Shwetha Srikanta, a computer science Ph.D. student in the , won two top honors at Amazon’s global intern recognition event for her work developing artificial intelligence systems to detect and stop sophisticated automated attacks.

Srikanta received the Global Top EXPO Award and the Global Top People’s Choice Award for her project during an internship as an applied scientist at Amazon. Her project focused on building AI systems designed to identify and mitigate advanced automated attacks, technology that could help safeguard billions of customer interactions.

“It has been an exciting technical challenge and a meaningful opportunity to contribute to AI systems operating at an incredible scale,” says Srikanta. “This recognition reflects the support, mentorship and collaboration of many exceptional people.”

Srikanta says the recognition will motivate her continued research into AI systems aimed at solving large-scale, real-world problems.

“I’m deeply thankful to my mentors, advisor, and everyone who has supported me along the way,” says Srikanta. “This recognition inspires me to continue building AI systems that solve challenging real-world problems and create meaningful impact.”

The classroom spaces in the Center for Science and Technology buzz with activity as high school students build and learn how to code autonomous vehicles on land, in the air and underwater.

A black and white quadcopter drone hovers a few feet above ground, precisely navigating a test flight.

On the ground, black robotic rovers navigate a racecourse consisting of varying terrains, mapped out in blue and orange masking tape.

Below the surface, twin submersibles glide through the water, responding to commands from students on the pool deck relayed through a tethered topside control unit.

is a summer STEM program that ran June 29 through July 28 in the (ECS), meant to develop a pipeline of high school students interested in working with autonomous vehicles. As part of the program, 23 high school students from the greater Syracuse area built and operated different autonomous systems using video game-style controllers.

Students also worked on UAS-SAR (Unmanned Air System—Synthetic Aperture Radar), exploring radar imaging by building and flying a radar on a small drone and using it to capture images of different objects. Throughout the program, students also got a foundational look at the batteries driving these systems, discussing how factors like weight, capacity and charge time shape the performance of vehicles operating on land, in the air and underwater.

“It’s important to get high schoolers into engineering and the STEM fields,” says Connor Sumner ’25, G’27, a current teaching assistant who earned a �����������ǰ�’s degree in electrical engineering and will complete a �������ٱ��’s degree in May. “Seeing a drone fly by, watching the submarine glide across the water and learning how to build the race car is definitely one of the biggest factors that hook kids on these activities.”

From Curious Scholar to Confident Coder

Coen Fierke ’29 enjoyed the engineering lessons he learned three years ago as a student scholar at Orange Works so much that he enrolled as an electrical engineering major in ECS.

“This program is amazing, and it’s so helpful for students to come to Syracuse and get these opportunities to be introduced to these skills,” Fierke says. “I was motivated to attend Syracuse University after doing Orange Works because I could see myself doing electrical engineering. The program made me want to come here.”

Like many of the participants, Fierke came into the program with minimal coding experience, but after taking an introductory Python programming course each evening, Fierke says he soon felt comfortable navigating the coding required to program the different vehicles.

“These students will live in a world full of autonomous systems where, starting today, they will have the tools to help shape the future,” says Anthony Terrinoni, the associate director of academic programs in mechanical and aerospace engineering who also directs Orange Works.

A Slice of Life on Campus

In its fourth year, Orange Works falls under the mechanical and aerospace engineering department in ECS and is funded jointly by the (CASE) at Syracuse University, and the . Led by Binghamton University, the Engine brings together premier research and development universities, educational institutions, industry, economic development and community organizations and government agencies to grow the battery ecosystem in Upstate New York driving national and regional impact.

“Programs like Orange Works are only possible because of strong partnerships and support,” says , professor and chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. “We’re grateful to CASE and the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York for their financial support, which allows us to give these students hands-on experiences with battery integration and autonomous systems while helping build the next generation of engineers here in Central New York.”

“Orange Works is a great entry point into the Energy Storage Scholars Initiative, our effort to build a talent pipeline for this industry from high school through college and beyond,” says Tim Thomas, chief workforce development officer for the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York. “Building a strong energy storage ecosystem in New York State requires a steady supply of skilled engineers, and programs like this one are essential to giving more students across our region access to engineering degrees at institutions like Syracuse’s College of Engineering and Computer Science.”

Students eat in the dining halls and visit campus spots like the , the and the , activities that Fierke says “help connect students with Syracuse and show them what life is like as a Syracuse University student.”

Orange Works participants also learn from ECS faculty and current students, building up their engineering skills while gaining the confidence to turn their passion for autonomous vehicles into a potential career path.

“Orange Works gives high school students the chance to work in teams and design, build and program a real autonomous system alongside our faculty and current students,” says , interim ECS dean and associate provost for academic programs. “This unique and engaging experience helps them build the skills and confidence to pursue engineering and computer science degrees in college and become the innovators of the future.”

Putting Skills to the Test at MIT

The highlight of Orange Works was putting the students’ skills to the test on a challenging course as part of an international autonomous-vehicle competition at the (MIT) , held July 30 through Aug. 2.

Leading up to the competition, students spend hours together testing their autonomous vehicles, supporting and learning from each other in a collaborative environment while overcoming challenges stemming from building, programming and troubleshooting.

“It’s pretty cool going home and telling your friends that you spent part of your summer building these autonomous vehicles. These students want to learn, and this program educates them now and prepares them for a career in the future,” Sumner says.

For Fierke, the same program that first sparked his interest in electrical engineering as a high school scholar has him giving back to aspiring engineers as one of the program’s teaching assistants.

“Orange Works creates these opportunities to network and learn from some of the best minds in the field,” Fierke says.

Three Syracuse University faculty members—, and —have been named to the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology’s (MOST) list, presented by Micron Technology. The annual list recognizes early-career professionals whose work is advancing STEM in the region.

The recognition comes as Central New York is poised to become a major hub for semiconductor manufacturing with Micron’s planned multibillion-dollar investment in the region, including a $100 billion manufacturing campus in suburban Syracuse.

“These three faculty members represent exactly the kind of talent that makes Syracuse a magnet for world-class researchers,” says Vice President for Research . “While their work spans computational chemistry, robotics and microbial ecology, each is training the scientists and engineers our region will need as Central New York’s technology economy grows.”

Atanu Acharya

Acharya, an assistant professor of chemistry at the (A&S), is a computational chemist who uses quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics and machine learning to solve biochemical puzzles, ranging from the respiration of “metal-breathing” bacteria to controlling biochemical reactions with light to understanding how microplastics and nanoplastics get through cell membranes.

His research depends on high-performance computing and simulations, as if he is using a “computational microscope,” a term often used to describe the field. Similar computational tools underlie material design, giving his students skills directly transferable to the region’s growing STEM-focused industries.

Zhenyu Gan

Gan, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the , directs the Dynamic Locomotion and Robotics Lab, studying how animals shift fluidly between gaits and applying those principles to legged robots that can adjust their posture, leg length or shape depending on the task. Gan also studies robotic exoskeletons designed to reduce injury and fatigue in physically demanding jobs.

His research in robotics, controls and automation sits squarely in fields central to advanced chip fabrication, where precision robotics keep cleanroom production lines running, allowing Gan’s students to develop the engineering skills valued by companies like Micron.

Angela Oliverio

Oliverio, assistant professor of biology at A&S, studies the ecology and evolution of microbes—from geothermal amoebae that survive near the boiling point of water to synthetic microbial communities that she builds in the lab. She and her students investigate “community coalescence,” or what happens when separate microbial communities merge, with implications for agriculture, medicine and biotechnology.

That data-intensive approach to biology mirrors the data science techniques increasingly used in semiconductor fabrication, giving her students large-scale data analysis skills that translate well beyond biology.

The trio will be honored at an Nov. 5 at the MOST.

While many college students spent their summer at home or in a classroom, Andrew Uryniak ’28 spent his summer helping engineer the next mission to Mars.

The aerospace engineering major in the completed a 10-week internship at NASA’s (JPL), managed by the California Institute of Technology, where he worked in the System Safety Office supporting NASA’s contribution to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission. NASA is providing the ESA with Mars lander engines, a mass spectrometer for the mission’s MOMA instrument and a launch vehicle, along with potential use of lightweight heater units, for the joint mission to search for signs of past life on Mars.

Uryniak’s project focused on assessing the risk of inadvertent mechanism deployment, a scenario NASA evaluates for its launches. To do that work, he used Siemens NX, a CAD and finite element analysis program widely used in the aerospace industry, to build 3D models of spacecraft components and run structural simulations.

“The work I did during my internship gave me a great look into one of the most widely-used CAD and FEA software programs in the industry, and it really elevated my appreciation for the structural work that aerospace engineers do,” says Uryniak.

At JPL, Uryniak also had an orange connection. Aerospace engineering alumnus Shaun Ryan ’16 served as his mentor and provided guidance as he learned his way around the legendary NASA facility.

“I’m extremely grateful for Shaun and his support as a mentor during my time as a JPL intern. He was there to help me when challenges arose, but he also gave me opportunities to learn and make progress independently, and I’m very thankful for that,” says Uryniak. “My success as an intern would not have been possible without his guidance and feedback. I also really appreciate each chance I was given to explore the laboratory with him and learn about his role at JPL. Because of Shaun, I was able to develop skills and an engineering mindset that I know will take me far in life.”

Uryniak’s work at JPL included learning to mesh components for analysis; running hand calculations rooted in dynamics, kinematics and structural engineering principles; and conducting impact tests on composite material samples to study how they respond to varying levels of impact energy.

Beyond his primary project, Uryniak supported cleanroom operations and spacecraft hardware testing and watched a Mars rover test bed make the trip from a cleanroom to JPL’s Mars Yard, where engineers test vehicles built for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers.

“Being able to support cleanroom operations was one of my favorite parts of the internship,” Uryniak says. “It was so surreal getting to stand near hardware that would eventually be leaving Earth. I hope to pursue work that gives me that kind of opportunity again in the future.”

The internship also gave Uryniak access to speakers and facilities not typically open to the public.

“JPL did an amazing job of ensuring interns made the most of their experience by arranging events with guest speakers like Reid Wiseman, the commander of the Artemis II mission,” Uryniak says. “I was also fortunate enough to hear the current NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, speak about the next few years of NASA during his visit to JPL.”

Uryniak also toured JPL’s Space Flight Operations Facility, the mission control center that has directed NASA’s interplanetary and deep space missions since 1964 and manages the Deep Space Network, along with several other facilities across the lab.

“Working for NASA has been a dream of mine for years, so being able to spend my summer in Southern California at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was an absolute dream come true,” Uryniak says. “I am so grateful for everything I was able to learn and do in just 10 weeks.”

Four faculty members in the early stages of their research careers have earned recognition and funding from the (NSF) this year through its award program.

The CAREER program is among the most prestigious awards NSF offers. It supports early-career faculty who show promise as both researchers and teachers and who weave education into their scientific work.

“CAREER awards are among the most competitive NSF offers, and they give a researcher’s work real momentum at a pivotal stage,” says Duncan Brown, vice president for research. “They tell the national scientific community that innovative work is happening here, and because the program values teaching as much as discovery, students can be confident they’re learning from faculty at the leading edge of their fields. Earning four awards in a single year speaks to the caliber of faculty joining, and at, Syracuse—and to what our students gain from learning alongside them.”

Receiving awards this year are:

, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the ($611,222)

Gan received the grant for his project “A Systematic Framework for Morphological Adaptation and Control of Transformable Legged Robots.” Most robots have a fixed shape; Gan is building one that doesn’t. His legged robot can change its own body—adjusting leg length, posture or shape—to walk, jump, crawl or carry a load. His work develops the math and controls that let a machine reshape itself as the task changes, with possible uses in search and rescue, disaster response and space exploration.

The award also builds a robotics pipeline for students at every stage: middle schoolers will program small four-legged robots, high schoolers will take on a self-driving racecar challenge, and Syracuse undergraduates will help teach them and carry the research into the classroom.

, assistant professor of physics in the (A&S) ($770,516).

Pashine received funding for “Adaptability of Soft Deformable Granular Materials.” She studies granular materials—think sand or a bag of beads—but with a twist: her particles can bend, grip and change their size, shape and stiffness. Using custom-built robotic particles, she traces how the behavior of single grains adds up to how the whole material acts—whether it flows or holds firm. The goal is “programmable” matter that can be tuned to respond in specific ways.

Her project also brings physics to a wider audience. With a Syracuse colleague in mathematics and education, she is designing an algebra-based “meaningful physics” course for non-majors that ties the material to students’ everyday lives.

Undergraduate researchers will build interactive demonstrations in her lab that then travel to K-12 classrooms, creating a chain of hands-on science engagement.

, assistant professor of mathematics in A&S ($400,000)

Pollitz received the funds for his project “Applications of Koszul Duality to Local Algebra.” He works in areas of mathematics that study number-like systems called rings and the patterns in how their parts fit together. He focuses on rings with “singularities”—points where the structure turns irregular and is hard to pin down.

His main tool is Koszul duality, which recasts a hard problem in a friendlier setting to tame calculations that would otherwise run on forever. Teaching sits at the center of the award: Pollitz will run week-long masterclasses and immersive summer schools—modeled on European programs—that bring students and researchers together for intensive, hands-on work and build a wider community around the field.

, assistant professor of physics in A&S ($1,007,943).

Mihovilovic Skanata’s award advances her research on how a brain turns what it senses into what an animal does. Her model is the fruit fly larva, simple enough to study almost neuron by neuron. Her five-year project, Lessons From a Simple Brain, asks how neural circuits weigh competing signals and settle on a response.

Her interdisciplinary lab spans physics, neuroscience, engineering and computer science. The team builds its own instruments—including a microscope that follows a larva and records its brain activity as it moves freely—to watch the brain at work in real time.

The award also opens the lab to students. It funds an intensive “NeuroBootCamp,” a six-week summer research program for high schoolers run with the Syracuse City School District, and public science events such as “Ask a Scientist” at the Museum of Science & Technology.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Yizhi Liu and his Ph.D. student Yanxi Liu have developed a system that allows a humanoid robot to observe construction workers and replicate their physical techniques, a breakthrough Liu believes is among the first of its kind in the construction field.

They published their findings in , one of the leading peer-reviewed journals covering construction automation and robotics.

In the study, Yizhi Liu’s team built what they call a vision-based “perception-and-action” system, which enables a humanoid robot to watch, process and reproduce the motions of skilled construction workers. Using the system, the robot successfully learned and executed 30 distinct construction skills and tasks demonstrated directly by human workers on-site.

The research comes as the U.S. construction industry faces a projected shortfall of nearly 350,000 additional workers in 2026, according to estimates from Associated Builders and Contractors. Construction accidents, meanwhile, account for roughly 30% of all work-related deaths worldwide, according to the International Labour Organization.

Yanxi Liu, the study’s first author, says humanoid robots—machines built to approximate the human form—are particularly well-suited for construction work because job sites are designed around the human body. Unlike industrial robots confined to controlled factory floors, humanoid robots can navigate scaffolding, ladders and irregular terrain that more conventional machines cannot.

The system goes beyond remote control or pre-programmed routines. Instead, the robot uses the perception-and-action framework to interpret a worker’s body movements in three dimensions, translate those motions to fit its own physical proportions, and then carry out the task.

Yizhi Liu joined the in 2024 after earning a doctorate in architectural engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He also holds �������ٱ��’s degrees in electrical engineering, robotics and civil engineering.

His A-STAR lab focuses on robotics, artificial intelligence and human-robot interaction in construction settings. Prior research from the group has explored brain-computer interfaces for hands-free robot control and AI-driven systems for detecting fall hazards on job sites. Liu is also part of Syracuse University’s .

Students this fall will be able to enroll in new artificial intelligence degree programs, housed in the and the  (ECS). Here’s what to know about the three newest degree offerings.

1. The programs are part of a larger AI push at the University

The �����������ǰ�’s degree in in the iSchool, which includes a required minor in an applied domain, and both and in artificial intelligence science in ECS were all recently approved by the New York State Education Department.

They’re part of the University’s sweeping new , launched in July. The University’s AI portfolio isn’t limited to the three new degrees. It also includes cross-disciplinary AI minors, hands-on co-curricular opportunities like a peer-led AI bootcamp and research, all designed as a single, coherent ecosystem.

2. They’re arriving as AI job demand surges

The degrees arrive at the University at a time when job postings in the United States requiring AI skills grew 144% year over year, as of April 2026, according to the , and when industry experts project the country faces growing demand for candidates with the skills and expertise to meet the rapid growth of .

All three of the new programs focus on real-world application and preparing students to be responsible, skilled leaders in AI, whether they are focused on programming and design or policy and data analytics.

3. The iSchool’s new degree pairs technical skills with a human-centered lens

The new degree in the iSchool takes a human-centered approach to AI, pairing foundations in programming, mathematics and AI systems with the use of the tools in real-world settings, requiring students to examine the rapidly changing field through the lenses of ethics, governance and human-centered design.

The 120-credit curriculum, which includes a hands-on capstone, was designed with collaboration across schools, bringing in faculty expertise from ECS, the , the , the and the .

The commitment to an interdisciplinary approach is demonstrated in the requirement that students pair the major with a minor complementing their interests in one of seven domains that converge with the current and future evolution of AI, with options that include analytics, business, communications, media or policy.

The goal of the integrative artificial intelligence degree is for students to develop a technical competency alongside the ability to critically assess how AI is shaping society, organizations and human values. The new undergraduate degree joins the iSchool’s AI graduate program, which launched in fall 2025.

 4. ECS’s new bachelor’s degree offers both software and hardware tracks

The new AI science degree in ECS is among the first undergraduate AI degrees in the country that offers both software and hardware paths to students. The degree requires the completion of 120 credits across six components, including a general education foundation, a computing core, an AI core and a capstone, to prepare students for the way AI is designed and deployed right now.

Students will also be required to choose between two nine-credit concentrations as part of their major: a software concentration focused on algorithms, data and machine intelligence or a hardware concentration in AI processor architecture, acceleration and silicon design.

With AI coursework beginning in the second year, students will build toward specialization and internship opportunities before their senior year. During their capstone, students will be connected with regional industry partners such as Lockheed Martin, Saab and Hidden Level, among other technology employers in the Syracuse area.

5. The new ECS master’s degree welcomes students without a computer science background

Designed to produce senior-level AI scientists and engineers across both software and hardware, the new �������ٱ��’s degree in ECS requires the completion of 30 credits, giving students the option of pursuing the degree part-time or full-time. The program is designed for STEM graduates seeking deep expertise in AI but does not require a computer science undergraduate degree to enroll. Two 500-level bridge courses bring students from mathematics, physics and engineering fields into the program, eliminating prerequisite barriers.

The program, which combines a 12-credit advanced AI core, a three-credit specialization track in either AI hardware design or natural language processing, a six-credit thesis or capstone, six credits of AI electives and a three-credit engineering elective, was designed for students who want to become industry leaders capable of designing and analyzing AI systems across both software and hardware domains.

“It’s nice to wake up in the morning and know that the things I’ve just planted will be ready to harvest in a couple of weeks,” says Darika Djusupova ’28, one of two student managers at this summer. “The vegetables will be donated, and somebody will get to enjoy the tomatoes I’ve grown.”

That simple, quiet joy is at the heart of everything happening at Pete’s Giving Garden this summer on South Campus, where student managers Djusupova and Maria Buscaglia G’27 spend their days weeding, planting and harvesting food that will be supplied to the at .

A Garden Rooted in Need

Pete’s Giving Garden was founded in 2019, after it became clear the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry needed a steady source of fresh produce. Hendricks Chapel partnered with to bring the idea to life. What started as a single raised bed has since grown into additional raised beds, , ADA-accessible beds, a pollinator garden, apple and pear trees, raspberry bushes and four traditional row gardens. The garden has produced over 600 pounds of produce for the pantry to date and has expanded its partnerships to include the ‘s Food Studies and Nutrition Program.

The garden’s mission has grown, too, now encompassing wellness and research opportunities. But at its heart, the purpose hasn’t changed: growing food for students and using sustainable agriculture practices, row by row.

The food grown finds its way to the , named for beloved , who never forgot what it meant to go without the necessities as a child during the Great Depression. The pantry serves any Syracuse University or SUNY-ESF student with a valid ID, built on the belief that no student should have to choose between groceries and other essentials.

Two Managers, Two Family Gardens

Ask Buscaglia and Djusupova how they first fell in love with gardening and you’ll hear two very different stories that land in the exact same place: family.

Buscaglia traces it back to her dad, who grew tomatoes in their yard when she was a kid. Later, elementary school garden programs introduced her to radishes, jalapeños and corn. Then, something clicked.

“I’ve always had a love for food,” she says, “and what better way to get food than growing it yourself?”

Now a graduate student pursuing her MA in Nutrition Science at the Falk College of Sport, Buscaglia found her way to the garden after meeting the previous managers at an orientation event and thinking, “I want to work in a garden.”

Her advisor agreed she’d be a great fit, and she applied.

Djusupova’s roots in gardening stem from her grandmother’s yard in Kyrgyzstan, where the family had apple trees they’d harvest together each summer, along with tomatoes that became , a Central Asian tomato salad often served alongside the rice dish, plov (pilaf). Djusupova, a rising junior studying computer science, hadn’t gardened much since her childhood, but when she saw the garden manager position posted on Handshake, she was curious and decided to apply.

Neither Buscaglia nor Djusupova came in as an expert. Both are still learning on the job, one weeded row at a time.

What the Garden Has Taught Them

Ask either manager for a favorite harvest, and carrots and cucumbers come up fast. Buscaglia loves pulling carrots that rarely come out in the shape she expects. She’s come to appreciate just how different homegrown vegetables look from what populates grocery store shelves. She’s also had to make peace with bees, an ongoing project for someone who isn’t naturally fond of things that sting or have “unexpected flight patterns,” Buscaglia  adds with a laugh.

Djusupova has grown especially fond of cucumbers and radishes; she enjoys making her own homemade pickles with both. Radishes from the garden are barely bigger than a nickel and come in shades of pale pink, deep purple and red, nothing like the uniform bunches at the store.

She’s also discovered an unexpected parallel between gardening and her studies as a computer science major in the .

“It’s kind of like a trial-and-error thing, same as with coding,” Djusupova says. “Once you run the script, sometimes it may not work, and you have to tweak a few things.”

When the garden’s first batch of cucumber transplants died from the shock of moving straight from a warm greenhouse into cooler outdoor nights, Djusupova and the team didn’t scrap the plan. They stored the plants in their work shed and then gradually eased the next batch outside until the plants took root and thrived.

For Djusupova, the most meaningful part of the job isn’t the science of it. It’s the knowledge that everything she plants has somewhere to go.

“I have a direct impact on other people’s lives,” she says. “That’s something I really like about the work that I do here.”

“Our Coach Mac Food Pantry patrons are so grateful to receive the fresh produce from the garden,” Alison Murray, Hendricks Chapel’s assistant dean for student assistance, says. “With lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, garlic and more, our students can make almost any dish they’d like. I’m thankful that Maria and Darika bring the veggies to the pantry after each harvest!”

Lydia Krayenhagen, project manager for Sustainability Management, says the two student managers have done a great job overseeing the garden this season.

“In the spring, they created a map detailing where the vegetables and herbs would be planted,” she says. “Now that we’re in the peak of summer, the garden is thriving. They’ve also done a wonderful job leading volunteers when they visit the garden, whether it be students, faculty, or staff.”

Bleron Balidemaj ’27, Jack Barna ’27, Heidi Ly ’28 and Josh Malvino ’28 were walking across campus when they saw flaggers at a campus construction project guiding traffic through a construction zone.

Watching the flaggers inspired AutoStrada, an autonomous traffic control system for one-lane construction zones that won the $1,500 first prize at , a program challenging students to solve real-world problems.

During the six-week program, 31 undergraduate ECS students and one undergraduate from the refined their prototypes with feedback from guest evaluators before pitching to a panel of entrepreneurs.

A Focus on Safety in Construction Zones

For the inventors of AutoStrada, they say the system will improve safety and traffic flow by using vehicle detection and synchronized STOP/SLOW signs while also reducing the need for human flaggers.

“This technology improves safety, improves infrastructure and reduces costs associated with construction projects,” says Balidemaj, a computer science major.

The AutoStrada team spoke with American Flagging, a traffic control company, and the Onondaga County Traffic Safety Advisory Board to gauge how viable their idea would be.

“We received positive feedback. The Onondaga County Traffic Safety Advisory Board is looking to utilize devices like this, and when we learned how big of a problem this issue was in the flagging industry, we knew we were onto something,” says Barna, a mechanical engineering major.

The group tested prototypes on campus roads, and the prototypes can now distinguish an approaching car from a pedestrian or cyclist.

The system works like this: two eight-foot, two-sided signs are set up on either end of a construction zone, each with a computer vision model that detects approaching traffic. As a driver enters the zone, they’re greeted with a SLOW sign. At the other end, a STOP sign holds oncoming cars until traffic has cleared.

“There is a real need for our product. With further development, this has the potential to cover large construction areas,” says Malvino, a computer engineering major.

Personal Frustrations Inspire Blood-Drawing Innovation

Another Invent@SU team found their inspiration from an experience that affected one of their team members, Manueska Fortunato ’28, and 32 million Americans: difficulty with invisible veins while having blood drawn.

Fortunato, Reid Hanson ’29 and Marissa Valencia ’29 devised VeinWarm, a medical warming device that improves vein visibility before blood draws and IV placements. Utilizing a hands-free heating patch, VeinWarm helps reduce needle insertion attempts, making the process faster and less painful for patients.

After speaking with nurses, the group learned that 13% of people with visible veins require multiple attempts before blood can be drawn, while 44% of people with invisible veins need multiple attempts.

“We knew from day one that we wanted to create something that benefitted society,” says Fortunato, a chemical engineering major. “Our idea correlated with our interests and focused on something that most of the population can relate to. Nobody wants to be pricked multiple times while having blood drawn.”

The students designed a medical-grade silicone patch with a heat source that increases the blood flow, improving vein visibility, and a center window for drawing blood after the veins appear.

The heating technology is inspired by disposable hand and foot warmers, activated by snapping a metallic disc. But instead of tossing VeinWarm after one use like traditional handwarmers, this invention is reusable, which Valencia says separates it from its primary competition in the marketplace.

“Every second counts for nurses who are trying to get blood drawn as quickly and efficiently as possible and often have a lot of patients they need to see,” says Valencia, a biomedical engineering major.

Hanson says that unlike existing vein-warming patches, which don’t have a buffer layer between the patch and the patient’s skin, VeinWarm heats up faster (an average of 15 to 30 seconds), stays warm longer and makes the veins more visible, giving nurses a better alternative.

“We ended up creating a product that makes this blood-drawing process easier on nurses while making patients feel more comfortable, which was our ultimate goal,” says Hanson, a mechanical engineering major.

“Being able to develop that first prototype and getting it to work was really rewarding, and it’s surreal to know we can make a difference,” adds Ly, an electrical engineering major.

With Onondaga County officials already expressing interest in AutoStrada, and VeinWarm offering an edge over existing products, both teams plan to keep developing their inventions toward eventually bringing them to market.

Invent@SU returns next summer.