Scranton Teams Win Multiple Top Honors at IEEE Conference

Engineering students from The University of Scranton delivered a standout performance, among peers from colleges throughout the region, at a competition testing their engineering, programming and problem-solving skills through robotics.

More than 300 students and faculty/staff members from 35 colleges and universities participated at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Region 1 and 2 Student Activities Conference (SAC), held March 21 at Rowan University in New Jersey. Only six events were held - and Scranton's IEEE branch won two of them, placing first in the Mini Pupper and MicroMouse competitions.

IEEE Regions 1 and 2 comprise much of the Northeast United States from Ohio and West Virginia through Maine. Other top finishers at the event hailed from Penn State, West Virginia, Maryland, Rutgers, Temple, Ohio Northern, York College, Montclair State and Wilkes.

The Mini Pupper competition challenged students to program a small, dog-like robot to complete a set of tasks. Students used their coding skills to make the robot move and behave like a dog. Students also controlled the robot's responses during a tug-of-war against other robots. Mini Pupper teammates included Rachel Lendzinski, Deanna Holbert and Lailah Merai.

"Even though this was my first time going to SAC, I didn't have to worry about feeling left behind. I got to work with two amazing seniors, and we put a lot of time and energy into our project, so to win our division meant a lot," said Lendzinski, president of the University's student-led Laboratory for Research and Innovation in Computer Engineering (RICE Lab). "I got to bond with several upperclassmen who not only helped me when I didn't quite understand something - but also told me a lot about what I had to look forward to in my engineering courses here at Scranton."

The MicroMouse competition tasked the group with designing and 3D printing a small, autonomous robot that could sense walls inside a maze. The robot needed to solve the maze on its own, using sensors and intelligently programmed logic to escape. MicroMouse teammates included Carlton J. Hackett, Noah Millett and Ryan Merlo.

Additionally, Alfred Kumi-Atiemo Jr. placed third in Brown Bag, a hands-on engineering challenge where student teams were given a bag of unknown components. Using only those components and their own knowledge, competitors, participating as teams of one to four students, had to design and build a working solution to a surprise problem.

The following students attended the conference:

• Emmanuel O. Awuah, a computer engineering major from Somerset, New Jersey
• Eldridge G. Charway, a computer engineering major from Somerset, New Jersey
• Carlton J. Hackett, a computer engineering major from Lansdale
• Deanna Holbert, an electrical engineering major from Simpson
• Alfred K. Kumi-Atiemo, an electrical engineering major from Stroudsburg
• Rachel A. Lendzinski, a computer engineering major from Lansdale
• Lailah D. Merai, a computer engineering major from White Plains, Maryland
• Ryan A. Merlo, a computer engineering major from Macungie
• Noah W. Millett, an electrical engineering major from Swarthmore
• Joseph R. Mpasiakos, a computer engineering major from Harriman, New York
• James W. O'Malley IV, a computer engineering major from Ambler

All logistics related to the trip, including coordination and transportation, were supported and managed by Farshad Merrikh Bayat, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics and engineering, working with the University's IEEE student chapter. Dr. Bayat assigned the Mini Pupper portion to the University's student-led RICE Lab group, whose faculty advisor is Navid Shahrouzi, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics and engineering. Majid Mokhtari, senior laboratory engineer, provided essential technical support and preparation.

The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. In addition to competitions, the SAC featured hands-on workshops and opportunities to network with fellow students and industry leaders.