18th Annual Honors Engineering Symposium
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Welcome from First-Year Engineering
On behalf of the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, it is with great pleasure that we extend a warm welcome to you for the 18th Annual Honors Engineering Symposium. This event spotlights the remarkable achievements of our talented Honors Research and Honors Innovation Experience students, who are part of the Honors College.
Throughout the academic year, 64 first-year students from the College of Engineering and Walton College of Business have worked on projects mentored by University of Arkansas faculty members. Engaging in rigorous research colloquia and innovation sessions, these students have learned about various aspects of academia, research, and innovation with unwavering dedication.
The culmination of their efforts will be showcased through 21 compelling research and innovative design projects, covering a diverse spectrum of engineering disciplines. From the intricacies of mechanical engineering to the complexities of electrical systems, each project reflects the passion, intellect, and ingenuity of our emerging engineers and business students.
As we convene for this symposium, attendees will have the opportunity to attend insightful presentations and interactive poster sessions. We encourage everyone to engage with our students, learn about their projects, and participate in vibrant discussions.
We again welcome you to our 18th Annual Honors Engineering Symposium and express our gratitude for your participation. Together, let us celebrate the spirit of inquiry, collaboration, and excellence that defines our vibrant academic community.
Sincerely,
Aysa Galbraith, Ph.D.
Coordinator of Honors Research Experience
Teaching Associate Professor of First-Year Engineering Program
Leslie Massey, M.S.
Coordinator of Honors Innovation Experience
Advanced Instructor of First-Year Engineering Program
Welcome from the College of Engineering
Hello and welcome to the 18th Annual Honors Engineering Symposium. Today, we honor our students who are shaping the world of tomorrow! Participating in this symposium is a significant achievement, and you should be proud. Well done! You have gone above and beyond what is required of first-year students by choosing to participate in this research or innovation experience and for that we celebrate. Please enjoy the presentations and posters of those who will change research, product marketing and business development of the community, state, nation and the world.
Dean Kim LaScola Needy
Welcome from the Sam M. Walton College of Business
Welcome to the Honors Engineering Symposium, which showcases the amazing efforts of first-year engineering and business students enrolled in the Honors College and Honors College Path programs. Innovation is one of the values of the Walton College, and I am delighted you have chosen this path. As we look towards the future, it's clear that an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset will be critical in a quickly changing economy. I look forward to the impact you will make, and I congratulate your outstanding work this year!
Dean Brent Williams
Research Teams
Multi-Spectral Imaging of an Ionic Wind Propulsion System
Students
Emil Gierke | Mechanical Engineering
Brett Chandler | Electrical Engineering
Alexander Ford-Wutzke | Electrical Engineering
Zachary Needham | Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate
Nick Astie | Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Adam Huang | Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor
Project Description
In the interest of energy efficiency, alternatives to combustion-based aircraft propulsion are being explored, such as ionic wind propulsion. Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) devices can generate this propulsive airflow, but do not yet produce enough thrust to be viable. Using optical spectroscopy imaging, we are studying which types of air molecules are ionized by a DBD device. We are also looking for patterns in the geometry of the ionization. Our data will help better understand this ionic wind, which will help future researchers continue making advancements.
Evaluation of Transfection and Transduction Efficiency in HEK293.7 Cells via GFP Reporter Expression
Students
Caleb Lopez | Biomedical Engineering
Luke Rose | Biomedical Engineering
Isaac Shilling | Industrial Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Christopher Nelson, Ph.D.| Biomedical Engineering
Daniel Maxenberger | Graduate Student Mentor, Biomedical Engineering
Project Description
Lentivirus is an engineered RNA virus used to alter human cells for cell therapy. To increase the efficacy of lentivirus in gene therapy, our project combines two fields of gene delivery: lentivirus and lipid nanoparticles. Lipid nanoparticles are typically used to deliver messenger RNA to cells (e.g., the COVID vaccine). Our project explores whether coating lentivirus in lipid nanoparticles increases its ability to transduce into cells.
Tantalum Quarter-Wave Resonators
Students
Sean Howe | Computer Engineering
Owen Garrett | Computer Science
Faculty Mentor
Hugh O. H. Churchill | Dept. of Physics and Institute for Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Md Rafique Un Nabi | Department of Physics
Brycelynn M. Bailey | Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Physics
Project Description
Fabricate a tantalum based quarter-wave resonator and measure its properties. The desired measurement result will resemble an amplitude peak at a specific frequency. We will alter the fabrication process to optimize towards the desired result.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Investigation of Gust Loading Effects on the TTU building
Students
Logan Hedrick | Chemical Engineering
Shelby Salazar | Chemical Engineering
Jack Zeuthen | Civil Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Rathinam Panneer Selvam | Civil Engineering
Andre Hanley | Civil Engineering, Graduate Assistant
Project Description
Our team utilized computer modeling and simulation to test 3 cases- No inflow, Cyclical inflow, and Transient inflow- to determine peak pressure loading on buildings. This information can be analyzed to help create structural integrity guidelines for creating wind-resistant infrastructure.
Developing a topical hydrogel to protect the skin of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.
Students
Ally Thomas | Industrial Engineering
Brianna Wilson | Biomedical Engineering
Drew Holland | Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Younghye Song | Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Hyunseo Seok | Lab Technician, Biomedical Engineering
Zeynep Meral Kunt | PhD Student,Biomedical Engineering
Project Description
Our project's primary objective is to develop a topical hydrogel to protect the skin of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. We are comparing two skin decellularization protocols to optimize the removal of genetic components and the preservation of the extracellular matrix. Alongside the comparison of protocols, we are investigating how the inclusion of the epidermis layer would affect the mechanical and biological properties of the hydrogels.
Using Lipid Nanoparticles to Shift Human Immune Response to Disease
Students
TAliana Norton | Civil Engineering
Annika Wilson | Biomedical Engineering
Reese Williams | Chemical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Chris Nelson | Biomedical Engineering
Abbey Stokes | Biomedical Engineering
Project Description
In our project, we will be seeing if we can alter the immune response triggered by lipid nanoparticles. Lipid nanoparticles are very important and are crucial in a lot of different vaccines and medicines. Your body can have a positive or negative immune response to these treatments. So, for our project we will be focusing on the mixing methods of creating lipid nanoparticles to get a desired immune response.
Extending Uncertainty Frameworks for Aviation Safety Analysis
Students
Gavin Klingerman | Mechanical Engineering
Ben Allee | Electrical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Neelakshi Majumdar | Mechanical Engineering
Navin K C | Graduate student, Mechanical Engineering
Project Description
Analyzing NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) incident reports to investigate how epistemological and positional uncertainty contribute to pilot error in aviation training. Research involves identifying patterns in real-world incident data to understand how mismanaged uncertainty leads to hesitation, poor communication, and unsafe outcomes, with the goal of improving aviation safety training frameworks.
Developing Control Systems for Dextrous Manipulators to Model Primitive Shapes in
Three Dimensions
Students
John Cedric Serio | Computer Engineering
Gavin Swanson | Mechanical Engineering
Leo Simonian | Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Alejandro Martin-Gomez | Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science
Dr. Mehran Armand | Professor, Mechanical Engineering & I³R
Project Description
We developed a stepper motor-based wire-driven control system for dexterous manipulators designed by Dr. Armand. In building this manipulator, we modularized the codebase in order to be generalized to other forms of dexterous manipulator and to be easily made compatible with almost any form of input. Our demo involves a simple form of the dexterous manipulator tracking a virtual object through space, positioning itself as close to the virtual object's location as possible as a proof of concept for using this system for virtual or extended reality.
Coating Electrodes to Decrease Degradation of Lithium-Ion Batteries Over Charge Cycles
Students
Janet Reyes | Biomedical Engineering
Lauryn Tapley | Biomedical EngineeringLincoln Gordon | Chemical Engineering
Luke Rice | Electrical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Xiangbo Meng | Mechanical Engineering
Kevin Velasquez | Mechanical Engineering
Project Description
Our goal was to examine the effects of zirconium sulfide coatings on electrodes. We created cathodes, assembled small batteries, and cycled these batteries to retrieve data.
Energy Efficiency in Micro-mobility Systems
Students
Timothy Lloyd Garrison | Electrical Engineering
Zach Ellis | Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Uche Wejinya | Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Project Description
We analyzed the energy efficiency of micro-mobility systems in different contexts
to establish tangible benefits, financial plausibility, and room for growth. Tests
were run on electric scooters over varying courses with different braking systems
to determine the energy requirements of the systems. We also calculated the theoretical
energy requirements of a basic system and a system incorporating super-capacitors.
The margins in this data were then compared to a fiscal model to establish the financial
return.
Enhancing High Voltage Cycling Stability of NMC811 Cathodes with Aluminum Sulfide
Coatings
Students
Claire Burton | Chemical Engineering
Annette Ha | Chemical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Xiangbo Meng | Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Kevin Velasquez Carballo | Ph.D. Candidate, Mechanical Engineering
Project Description
Coin cell lithium-ion batteries were built using NMC811 cathodes with aluminum-sulfide coating, which were prepared using atomic layer deposition. The batteries were then put through several charging cycles, and the capacity was recorded. The purpose of this project was to expand upon previous research by testing the batteries at higher voltage windows. The data collected was used to compare coated and uncoated batteries to find the limit the batteries can perform successfully at.
Expanding a Computational Model to Advance Personalized Treatment of Cardiac Fibrosis
Students
Ava Kinney | Chemical Engineering
Tommie Lee | Biomedical Engineering
Saira George | Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
William Richardson, Ph.D. | Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering
Project Description
Effects of Urbanization on Water Quality in Arkansas
Students
Zack Bergeron | Chemical Engineering
Lexi Windle | Chemical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Brian Haggard | Director of Arkansas Resource Center and Professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Project Description
Northwest Arkansas has been developing rapidly in recent years, resulting in an increase in urbanization. This project aims to evaluate the effects of this development by collecting samples from ten lakes throughout northwest Arkansas and evaluating levels of natural nutrients. We hope our research will be used to advise the state in the effects of urbanization on water quality, thus pushing Arkansas towards a cleaner water system.
Investigating the Effects of Different Outlet Boundary Conditions in Modeling Microbursts
Students
Daniel Williams | Civil Engineering
Sawyer Bivens | Civil Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Dr. R. Panneer Selvam | Civil Engineering
André Stefan Hanley | Graduate Student, Civil Engineering
Project Description
Microbursts are understudied natural phenomena often occurring in thunderstorms. We analyzed the CFD data of two different outlet configuration in the proposed microburst simulator (named NEWRITE). The types of outlets tested were “completely open” and “partially open.” We visualized the flows and pressures of both configurations using Tecplot360 to draw comparisons. We found that in the region most important for the simulator, the differences were minimal, if not zero.
Innovation Teams
Adjust-Alarm: An adjustable smoke detector that helps reduce false alarms
Students
Logan Greggs | Computer Science
Diesel Mayabb | Civil Engineering
Wyatt Taylor | Chemical Engineering
Ethan McFarlin | Electrical Engineering
Luke Paulus | Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Jeff Dix, PhD | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Project Description
Adjust-Alarm is meant to be a improved version of the basic smoke detector. It has an adjustability feature that allows users to change the threshold of detection to better fit different rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms. Adjust-Alarm is going to be easy to adjust by nature and won't require much extraneous effort.
Sustain Gauge - A Green Business Guideline
Students
Tobin Potts | Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, Walton College of Business
Noah Gates | Mechanical Engineering
William Hutcherson | Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Rogelio Garcia Contreras, PhD | SEVI, Walton College of Business
Project Description
Sustain Gauge aims to provide the City of Fayetteville's local businesses with a simple, easy-to-follow guideline to expand their ESG umbrella. Companies use 17 captions with specific questions to guide them to smaller goals. Together, these total questions are used to calculate a certification level for companies on the degree to which they are succeeding.
NightShade - Automated Windshield Tint
Students
Kayden Kordsmeier | Mechanical Engineering
Hannah Frentress | Biomedical Engineering
Juan Cubero | Electrical Engineering
Kavan Patel | Electrical Engineering
Anthony White | Industrial Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Robert Saunders, MS | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Project Description
Driving at night is hazardous enough without bright headlights glaring at you. What if there was a way to make sure you were never blinded again? Our project takes existing lens polarization techniques and applies them to your very own windshield. Drive safely— drive with NightShade.
SipSafe
Students
Gavin Law | Biomedical Engineering
Tinley Harris | Mechanical Engineering
Mitchell York | Mechanical Engineering
Kareem Abu-Saif | Industrial Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Bailey Guillotte | Walton College of Business
Latisha Puckett, PhD | First-Year Engineering Program
Project Description
This project develops a wearable safety tool that uses a simple color-changing test strip to detect drink-spiking drugs such as GHB and ketamine. The strip reacts within seconds when exposed to contaminated liquid, providing a fast, discreet visual warning. The goal is to create an accessible, low-cost method for real-time drink safety that can be integrated into everyday wearables to help reduce drug-facilitated assaults.
DoorCentric Energy - Doors as Power Sources
Students
Claire Thompson | Industrial Engineering
Garrett Studer | Industrial Engineering
Blake Freeman | Mechanical Engineering
Alex Reyes | Computer Science
Cordale Knapik | Civil Engineering
Peyton Conrady | Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Robert Saunders, M.S. | Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Project Description
DoorCentric Energy turns everyday motion into high‑impact power. Every push, pull, and swing in a busy building generates mechanical energy that typically goes to waste. By tapping into this constant flow of movement, we unlock a predictable, weather‑proof energy source that traditional renewables ignore. No behavior change, no footprint, just routine foot traffic. DoorCentric Energy unlocks a new class of micro‑generation that strengthens building sustainability without changing how people move.
Aorta: Precision Medicine & Fitness AI Wearable
Students
Ava McMath | Chemical Engineering
Kennedi Acklin | Civil Engineering
Ali Garst | Industrial Engineering
Ella Hornberger | Civil Engineering
Greta Whitt | Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Alex Nelson, PhD | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Project Description
Healthcare is traditionally thought of as making sick people well. This pitch deck explores how an AI wearable would take people who are well to healthier and shift long-term care from episodic to preventative. Wearables can continuously track health data and use AI to analyze this information and provide user-specific feedback: detecting early warning signs and encouraging healthier habits.
Aorta: Precision Medicine & Fitness AI Wearable
Students
Ava McMath | Chemical Engineering
Kennedi Acklin | Civil Engineering
Ali Garst | Industrial Engineering
Ella Hornberger | Civil Engineering
Greta Whitt | Biomedical Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Alex Nelson, PhD | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Project Description
Healthcare is traditionally thought of as making sick people well. This pitch deck explores how an AI wearable would take people who are well to healthier and shift long-term care from episodic to preventative. Wearables can continuously track health data and use AI to analyze this information and provide user-specific feedback: detecting early warning signs and encouraging healthier habits.