Two TSU Engineering Majors Capture Top Awards at National STEM Conference

Waled Tayib, a senior, left, received second place award, while Daniel Henke, a junior, took first place in the undergraduate oral and poster presentation at the Emerging Research National Conference in Washington, D.C. The students are both Electrical and Computer Engineering majors. (courtesy photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students continue to make their mark in science, technology, engineering and mathematics on the national scene in a big way.

At the just ended 2014 Emerging Research National Conference in STEM held in Washington, D.C., two Electrical and Computer Engineering majors captured top awards for research presentations.

Daniel Henke, a junior, received first place award, while Waled Tayib, a senior, took second place in the undergraduate oral and poster presentation.

Henke received his award in the Technology and Engineering category, while Tayib’s award was in Information Systems. Cyber security, with emphases on cyber physical system and smartphone security, was the focus of their research projects.

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering, attributed the success of the two TSU students to the college’s continued emphasis on research, pointing to evidence that suggests that students engaged in research as undergraduates have a higher graduation rate.

“I strongly encourage all students, but certainly our best students, to become engaged in research as undergraduates,” Hargrove said. “The experience helps relate their curriculum content, enhances the relationship with faculty, and develops key career skills for marketability and professional development.”

The three-day ERN conference, hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Science Foundation Division of Human Resource Development, brought together more than 200 participants from across the country.

Aimed at college and university undergraduate and graduate students who participate in programs funded by the NSF and the HRD Unit, the conference was intended to enhance participants’ science communication skills, as well as help them better understand how to prepare for STEM careers in a global workforce.

According to Hargrove, the TSU students presented research on projects being conducted at the College of Engineering, funded by NSF HBCU-UP Targeted Infusion and Research Initiation Awards.

Dr. Sachin Shetty, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the lead on the cyber security research at TSU, is the advisor for Henke and Tayib, Hargrove said.

“The cyber security research efforts at TSU have received significant support from NSF-HRD. This conference provided a platform for the students working on cyber security research projects to showcase their research efforts to a large audience of students and faculty from various institutions. The feedback from the students and faculty was immensely helpful in improving the quality of their research work,” Hargrove added.

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With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.