Students from Fayetteville State University and North Carolina State University collaborated on a winning design during a NASA contest. | NASA
Students from Fayetteville State University and North Carolina State University collaborated on a winning design during a NASA contest. | NASA
Select Fayetteville State University and North Carolina State University students showed off their technology skills during this year's NASA-sponsored University Student Design Challenge.
Two FSU students and one NCSU student, along with their advisers, traveled to NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, where they presented their winning project, “Improving the Design of Heat Exchangers with Artificial Intelligence,” according to a release from FSU.
“It’s been extremely rewarding and exciting to mentor this team throughout this process and see them engage with NASA scientists and engineers creatively and innovatively to help address genuine, specific challenges facing NASA,” Dr. Sambit Bhattacharya, a professor in FSU’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and director of FSU’s Intelligent Systems Laboratory, said in the release. “Their curiosity, drive, tenacity and intellectual agility in this challenge have been inspiring, and they have earned and deserve this honor. I am so pleased to have served as their faculty advisor, and I look forward to opening these research opportunities to more students.”
The academic venture asked students to showcase their ideas for more efficient heat management systems driven by artificial intelligence that could be used to meet the space agency’s needs.
Monica T. Leach, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at FSU, said she was not surprised that the school’s students came up with a winning design because of their strong guidance.
“FSU’s renowned faculty are the best in their fields and dedicate themselves to creating incredible opportunities for their students,” Leach said. “Dr. Bhattacharya is a gifted investigator and impactful teacher. Opportunities like these give our students unmatched experiences and further prepare them for whatever their future may hold. We congratulate our winning team and commend all our researchers for their efforts and dedication.”
NASA has sponsored the University Student Design Challenge for five years, and this is the first time FSU has participated.