Connect to Campus 2023

Friday, Sept. 22

6 to 9 p.m. | Kick-off BBQ

Participants will have the chance to interact with students, faculty, and alumni, engage in lawn games, and enjoy a BBQ dinner and Happy Hour.

 

Saturday, Sept. 23

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

Light breakfast will be provided.

9 to 9:30 a.m. | Welcome: Sri Sarma, Vice Dean for Graduate Education and Lifelong Learning

Dan Horn, Associate Vice Dean, Professional Education and Lifelong Learning

Megan Barrett, Assistant Dean of Engineering Student Affairs

9:45 to 10:45 a.m. | Campus Tour

10:45 to 11:00 a.m. | Coffee Break

11 a.m. to noon | Morning Tech Talks (Detailed descriptions listed below.)

Noon to 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and Networking

Lunch will be provided. 

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. | Afternoon Tech Talks (Detailed descriptions listed below.)

2:30 to 2:45 p.m. | Coffee Break

2:45 to 3:45 p.m. | Alumni Panel

4 to 5p.m. | Happy Hour

Manan Ahuja (Poster Presenter) is currently a senior trader at an energy-focused hedge fund. He recently graduated with a master’s in data science from the Whiting School of Engineering. Ahuja is passionate about financial and energy markets and has been using data analysis for decision-making for over 15 years.  

Samantha Andrade (Poster Presenter) graduated with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Yale University in 2019 and a master’s in applied and computational mathematics from the Whiting School of Engineering in 2022. She currently works as a space systems engineer and analyst at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. 

Megan Barrett (Welcome) is the assistant dean of engineering student affairs at the Whiting School of Engineering. Megan’s work focuses on student support and advocacy, community building and student engagement, and professional development for students. She has 20 years of experience in higher education, including 15 years at JHU. She holds a master’s of liberal arts from the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.  

James G. Bellingham (Afternoon Tech Talk) is a pioneer in the development of autonomous marine robots. He has led and participated in research expeditions around the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic.  His research activities range from the creation of new, high-performance classes of underwater robots to the design and operation of large-scale multi-platform field programs. He has developed a number of autonomous underwater vehicles. He also led the ONR-funded Autonomous Ocean Sampling Network program, a system of systems approach to ocean prediction that couples fleets of robotic systems to shoreside prediction systems. Bellingham has a particular interest in marine robotics entrepreneurship, working with startups in a range of capacities. He is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Exploration Robotics and the executive director for the Institute for Assured Autonomy at the Johns Hopkins University. He received an SB and PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.   

Thomas Byrd (Morning Tech Talk) has served as a senior professional staff member at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in the Critical Infrastructure Protection Group where his practical work, research, and educational pedagogy focus on planning, coordinating, and controlling information security locally, nationally, and internationally. Byrd provided executive leadership and the development of technical solutions for core areas of information security that include operational, financial, and administrative performance. He provided executive counsel to senior leadership related to cyber security, fiscal administration, risk management framework/DoD acquisition, supply chain risk management, IT audit and compliance, cyber law, and legal policy at the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He also ensured a systematic approach to selecting, managing, and evaluating IT security investments in accordance with federal and DoD policies, standards, and regulations (e.g. FISMA, FIPS, CNSS, HIPAA/HITECH, NIST, DFARS).  

Angus Chen ’21 (Alumni Panel) is a lead cybersecurity professional at MITRE. Chen is a leader with computational thinking, an experienced cybersecurity professional who fosters a culture of trust, a board member who contributes to communities and embraces diversity in all forms, a speaker who shares knowledge, and a rock climber who looks for projects and is known for his analytic ability to connect the dots. He has over 20 years of hands-on experience assessing, developing, and implementing technology solutions for a broad range of organizations, including MITRE, the Federal Reserve Board, and FINRA, as well as several public and private partnerships. He holds an MBA from IESE and has a master’s degree in applied and computational math from Johns Hopkins University. He is a holder of CISSP, CCSP, and PMP certifications.   

Sergey Dayneko (Poster Presenter) is currently a master’s student in the JHU Engineering for Professionals program, majoring in applied and computational mathematics. He has a bachelor’s in operations research and computer analysis from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and works at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory as an Operations Researcher. 

Arielle Drummond (Afternoon Tech Talk), PhD is a lecturer of applied biomedical engineering for EP at Johns Hopkins University and director of regulatory affairs at LivaNova, Advanced Circulatory Support.  

Shannon Dubicki ’21 (Alumni Panel and Poster Presenter) is a systems engineering professional and senior manager at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory where she supports multiple government sponsors throughout the systems engineering lifecycle. She teaches multiple MBSE courses at JHU and holds a bachelor’s in mathematics and computer science from McDaniel College and a master’s in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins.  

Jennifer Glock (Poster Presenter) is a graduate of the JHU Whiting School Systems Engineering program, and uses systems engineering in her daily tasks, from evaluating requirements to validating and verifying the solution. She is currently a systems engineer team lead on multiple tasks across various DoD sponsors within the Air and Missile Defense Sector at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.  

Dan Horn (Welcome) is the associate vice dean, professional education and lifelong learning, at the Whiting School of Engineering. He has served in his role with EP since 2012. 

David Na (Poster Presenter) obtained a master’s degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins University and he is currently serving as a data scientist in NASA.  

Samuel E. Nathanson (Poster Presenter) is pursuing his master’s degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins University and is currently serving as a computer scientist in the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab. 

Chris Overcash (Morning Tech Talk) PE is a faculty member and program manager in environmental programs for EP, Johns Hopkins University, and a principal engineer and climate and coastal resilience lead at Anchor QEA.  

John Romano ’98 (Alumni Panel) is currently director of cybersecurity and interim director of computational infrastructure for the University of Maryland Applied Research Lab for Intelligence & Security, which undertakes critical RD&TE work to solve key national security challenges for the U.S. government. For over 20 years he has held technology leadership positions at the University of Maryland and received a Presidential Service Award in 2019 and was a co-awardee of two Software Invention of the Year awards. He has also worked at the JHU Applied Physics Lab as senior professional staff and section supervisor in the Network Engineering Group and is currently adjunct faculty in the Information Systems Engineering program at EP. Romano holds a BSEE and graduate certificate in project management from the University of Maryland, a master’s in computer science from JHU, and a number of professional cybersecurity certifications including the CISSP and SANS GPCS, GSNA, GCIA, and GPEN.  

Felipe Ruiz (Morning Tech Talk) is a senior mechanical engineer with extensive experience in spacecraft mechanical design, analysis, integration, and testing. He is currently leading the mechanical engineering efforts for the flight rotors on the Dragonfly program and has previously made critical contributions to the Parker Solar Probe and GUSTO programs. Ruiz also serves as a laboratory instructor for the Whiting School’s Small Satellite Experimentation Course, within the Space Systems Engineering program. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Science in Space Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and is currently a doctoral student in Aerospace Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University, with a research focus in aerospace applications of composite materials for extreme environments.   

Amir Saeed (Afternoon Tech Talk), brings a wealth of experience from his impactful career in the oil and gas sector, where he has played key roles at Baker Hughes. Currently serving as a machine learning scientist at Baker Hughes, Saeed’s journey began with a solid foundation in mechanical engineering, completing his undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin, followed by a master’s in data science from Johns Hopkins University. His expertise covers a range of areas, including design and process engineering, data analysis, and model building. Saeed’s project portfolio reflects his diverse contributions within the energy technology industry, encompassing additive manufacturing, turbomachinery, asset management, forecasting, modeling, and emissions control. His research interests have led him to explore intriguing domains like multimodal data fusion, reinforcement learning, and effective data visualization. In addition to his research work, he possesses practical skills in software development, proficiently working with Python, MATLAB, R, C++, Java, and Docker. In essence, Saeed merges his mechanical engineering background with his data science proficiency, delivering significant contributions that have left a mark on the oil and gas industry. Grounded in academic excellence and practical innovation, Saeed continues to drive advancements in his field.   

Sri Sarma (Welcome) is the vice dean for graduate education and lifelong learning. Sarma is also the associate director of the JHU Institute for Computational Medicine and an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Her research focuses on applying control theory to improve therapies for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. 

Autumn Williams (Poster Presenter), After completing her undergraduate studies at Cornell University, Williams worked in healthcare informatics and received a master’s degree in biomedical engineering through the EP program. She is now a BME PhD student at JHUSOM, researching quantitative diagnosis of mental health disorders using network modeling and machine learning techniques in the Sarma NCSLab. 

Yungjun Yoo (Poster Presenter) obtained PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland and master’s in computer science from Johns Hopkins University. He currently works as a senior software engineer in ICSG.

Poster #1

Title: Diagnosis of mental disorder using a resting-state fMRI biomarker of regional interactions in the brain network Presenter: Autumn Williams, Applied Biomedical Engineering 

Poster #2

Title: Improving the Unconstrained Nonlinear Simplex Algorithm with Stochastic Approximation. Presenter: Sergey Dayneko, Applied and Computational Mathematics 

Poster #3

Title: A Numerical Comparison Between Finite-Difference and Simultaneous Perturbation Stochastic Approximation Methods  Presenter: Samantha Andrade, Applied and Computational Mathematics 

Poster #4

Title: Trading Decisions via Stochastic Optimization of Neural Network Presenter: Manan Ahuja, Applied and Computational Mathematics 

Poster #5

Title: Scalable Multi-Modal Generative AI driven threat and its Detection Presenters: David Na, Samuel E. Nathanson, Yungjun Yoo, Computer Science 

Poster #6

Title: Understanding the Digital Thread between MBSE & Program Risk Management Presenter: Shannon Dubicki, Systems Engineering 

Poster #7

Title: Utilizing Systems Engineering within the DoD Digital Engineering Ecosystem Presenter: Jennifer Glock, Systems Engineering 

Connect to Campus Tech Talk Descriptions Tech Talks #1–3 | 11 a.m. to noon

Tech Talk #1

Title: Solutions to Climate Change Impacts in the Coastal Zone—Climate Resilience Using Nature-based Features

Presented by: Chris Overcash, PE, Faculty Member and Program Manager, Environmental Programs for EP, Johns Hopkins University; Principal Engineer and Climate and Coastal Resilience Lead, Anchor QEA

Abstract Many shorelines worldwide, including within the Northern Chesapeake Bay, are highly susceptible to coastal flooding from sea level rise, storm surge, and compound flooding. These effects of climate change will continue to increase coastal threats as we move into an uncertain future. Recent advances in engineering design have focused on using natural systems and nature-based solutions to provide the coastal resilience necessary to address these current and future threats. This presentation provides an overview of climate threats in the region and provides a case study of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering—Engineering with Nature program research that is being undertaken at several sites including Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland and neighboring communities to provide resilience to coastal flooding areas. It also provides an overview of nature-based solutions and available opportunities to leverage grant funding through a variety of programs. Finally, the presentation will discusses other regional initiatives of the Maryland Port Administration and other groups focused on planning for coastal resilience.

 

Tech Talk #2

Title: Artificial Intelligence Technologies and the Ever-changing Threat Landscape

Presented by: Thomas Byrd, Lecturer, Whiting School of Engineering and the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences

Abstract It is foreseeable that AI-enabled systems within the critical infrastructure sectors such as transportation, finance, and healthcare could cause unique and distinctive injuries as a result of output errors by providing wrong answers or ill-advised responses, thus raising regulatory concerns. In situations where it is reasonable and foreseeable that individuals will rely on the output from an AI-enabled system, incidents involving the system can amplify, perpetuate, or exacerbate inequitable or undesirable outcomes for individuals and communities affecting large numbers of people physically, emotionally, and monetarily.

This lecture intends to address artificial intelligence technologies, the ever-changing threat landscape, and the need to ensure that the technology is safe, secure, and trustworthy.

 

Tech Talk #3

Title: Dragonfly, a Rotorcraft Mission to Titan

Presented by: Felipe Ruiz, Senior Mechanical Engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL)

Abstract As part of NASA’s Dragonfly mission, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) is engineering an autonomous rotorcraft destined to fly on Titan. Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is an ocean world, and the only moon in the solar system with an abundance of complex organic material and an active hydrological methane cycle. As part of NASA’s Ocean Worlds theme, Titan is a prime candidate to better understand and explore prebiotic chemistry beyond the Earth environment and its relevance to habitability and the search for life. Dragonfly will take advantage of Titan’s comparatively lower surface gravity and higher atmospheric density to fly, as the lander takes the form of an octocopter. This technical talk will cover the drive to explore Titan and the high-level architecture of the Dragonfly lander, as well as the design and the implementation of rotors tuned to fly in extreme environments.

 

Tech Talks #4–6 | 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Tech Talk #4

Title: Multimodal Data Fusion in Action

Presented by: Amir K. Saeed, Machine Learning Scientist, Baker Hughes

Abstract The session will begin with a brief introduction to our faculty, followed by an exploration into the world of data science. Discover how data science impacts our daily lives and explore its various disciplines. The tech talk will then dive deep into a recent research paper on multimodal data fusion. This paper focuses on integrating audio-visual signals using signal processing transforms and statistical methods. Don’t miss this opportunity to delve into the fascinating crossroads of technology and data.

 

Tech Talk #5

Title: From Ideation to Commercialization—Next-Generation Medical Device Development and Regulatory Considerations 

Presented by: Arielle Drummond, PhD, Lecturer of Applied Biomedical Engineering for EP at Johns Hopkins University; Director of Regulatory Affairs, LivaNova, Advanced Circulatory Support

Abstract: Medical device innovation can require years and sometimes even decades of research and development to place a safe and effective device on the market. There are many considerations when developing medical devices from the target patient population, customer needs, design requirements, verification and validation testing, as well as regulatory approval. This presentation provides an overview of the medical device development life cycle and discusses some of the new tools used in the development process (e.g., simulations, sample data) for a range of devices from implantable devices to software as a medical device (SaMD). These tools can be leveraged to assess the safety and performance of devices and potentially advance time to market, benefiting patients in need of next-generation devices that ultimately improve their quality of life.

 

Tech Talk #6

Title: Robots and the Future of Ocean Exploration

Presented by: James G. Bellingham, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Exploration Robotics;  Executive Director for the Institute for Assured Autonomy, Johns Hopkins University

Abstract: The ocean is a harsh environment, in which people can survive only with sophisticated technology and at a significant expense. However, developments in marine robotics, batteries, energy scavenging, sensors, and the information sciences are converging to enable a permanent presence in the ocean, not by humans, but by our robotic proxies. In this presentation, we will review lessons learned developing autonomous underwater vehicles and the challenges faced operating experimental robots in locations such as the remote Arctic and Antarctic. Looking to the future, we will explore the technological drivers for newer, more capable robots, how they might be used, the transformations they might engender, and the scientific problems they could address. Finally, we will consider how these innovations will change human activities in the ocean environment. Marine robotics is in its infancy but maturing rapidly; its future is bright.

This event will take place on JHU’s Homewood campus. The nearest hotel to campus is the Inn at The Colonnade Baltimore (within walking distance). Rooms can be booked here. Additional hotels can be found here.

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

If you have an accessibility request, please contact Dayna Geary by Friday, Sept. 8.

On Homewood Campus

• Friday, Sept. 22 | Volleyball Game – JHU vs. Scranton | 6:30 p.m. | Goldfarb Gym
• Saturday, Sept. 23 | Volleyball Game – JHU vs. Mt. Union | 12:30 p.m. | Goldfarb Gym
• Saturday, Sept. 23 | Volleyball Game – JHU vs. Salisbury | 5:30 p.m. | Goldfarb Gym
• Saturday, Sept. 23 | Water Polo Game – JHU vs. Bucknell | 7:30 p.m. | JHU Natatorium

Events in Baltimore

• Friday – Saturday, Sept. 22 – 23 | Artscape 2023 | Various times and locations
  • This is the nation’s largest free arts festival.
• Saturday, Sept. 23 | The Wiz | 8 p.m. | The Hippodrome Theater
• Sunday, Sept. 24 | Ravens vs. Colts | 1pm | M&T Bank Stadium

Museums/Places to Visit in Baltimore

• Baltimore Museum of Art (free admission): open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • This museum is located on JHU’s Homewood campus
• National Aquarium ($49.95): 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Maryland Science Center ($26.95): 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Fri)/10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sat)
• The Walters Art Museum (free admission): 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• American Visionary Art Museum ($15.95): 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• McHenry National Monument ($15): 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Prices and times scheduled to change; please visit websites for more information.