawr Women’s Soccer | 12 p.m. | Homewood Field
• Saturday, Oct. 4 | JHU vs. Bryn Mawr Women’s Volleyball | 1 p.m. | Goldfarb Gymnasium
• Saturday, Oct. 4 | JHU vs. Gettysburg Men’s Soccer | 3 p.m. | Homewood Field 
• Saturday, Oct. 4 | Whitney Cummings: Big Baby Tour | 7 p.m. | The Lyric Baltimore  
• Sunday, Oct 5 | Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans | 1 p.m. | M&T Bank Stadium 

Museums/Places to Visit in Baltimore 

• Baltimore Museum of Art
  • This museum is located on JHU’s Homewood campus 
• National Aquarium 
• Maryland Science Center 
• The Walters Art Museum  
• American Visionary Art Museum   
• Fort McHenry National Monument 
• Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture