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Exploring New Frontiers of Knowledge

In 2021, students are able to have a meaningful research experience, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with faculty members across all four departments: Civil Engineering, Earth and Space Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering.

This year, students will be conducting much of their work remotely, but some may be able to access campus facilities to conduct laboratory research, depending on regulations.

The goal of the summer program is to provide undergraduate students experience in a professional research environment and inspire them to pursue further research careers.

“For many of us, summer encounters with research can be the spark that ignites a life-long passion for inquiry in engineering and science. Getting to experience how world-class research is actually done provides our students with a sense of accomplishment and the confidence that they, too, can make a contribution to advance knowledge and solve global problems.”

Dr. John Moores, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies

Woman looking at a computer

2021 Undergraduate Summer Student Research Conference Winners

Plenary Presentation Winners

First Place: Scott Watson, Civil Engineering, supervised by John Gales
Project: Methodology for the Non-Linear Thermal Analysis of Structural Cables Exposed to Fire

Second Place: Dhruvi Desai, Mechanical Engineering, supervised by Cuiying Jian
Project: Tuning Mechanical Properties of Graphene by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Third Place (Tie): Jessie Chesal, Earth & Space Science & Engineering, supervised by Isaac Smith
Project: Identifying Areas of Horizontal Wind Shear and Corresponding Cloud Morphologies in the Middle Atmosphere of Venus

Third Place (Tie): Yaniv Khaslavsky, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, supervised by Ali-Sadeghi-Naini
Project: A Software Framework for Rapid Generation of Quantitative Ultrasound Parametric Images

The Student Choice Award: Dhruvi Desai, Mechanical Engineering, supervised by Cuiying Jian
Project: Tuning Mechanical Properties of Graphene by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Video Presentation Winners

First Place: Sara Hajari, Mechanical Engineering, supervised by Eleftherios Sachlos
Project: Developing a Novel Collagen-Based Scaffold that Best Mimics the Extracellular Matrix Composition of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Niche

Second Place: Ellen van Wijngaarden, Mechanical Engineering, supervised by Pouya Rezai
Project: Testing Heavy Metal Toxicity in Zebrafish Larvae Using Microfluidics

Third Place: Walleed Khan, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, supervised by Michael Jenkin
Project: Sentiment Analysis for a Socially Engagement Robot

First Place Student Choice Award: David Tran, Civil Engineering, supervised by Peter Park
Project: Microsimulation Analysis of Truck Signal Priority in the Region of Peel

Second Place Student Choice Award: Ellen van Wijngaarden, Mechanical Engineering, supervised by Pouya Rezai
Project: Testing Heavy Metal Toxicity in Zebrafish Larvae Using Microfluidics

Third Place Student Choice Award: Damith Tennakoon, Earth & Space Science & Engineering, supervised by Mojgan Jadidi
Project: Augmented Reality Sandbox Captures Beyond the Sands Using an Object Detection Approach

Meet the 2021 LURA and USRA Researchers

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Abdul Nasir

Effect of climatic conditions on the development of thermal load on a bridge deck
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Rashid Bashir
Award: LURA

Aimen Yousuf

Thermal and Mechanical Performance of Geothermal Energy piles
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Kamelia Atefi-Monfared
Title: Research Assistant

Alyssa Mae Porcioncula

Assessing the Grey Bruce Mass Immunization Hub Using a Microscopic Pedestrian Traffic Simulation Tool
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Peter Y. Park
Title: Research Assistant

Anupriya Ravula

Diverging from Conventional Bioremediation Methods
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Satinder Kaur Brar
Award: NSERC USRA

Ariel Yerushalmi

When Two Worlds Collide: Coupling Flexible Modular Technologies with Fixed Transit Systems to Improve Mobility
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Dr. Park and Dr. Nourinejad
Title: RAY

Bilqees Yousuf

Bus Rapid Transit Service to Improve Mobility of Transit Vehicles on Queen Street
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Peter Y. Park
Title: RAY

David Kim

Feasibility of UV-LED point of use and point of entry technologies for sustainable water treatment in rural and Indigenous communities in Canada: A techno-economic perspective
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Stephanie Gora
Award: LURA

David Tran

Microsimulation Analysis of Truck Signal Priority in the Region of Peel
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Peter Park
Title: RAY

Ginelle Aziz

Student Mode Choice in Toronto and the Impact of Subway Expansion
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Peter Park and Kevin Gingerich
Award: LURA

Humza Ahmed

Climate Change Effects on Permafrost
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Kamelia Atefi Monfared
Title: Research Assistant

Karen Abogadil

Testing the Infiltration Capacity of Permeable Pavement Systems Under Increasing Sediment Loads
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Usman Khan
Award: LURA

Kathryn Chin

Tendency of UHPC and ECC to Spall Under High Temperatures
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: John Gales
Award: NSERC USRA

Luca Cherpillod

Co-boiling Point Determination Tool for Groundwater Remediation Under Various Subsurface Conditions
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Magdalena Krol
Award: LURA

Melissa Spiegel

A study of the relationship between economic activities in informal settlements and fire safety in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Cape Town, South Africa
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: John Gales
Award: NSERC USRA

Mohammadhassan Ebadi

Development of a circular management approach for resource recovery from drinking water treatment plants
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Stephanie Gora
Award: LURA

Regan Gerl

Estimating Vaccine Centre Capacity Using Pedestrian Simulation
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Peter Park
Title: Research Assistant

Sarah Couillard

Modelling Sulphide-Assisted Copper Corrosion at the Surface of Used Fuel Canisters in Canada’s Deep Geological Repository
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Magdalena Krol
Title: Research Assistant

Sasha Latchaev

Using a 3D virtual reality playground to teach visualization and interpretation of topographical and geological information
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Matthew Perras
Award: LURA

Sayli Raut

Reducing the CO2 Footprint of Future Buildings using Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) Concrete
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Liam Butler
Title: MITACS Globalink Intern

Scott Watson

Methodology for the Non-Linear Thermal Analysis of Structural Cables Exposed to Fire
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: John Gales
Award: LURA

Tricia Martinez

Impact of Curb Lane Pedestrian Zone on Pedestrian Physical Distancing
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Peter Park
Award: LURA

Zhuowen Li

Operational Speed Characteristics of Heavy Vehicles on Future High-Speed Highways
Department: Civil Engineering
Supervisor: Peter Park
Award: LURA

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

Adnan Fahad Faizi

Autonomous operation of a sentry robot
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Michael Jenkin
Award: LURA

Anh Pham

Signal Processing for identifying features in shotgun proteomic
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Andrew Eckford
Award: LURA

Anto Nanah Ji

CTL Model Checking of Java Code
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Franck van Bruegel
Award: LURA

Chethana Wickramasinghe

Signal processing for identifying features in shotgun proteomics
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Andrew Eckford
Award: LURA

Daniel Okonma

Creating dynamic route choice scenarios for an online stated preference survey.
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Kevin Gingerich
Title: Research Assistant

Deenanath Gengiti

SEImageNet: Large collection of images repository for software-specific lexical terms
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Maleknaz Nayebi
Award: LURA

Elim Lemango

One Documentation Does Not Fit All: Expertise Aware Documentation for Machine Learners and Software Developers
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Maleknaz Nayebi
Award: LURA

Erika Tuck

An Exploratory Study on Open Source Data Licenses
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Zhen Ming (Jack) Jiang
Award: LURA

Eva Blainey

Monitoring Eurasian Water Milfoil using an Autonomous Surface Vehicle
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Michael Jenkin
Award: Research Assistant

Eyosyas Andarge

A Computational Study Of Nanoscale Heat Transport In Layered Crystals
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Simone Pisana
Award: NSERC USRA

Faruq Afolabi

Trust Management Machine-assisted, Human-centered Control Mission-control systems
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Robert Allison
Award: RAY

Gian Carlo Alix

Recommendation Models for Mitigating the Risk of Individual Trips
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Manos Papagelis
Award: NSERC USRA

Harsh Patel

Planning for an autonomous surface vessel
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Michael Jenkin
Award: LURA

Hongru Wang

CTL Model Checking of Java Code
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Franck Van Breugel
Award: LURA

Jasleen Chagger

Evaluating HDR Video Compression Codecs for Virtual Reality
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Robert Allison
Award: LURA

Jeet Tilara

Deep Learning for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication in Vehicular Networks
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Hina Tabassum
Award: LURA

Jordan Malek

Randomized Lock-Free Tree Bag
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Eric Ruppert
Award: LURA

Kevin Yat Hang Hui

Domain Specific Realistic Human Speech Style Transfer
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Suprakash Datta
Award: NSERC USRA

Lixian Liu

Unsupervised Knowledge Graph Generation Using Semantic Similarity Matching
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Aijun An
Award: NSERC USRA

Matthew Walker

CTL Model Checking of Java Code
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Franck van Bruegel
Award: LURA

Morteza Ghafar-Zadeh

Characterization of DNA Retrieval from Hydrophilic or Hydrophobic surfaces for DNA Storage Application
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Anthony Scime, Sebastian Magierowski
Research Type: Undergraduate Thesis

Nina Yanin

Recommendation Models for Mitigating the Risk of Individual Trips
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Manos Papagelis
Award: NSERC USRA

Parssa Khazra

CTL Model Checking of Java Code
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Franck van Breugel
Award: LURA

Quang Hy Le

Toward Optimized and Minimally Viable Software Products
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Maleknaz Nayebi
Title: Volunteer

Shahen Alexanian

Recent Reinforcement Learning Methods in the Context of 8-bit Console Games: Does the Dynamics of the Learning Environment Matter?
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Suprakash Datta
Award: LURA

Syed Ameen Quadri

Rendering Passenger Car Outlines via Sampling from Multivariate Models of Vehicle Dimensions
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: James Elder
Award: NSERC USRA

Walleed Khan

Sentiment analysis for a socially engagement robot
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Michael Jenkin
Title: Research Assistant

Waseefa Ahmed

GitHub Marketplace for knowledge mobilization in Software Engineering
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Maleknaz Nayebi
Award: Research Assistant

Yaniv Khaslavsky

A Software Framework for Rapid Generation of Quantitative Ultrasound Parametric Images
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Ali Sadeghi-Naini
Award: NSERC USRA

Yasser Al Zahed

Creating optimal policies for robotic sanitization in simulated 3D environments
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Michael Jenkin
Title: LURA

Zijiang Yan

Optimizing V2I Communication for Self-Driving Vehicles: A Reinforcement Learning Approach
Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Supervisor: Hina Tabassum
Award: LURA

EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

Amaldev Haridevan

Developing light-weight Convolutional Neural Networks to perform real-time deblurring on Autonomous vehicles
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Jinjun Shan
Title: Research Assistant

Damith Tennakoon

Augmented Reality Sandbox Captures Beyond the Sands Using an Object Detection Approach
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Mojgan Jadidi
Title: Research Assistant

Ivan Mishev

Investigation of Surface and Subsurface Morphology on the Plateaus of Western Valles Marineris with Imagery, Radar, and Neural Network
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Isaac B. Smith
Award: NSERC USRA

Jessie Chesal

Identifying areas of horizontal wind shear and corresponding cloud morphologies in the middle atmosphere of Venus
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor:Isaac Smith
Award: LURA

Kevin Mi

Cooperative driving between multiple autonomous vehicles at Uncontrolled Intersection based on Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning and Game Theory
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Jinjun Shan
Award: NSERC USRA

Margarita Khramova

Creating Robotic Fingers With Shape Memory Alloy Actuators
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Ryan Orszulik
Award: LURA

Mohammadreza Ashouri

Improving GNSS-R Receiver Sensitivity by implementing Non-coherent Integration
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Sunil Bisnath
Award: LURA

Mubeen Padaniya

Object detection and classification using decision level LIDAR-camera fusion with PIXOR and YOLOv3
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Jinjun Shan
Award: LURA

Pedram A. Poorheravi

Using GNSS-Reflectometry to Determine Soil Moisture
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Sunil Bisnath
Award: LURA

Perushan Kunalakantha

Real-time Camera Control and Image Processing of Resident Space Objects For Space Situational Awareness
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Regina Lee
Award: NSERC USRA

Syed Haider

Enhancing Real-Time Obstacle Detection for Autonomous Systems
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Jinjun Shan
Award: LURA

Tianpei Liao

Autonomous Vision-based UAV Landing with Collision Avoidance using Deep Learning
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Jinjun Shan
Award: LURA

Van Pham

Dual-Purpose Camera Payload Design for Stratospheric Balloon Mission
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Regina Lee
Award: NSERC USRA

Yanchun Fu

Residential Space Object (RSO) Attitude Interpolation Using Light Curves Extracted from Ground Observations.
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Regina Lee
Award: LURA

Youssef Hany

Cooperative Transportation with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles using Collision Avoidance Techniques.
Department: Earth and Space Science and Engineering
Supervisor: Jinjun Shan
Award: LURA

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Alexander Dondish

High-speed digital image correlation analysis of composite panels
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Garrett Melenka
Award: LURA

Alexia Manna

Instrumented Knee Sleeve to Aid in Treatment
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Garrett Melenka
Award: LURA

Dhruvikumari Desai

Tuning Mechanical Properties of Graphene by Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Cuiying Jian
Award: LURA

Ellen van Wijngaarden

Testing Heavy Metal Toxicity in Zebrafish Larvae Using Microfluidics
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Pouya Rezai
Award: USRA

Gabriel Martins Orlando

AI-Enhacned Tactile Feedback Control of Robotic Manipulators For Capture of Space Debris
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Zheng Hong (George) Zhu
Award: USRA

Jay Kamath

Improved Sheet Resistivity in Functionally Graded Graphene for use in Environmentally Friendly Transient Electronics
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Reza Rizvi
Award: LURA

Jimena Diaz España

Techno-enviro-economic assessment of a solar powered cooler for cauliflower storage in Nanded district, India.
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Paul G. O’Brien
Title: Mitacs Globalink Intern

Julia DeLongis

Towards the Design of Graphene Membranes for Efficient Desalination: The Fundamental Roles of Functional Groups
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Cuiying Jian
Award: LURA

Kourosh Toghrol

Vertically Oriented Aeroponics For Automated Microgreen Production
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Andrew Maxwell
Award: LURA

Madison Bardoel

Experimental Investigation of a Porous-Structured Evaporator Fabricated Using Selective Laser Melting in a Two-Phase Loop Thermosyphon
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Roger Kempers
Award: LURA

Prashant Govande

Techno-enviro-economic assessment of a solar powered cooler for cauliflower storage in Nanded district, India.
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Paul G. O’Brien
Title: Mitacs Globalink Intern

Qingqing Chen

The journey of asphaltene aggregation and dispersion in different solvent systems
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Cuiying Jian
Title: Mitacs Globalink Intern

Rashiq Shahad

Mechanistic Insights into the Role of Inhibitors on the Mitigation of Asphaltene Aggregation
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Cuiying Jian
Award: LURA

Ravnik Singh Jagpal

Instrumented Knee Sleeve to Aid in the Treatment of Knee Problems
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Gerd Grau and Garrett Melenka
Title : RAY

Roozbeh Alishahian

Long-Range Transport Mechanisms of Microplastics through the Atmosphere: Effects of the Turbulence on the Settling of Micro Fibers
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Ronald E Hanson
Award: LURA

Sara Hajari

Developing a Novel Collagen-based Scaffold that Best Mimics the Extracellular Matrix Composition of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Niche
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Eleftherios Sachlos
Award: LURA

Saravanan Phazhani

Prediction of Composite Material Properties with Artificial Neural Networks
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Supervisor: Reza Rizvi
Award : LURA