computer science Archives - �� Tri-Cities

�� Tri-Cities opportunities connect computer science student with Google, PNNL

Maegan Murray — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 01:42:28 +0000

By Lori Nelson, �� Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – KJ Galvan fell in love with computer science early.

Growing up,��she��was the go-to person��in her family��for computer help. In grade school, a��teacher��in Prosser��noticed Galvan’s troubleshooting skills and recruited her for a special��𳾾��ǲ��where students provide��technical assistance to computer users. She helped provide technical solutions in the classroom and other areas. It helped show her that working with computers could be a viable career option.

�� Tri-Cities computer science student KJ Galvan chats with fellow students while hanging out in the Student Union Building on campus.

“I still keep in touch with that teacher,” she said. “Big thanks to Mr. Smith and the Prosser School District.”��

When exploring her college options, Galvan knew she wanted to stay close to home, but attend an institution that would provide her with great opportunities to grow her knowledge and background in computer science. After attending Columbia Basin College for her first two years, she transferred to Washington State University Tri-Cities.

The small class sizes, she said, were preferable, and she liked the fact that through the small school setting she could easily get to know her instructors and fellow peers.

Additionally, Galvan said she particularly liked the quality of the courses in computer science at �� Tri-Cities and the professors were also great at connecting students with other opportunities, which helped her get connected with internships beyond her initial expectations.

Award-winning Coding Cougs leads to prestigious jobs

In her first year at �� Tri-Cities, Galvan became involved in the Coding��Cougs Club��at �� Tri-Cities where she now serves as the group’s career development��officer.

In their few-year history as a club, the student organization has gone on to win several top awards at hackathons where they competed against hundreds of participants.

Galvan said in addition to the real-world, practical experiences that she gains from the club, she also values the opportunity to mentor younger students. Helping her female peers, she said, is particularly rewarding, as computer science is typically male-dominated.

Galvan��recruited three other women, all new to computer science, to join her on a��team for��DubHacks,��a��hackathon��held at the University of Washington. At the competition last year, the group worked together to develop a solution for a real-world issue that pertains to women.

“We formed a team around a cool idea that we had for scanning hair products to see if they are good for curly hair,” she said.

The app they developed, Curl Code,��won first place in the “Best��use��of��Google Cloud”��category at the competition.

The win also put the women on the radar of Google. The judge, a Google employee, encouraged them to apply for summer internships. Galvan jumped at the opportunity. After an extensive interview and skill demonstration process, Galvan was offered an internship with Google. She completed the internship virtually this summer, due to COVID-19.

Local internships unique to Tri-Cities

�� Tri-Cities computer science student KJ Galvan works on a project while at school.

Beyond her opportunities that connected her with Google, Galvan said one of the benefits about attending �� Tri-Cities is the local access to prestigious internships.

While attending �� Tri-Cities and before getting her internship at Google this summer, she��interned��at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory��for two years.��In her first summer internship, she helped with development of a website for a PNNL application.

“When I first started there, I knew nothing,” she said.��“I didn’t have any real–world experience and I was afraid I would fall flat on my��face,��but they’re��actually used��to that.��I learned a lot in that summer to be able to actually contribute.”

Her internship supervisors saw Galvan’s potential for additional growth and at the end of the summer,��they��suggested she continue during the school year.��After successful interviews for a year-round internship, Galvan was put on a team.��

Galvan said her time at PNNL was critical for building her skills in computer science, which served as a perfect mix with what she was learning in her courses.

“We��were��treated like a��full-time staff members��and we��were��doing the same tasks,” she said. “It��was��almost as if we��were��a junior developer just starting out. My team was awesome.��They would find opportunities for me, not only to practice my technical skills, but also my soft skills.”

During her internship at PNNL, Galvan��built confidence in the knowledge that she could do the job and be valued in it. It also led to confidence when working at Google.

“I was in the one of the first meetings at Google and I was on top of it,” she said. “One of the hosts said,��‘You can tell KJ has been doing internships for a while now.’��It just takes you to another level that stands out.”

Advice for fellow and prospective students

For those looking to be successful in computer science, Galvan said there are a few things that students can do throughout their college experience to help guarantee that success.

“Stay engaged in class. Talk during class, talk with the professors,” she said. “It’s important not to hide behind your laptop screen. Everyone else is struggling with the subject matter, too. It’s not just you who’s like, what is this?”

Galvan also advises students��to��join a community and stay connected, especially as classes are more likely to be distance-based in the current COVID pandemic.

“Maybe jump on a call with some of your classmates, talk about the material,” she said. “Don’t stay isolated because isolation is never good. Then you’ll have a struggle and then you’ll feel like it’s only you and you might give up.”

World-class faculty rooted in real-world work

While self-motivated, Galvan��credits the computer science��faculty��at �� Tri-Cities��with preparing her for success. Nathan��Tenney,��PNNL scientist and��adjunct��faculty��in computer science, taught Galvan’s data structures class.

“He would discuss trade–offs about data structures and algorithms and he would provoke you and get everyone engaged and talking in class,” she said. “That’s huge because at companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, they expect you to do these technical interviews where you solve problems and you��have to��talk through what the trade-offs are. He implanted that all in my brain without me really noticing.”

She also values the resident faculty who��provide��formal and informal��opportunities for learning and networking.��She said Bob Lewis,��associate��professor of��computer��science, points out different conferences students could go to or just asks how students are doing.

”Dr. Lewis’ classes are known on campus for being challenging, but he does a great job teaching it,” she said. “He’s always available and he really loves the subject matter.”

In��Luis De La Torre’s��project-based class,��Galvan had the opportunity to start��developing the curly hair app��that helped land her internship��with Google, among an assortment of other hands-on activities.

Galvan said the fact that she learns from a mix of resident and adjunct faculty is a bonus.

“We have these adjuncts that have full-time jobs��and they��teach us��about��their work,”��she said, “We also have [resident] professors who have this really deep knowledge about the field in general.��We get to learn not just your normal coursework. You get to learn outside of class and really pick their brains.”

Galvan said��the support that students get��from the faculty encourages��students��to be involved.

“Coding Cougs��went to��DubHacks��and they did a tally and �� Tri-Cities had a huge turnout,” she said. “I don’t want to get into rivalries or anything, but computer science here is awesome.”

Interested in pursuing a degree in computer science from �� Tri-Cities? The application is open now. View more information at tricities.wsu.edu/computerscience. Apply at .

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Students experience real-world impacts of research through summer scholars program

Maegan Murray — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 23:44:52 +0000

By Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – Several Washington State University Tri-Cities students got to see first-hand how top-tier university research can impact their local community through the �� Tri-Cities Chancellor’s Summer Scholar Program supported by Washington River Protection Solutions.

Throughout the summer, selected students worked one-on-one with a university professor and graduate students to perform research pertaining to their degree interest. Each student receives funds to support their summer research projects from WRPS.

“Through the Chancellor’s Summer Scholar program, students pursuing a bachelor’s degree get the opportunity to be a part of intensive research that could positively influence the Tri-Cities community,” said Kate McAteer, vice chancellor for academic affairs at �� Tri-Cities. “Ranging from engineering, to the arts, to the sciences, there are a variety of opportunities for students to apply their skills in a real-world setting, which only further sets them up for success in their future career.”

This year, 10 students were selected for the program in the areas of computer science, the arts, materials engineering, bioengineering, environmental science, electrical engineering, and biological sciences.

Students were provided with $2,250 in funding to support their summer project, with the exception of one student group, who received $2,000 as a team. Many students also continue to work with their faculty mentors during the regular school year.

Students Jared Johnson (right) and Aaron Van Morrison work on The Willow of the Waste project as part of their Chancellor’s Summer Scholars experience this summer.

Willow of the Waste – Jared Johnson and Aaron Van Morris

Students Jared Johnson and Aaron Van Morris worked with Sena Clara Creston, clinical assistant professor of fine arts, to refine and re-engineer a robotic sculpture known as “The Willow of the Waste.”

The project is an designed to look like a tree, incorporating mechanical and electrical components. The tree is animated and interactive, with the branches slowly opening, closing and pulsating light to give the appearance of a living, breathing plant. Once the viewer approaches the tree, the branches open, inviting the viewer inside. The students are applying skills in circuit design, power distribution and coding from different inputs and outputs to improve upon an existing design. The interdisciplinary project combines engineering, computer science and the arts to create an interactive sculpture that also speaks to plastic waste, as it is made from discarded plastics like water bottles and shopping bags.

Student Mikaela Matkowski works with a 3D printer as part of her Chancellor’s Summer Scholars project.

Flexible sensors for robotics – Mikaela Matkowski

Student Mikaela Matkowski worked with Amir Ameli, former assistant professor of engineering, to investigate the sensing behavior of 3d-printed sensors that can be used in a range of robotics.

She used a material called thermoplastic polyurethane with various weights of multiwalled carbon nanotubes to produce a material that has excellent conductive properties and reacts well to compression and stretching. She analyzed the pressure and touch sensing abilities, as well as the electrical resistance behaviors of the printed sensors. The sensors have potential application in robotics hands that, when used to touch a surface, have the ability to appropriately register contact of the hand to the object.

Student Yesenia Che works with doctoral student Xiaolu Li in the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory as part of her Chancellor’s Summer Scholars experience.

Refining a waste material for commercial bioproducts production – Yesenia Che

Student Yesenia Che worked with Bin Yang, associate professor of biological systems engineering and doctoral student Xiaolu Li to find a seamless and cheaper way to refine a high-value product in the biofuels creation process that is used for many commercial products.

Lignin, a primary material comprised in the cell wall of plants, is a large waste product in the biofuels creation process. Vallinin is a valuable product derived from lignin that can be used for a range of bioproducts. It is currently used in various fields, including food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The price for the material, however, tends to be unstable due to cost and complicated procedures required for producing the material from lignin. Che worked with Yang to use a bacteria that degrades lignin and allows for the easier refinement and production of vallinin that doesn’t require the use of the whole plant cell for extraction – a process known as a cell free system. This process may lead to an effective technique for the production of natural vanillin at low cost.

Student Jeannette Lilly (center) works with graduate student Erica Bakker (left) and Sarah Roley, assistant professor of environmental science, in an environmental science lab as part of her Chancellor’s Summer Scholars experience.

Identifying nutrient limitations in Cascade Mountain Range for understanding nitrogen fixation – Jeannette Lilly

Student Jeannette Lilly worked with Sarah Roley, assistant professor of environmental science, and graduate student Erica Bakker to analyze nutrient limitation in the Cascade Range that could lead to better understanding of where nitrogen fixation occurs in freshwater streams in the Pacific Northwest.

Nitrogen fixation converts nitrogen gas into a nutrient that is essential for all life. While there has been extensive research on nitrogen fixation in the open ocean, estuaries and lakes, comparatively little research has been done on nitrogen fixation in freshwater streams. Nitrogen fixation typically occurs in nutrient-poor streams like those in the Cascades. It may be critical to supporting the food web, including insects and fish, in Cascadian streams. Jeanette established the nutrient status of the study streams, which helps to predict where this process is important.

Student Tina Tran works in the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory as part of her Chancellor’s Summer Scholars experience.

Finding ways to reduce methane production using bioengineering – Tina Tran

Student Tina��Tran��is working with Birgitte Ahring, professor of biological systems and chemical engineering, and doctoral student Supriya Karekar on the bioengineering of cow rumen microbiota by bio-augmentation with selected microorganisms to reduce methane production from the rumen.

Ruminants such as cows and sheep are major contributors of greenhouse gas coming from the methanogens inhabiting the rumen. Methane is more than 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide. In the laboratory, they are working with rumen model systems and are trying to find ways to mitigate the problems of methane release by substituting methanogens with other and potentially more beneficial microorganisms. The specific focus is on homo-acetogenic bacteria, which potentially could replace methanogens in the rumen while producing beneficial products, which can promote livestock production.

Student Arturo Guttierrez Larios works with Mohamed Osman, professor of electrical engineering, in an engineering laboratory as part of his Chancellor’s Summer Scholars experience.

Improving efficiencies of home heating and cooling systems – Arturo Gutierrez Larios

Student Arturo Gutierrez Larios worked with Mohamed Osman, professor of electrical engineering, to identify ways to increase the efficiency of home heating and cooling systems through the implementation of better temperature regulations systems.

Gutierrez Larios developed a concept based on what is known as the Internet of Things, where the internet can be extended to an infinite amount of applications through components like sensors and wireless communication between devices. His system implements multiple temperature sensors that are connected through a network, as opposed to utilizing a single temperature sensor as is common in homes today. A temperature controller receives information from the sensors in each room, and the controller sends commands to the network to adjust the airflow of each register based on comparisons made on the calculated temperature differentials. Temperature settings are managed through a smartphone app. The system helps minimize wasted energy in homes.

Students Ellie Barber and Danielle Ringo work with Jim Cooper, instructor of biology, in Cooper’s fish laboratory as part of their Chancellor’s Summer Scholars experience.

Studying jaw protusion in fish for insights into evolutionary changes in organisms – Ellie Barber and Danielle Ringo

Students Ellie Barber and Danielle Ringo are working with Jim Cooper, instructor of biology, to study why jaw protrusion does or does not occur during the development in fish that could lead to insights into how organisms evolve and when.

Fish develop different feeding biomechanics in their lifespan that determines their economic feeding niche and where they fall on the food chain. Using high-speed filming techniques, the team is working to pinpoint the precise phase during metamorphosis in which the feeding biomechanics of young fish begin to resemble that of adult fish with protrusile jaws. By using gene expression labelling and transcriptome comparative analysis, they hope to gain a clearer insight as to exactly how and why these morphological changes occur in the wild.

Student Javier Chavez Lara works in the greenhouse at �� Tri-Cities as part of his Chancellor’s Summer Scholars experience.

Determining impact of fungi on tomato plants – Javier Chavez Lara

Javier Chavez Lara is working with Tanya Cheeke, assistant professor of biology, to determine the impact of a type of fungi on the growth of tomato plants, specifically comparing highly-bred tomato plants with less-domesticated wild type varieties.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi forms symbiotic relationships with most plant species by colonizing plant roots to provide the plants with nutrients and water in exchange for carbon. Plants grown in conditions of high fertilization and other agricultural practices reduce the ability of the fungi to colonize their roots. Chavez Lara hypothesizes that the less-domesticated wild-type varieties will have a greater growth response with the fungi than the highly-bred tomato plants. The project will allow for the development of a model system to test mechanisms that regulate the level of the fungi colonization in plant roots.

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Teachers benefit from new �� Tri-Cities course focused on computer science for K-12 classrooms

Maegan Murray — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 23:33:14 +0000

By Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – A group of Washington State University Tri-Cities education students and current teachers are the first to benefit from a new course focused on how to teach computer science in the K-12 classroom.

Teachers and education students in the new computer science education course offered at �� Tri-Cities.

The course, which specifically focuses on introductory levels of computational thinking, fundamentals of computers and the basics of introductory programming, will be included in an eventual series of courses as part of a proposed computer science education endorsement at �� Tri-Cities.

“Computer science is a crucial component of a student’s education, which is why it is important to offer a program that will support the preparation for our schools’ teachers in this area,” said Jonah Firestone, education professor at �� Tri-Cities. “As a result of that, we submitted an Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction grant to create a program that would eventually lead to an endorsement.”

Thanks to a second grant from OSPI, matching funds from Battelle and in-kind donations from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory this spring, the �� Tri-Cities team was able able to move forward with a first course this fall semester, Firestone said.

Developing the course

Firestone and Judy Morrison, director of the �� Tri-Cities College of Education, worked with PNNL computer science professionals to develop the course, in addition to holding summer institutes with current teachers to determine the types of material that would be incorporated.

Benjamin Stuermer, a PNNL software engineer and instructor for the course, said the course and eventual endorsement program has immense benefits for K-12 education.

“I think it’s really important that we’re doing this because teachers are currently going in radically different directions with the material they are teaching students in the area of computer science,” he said.

Stuermer said this is at no fault to teachers, as they are doing the best they can with the materials they can find. But by solidifying applicable courses and an endorsement program, teachers would be better equipped with materials that are proven to be effective at various grade levels.

Introducing new concepts

The students in the course are learning the patterns by which computer coding is formed and how to develop the mindset for eventually writing code by means of

Benjamin Stuermer (left), PNNL software engineer and �� Tri-Cities instructor, helps a student with components of a project during his computer science education course at �� Tri-Cities.

sequencing certain steps in certain orders. The teachers are using a program known as “Scratch” to develop basic computer code in a visual form. Additionally, they’re learning how to write lesson plans for the material and how to break down these technical subjects into language that a young student can understand and retain.

“I work in a STEM school, so having this course is a great resource,” said Diane Hollis, a fourth-grade teacher and master’s of education student at �� Tri-Cities. “It will allow me to incorporate more technology into my class and will be crucial to what we regard as the growth mindset for our students – ‘even if you can’t do it yet, you will be able to.’ My students will be learning a new skill that they can use for the rest of their life.”

Sumiyyah Jalalyar, an eighth-grade teacher and master’s of education student at �� Tri-Cities, said the computational ways of thinking she is learning through the course will serve as an immense benefit for her students in math and science.

“Having more teachers knowing about computer science and being knowledgeable about computational thinking serves as a resource for students,” she said. “It’s the direction that education is headed in for the future, so it’s a great opportunity for us as teachers to learn.”

Refining for the future

Teachers and students in a computer science education course at �� Tri-Cities.

Stuermer said they will continue to refine the course, making it better and better for future teachers. They will then focus on developing further courses, he said.

Firestone said he hopes to attract teachers from a variety of subjects and fields in education for future courses, in addition to those with a background in technology, mathematics and computer science.

The “Foundations of Computational Thinking” course will be offered a second time during �� Tri-Cities’ spring semester, with potential tuition assistance for course participants available from the project’s grant. For more information, contact Firestone at 509-372-7198 or jonah.firestone@wsu.edu.

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Professor partners with Hanford High School students to host programming workshop

Maegan Murray — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 18:26:13 +0000

By Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – Robert Lewis, a �� Tri-Cities associate professor of computer science, in collaboration with the Hanford High School programming club, hosted a three-day STEM programming workshop at the Richland Public Library that aimed to inspire children to participate more in computer science by using something they were already interested in—games.

According to Lewis, the event aimed not only to provide K-12 students with exposure to a variety of science and engineering projects with potentially large impacts, but also so that more students could get exposure to hands-on opportunities in STEM fields so that they could witness the possibilities of those career paths.

The workshop, called “Code Your Own AI Fighter,” was built around using games to encourage programming. During the workshop, the participants, ranging in age from 8 to 41, learned the Python programming language and applied their knowledge to create an artificial intelligence (AI) program to control a fighting game character. They then had their AIs fight each other in a tournament, which allowed users to learn Python and algorithmic thinking while having fun plotting and executing their own self-made strategies

The Python-linked fighting game interface was created by Catherine Guevara, Ben Hansen, Michael Thompson, and Kevin Yang, a team of four students from the Hanford High School programming club, in their spare time during the summer using the Java programming language.

“Programming has become a critical skill for the younger generations to reach their full potential,” said Yang, the founder and leader of the programming club. “However, beginner programmers are short of systematic and fun learning opportunities.

Yang said many self-taught programmers like himself are quite isolated and have a hard time finding other local amateur programmers.

“That’s why I’ve organized programming clubs since middle school, providing an opportunity for hundreds of students and our community, as well as this event,” he said.

The workshop was a success, with more than 23 participants participating by the third and final day.

“I like this coding camp,” one participant said. “It’s fun and you actually need to use Python programming to do it.”

Johanna Talbott, a librarian in charge of STEM-related activities at the Richland Public Library, said their workshop was one of their most successful STEM-based workshops held over the summer. She said she would be happy to welcome the workshop again next summer.

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��, PNNL software team focuses on detecting cancer biomarkers in real time

Maegan Murray — Thu, 24 May 2018 15:27:11 +0000

By Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – Computer science students at Washington State University Tri-Cities are partnering with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to create a software that will improve data processing to help identify cancer and other health biomarkers in real-time.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is currently researching how to use mass spectrometry, which is a technology that allows scientists to identify individual molecules and components in materials such as blood, tissue samples and more, to identify health biomarkers that are indicative of disease and infection in real time. But with this process, thousands upon thousands of individual components and data points have to be processed.

From left: Computer science students Wes Fletcher, Ryan Joyce, their PNNL mentor Spencer Prost and student KJ Dorow pose next to their presentation board discussing their software project that will help identify cancer biomarkers through PNNL technologies.

The �� Tri-Cities student- and PNNL-created software will allow scientists and medical professionals to instantaneously filter the data points pertaining to those biomarkers and potentially result in a quicker medical diagnosis.

“It can tell you those biomarkers then and there instead of you having to send your blood sample off to a lab and having to wait an uncertain amount of time to get it back,” computer science student Ryan Joyce said.

The technology would be implemented within PNNL’s existing technological framework for specifically what is called Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulation, which is used to improve ion mobility spectrometry technology. The ion mobility spectrometry technology is used for separating and characterizing ions and is widely used in chemical analysis.

The student team, which consists of Joyce, KJ Dorow and Wes Fletcher, worked with their project mentor and PNNL software engineer, Spencer Prost, to develop the software as part of their senior capstone course at �� Tri-Cities.

Prost said working with a student team to improve processes within their existing technological framework presents an ideal partnership, as it allows a different set of minds to work on a real-world problem that has large impacts.

“The students are not only building a platform that can be expanded upon further by students, but also by PNNL staff,” Prost said. “These types of cooperations are very important to PNNL as we need experienced minds, but we also need the young blood to drive those innovations. It takes the minds of both.”

The students said while the project certainly presented a large challenge, they enjoyed working through the issues of the software to come up with a viable solution that can be implemented in a real-world technology.

“It’s simple in nature, but also really complicated,” Fletcher said of their software. “Handling the flow of information at the rate at which is has to process that information is difficult. But it’s been a great project. It’s cool to know that this could help with cancer diagnoses.”

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�� Tri-Cities partners with WRPS to develop technologies for Hanford Site

Maegan Murray — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 16:30:31 +0000

By Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – Two teams at Washington State University Tri-Cities have partnered with Washington River Protection Solutions to procure and program an autonomous vehicle and develop a form of ultra high-performance concrete to help protect workers in radioactive areas at the Hanford Site and safely immobilize solid secondary wastes.

Engineering professor Srinivas Allena and students work with in the concrete lab at �� Tri-Cities.

WRPS is the U.S. Department of Energy’s Tank Operations contractor responsible for managing Hanford’s 56 million gallons of highly radioactive waste and preparing it for delivery to the Waste Treatment Plant on the site. The partnership for the projects will provide WRPS with customized technology to fit their needs, in addition to further improving the safety capabilities of its employees and environmental impact stemming from the tank farms at the Hanford Site.

Robotics to analyze radioactive vapors

WRPS provided a �� team with an initial contract to procure and program an autonomous vehicle that would be used for measuring vapors, or chemical gases, within the tank farms.

The �� team consists of Akram Hossain, vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and external programs; Scott Hudson, professor of electrical engineering; John Miller, associate professor of computer science; and Changki Mo, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

The team plans to purchase a pre-fabricated, compact and programmable vehicle, which has the capacity to hold 40-50 pounds of equipment. The team will then eventually outfit, customize and program the vehicle for its desired purpose within the tank farms. The vehicle must be able to follow a defined path, dock itself to charge its battery, withstand long-term use, be able to run autonomously, as well as allow manual override operations.

“This vehicle will be going into areas, minimizing personnel entries, so we need to assure that it can operate reliably and it won’t break down,” Miller said “We have to make certain that the quality is of impeccable standards and that the system can demonstrate operational longevity in these areas.”

The design of the autonomous vehicle marks the first phase of what will potentially turn into a multi-phase project. WRPS has also expressed interest in having the robot detect obstacles in a changing environment, change filters at the site and monitor radiation. Miller said those challenges will most-likely be addressed in future phases of the project.

“This is a great opportunity, both for ��, as well as for our students,” Miller said. “It creates opportunities for undergraduate research, as well as providing funding for graduate research. It is the perfect opportunity for us.”

The team plans to have the first phase of the autonomous vehicle completed and demonstrated to WRPS in the next few months. The team will conduct demonstrations and additional phases of development over the course of the year. When fully developed, the autonomous vehicle would be deployed in tank farms to support construction and operations.

Ultra high-performance concrete to encapsulate nuclear waste

Srinivas Allena, �� Tri-Cities associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, received a contract to develop an ultra-high performance cementitious

Cementitious material created by Srinivas Allena and his team at �� Tri-Cities.

material to potentially be used as a grout to encapsulate solid secondary waste from the Hanford tank farms.

“WRPS is currently using a grout that they obtain from a local concrete supplier, which uses a regular cement mix with sand and some other chemical additives,” Allena said. “But the goal with our research is to use locally available materials to create a composite with low permeability, superior durability and greater stability that would perform at the same level as the commercially available pre-packaged ultra high-performance concrete.”

Allena said there is currently limited types of ultra high-performance concrete available on the market with high operational costs associated with use of the material. He said by using locally available materials and by optimizing mixture constituents with those that are more environmentally friendly with his team’s composite, however, they would be able to keep the costs low, while maintaining the same quality in the concrete and reducing the impact to the environment.

“We will be able to compare our grout materials with properties that WRPS is currently using and show the improved properties,” he said. “The goal is to provide a cheaper, more environmentally friendly option that will compete with the best product on the market.”

The team plans to have initial mixtures ready with their mechanical and durability properties evaluated by September.

The projects are a part of solving some of the world’s . They pertain particularly to developing and by harnessing technology to improve quality of life. The projects are also in line with ��’s

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Computer science class partners with technology firm to develop IT, cyber security infrastructure

Maegan Murray — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 01:22:56 +0000

By Maegan Murray

RICHLAND, Wash. – Students in a computer science capstone course at Washington State University Tri-Cities have partnered with Cypherpath, a local software company, to develop a platform that will help companies, both large and small, easily set-up, safeguard and better monitor their online business network.

As the world of technology moves into a more cloud-based platform, information technology departments and companies are looking for ways to better convert, safeguard and maintain their cyber security infrastructure. Ways of capturing their online information and turning it into a completely digital platform, however, can be difficult, as it may require a lot of manpower, time, equipment and funds.

What the students are helping Cypherpath achieve is a platform that would allow companies to seamlessly capture their network information, which would then be used to autonomously create a company network. In the case of a cyber attack, the user could then go back and see exactly what happened, and if disrupted, seamlessly recreate the infrastructure that was damaged or lost.

Scope of the project

The group working with Cypherpath on the project includes students Logan Wickham, Andrew Tolman and Matthew Harris, all of which are completing the project as part of a senior design computer science course at �� Tri-Cities. Cypherpath’s Chief Technology Officer Steve Silva and Philip Tilton, the company’s chief engineer, are both mentoring the students for the project.

Computer science students (from left) Logan Wickham, Andrew Tolman and Matthew Harris post for a photo with their poster on the project they are completing in partnership with Cypherpath, a local software company in the Tri-Cities.

“We wanted the students to focus on a real customer problem that could be mentored in parallel to our development teams,” Tilton said. “We scoped the project in such a way that they could demonstrably show success with an initial end-to-end solution.”

Tolman said the ability to recreate a network has big potential for many organizations that have and deal with cybersecurity.

“In IT, there is a great demand to virtualize infrastructure to reduce the costs,” he said. “You can pay people to do this, or you can pay to have a system do it for you.”

Creating and refining the platform

Wickham said with their system, instead of having individuals to physically go in and create the network from scratch, their system would accomplish the same feat seamlessly and autonomously.

“It is all digitized and automated,” he said. “With cyber security, it also allows us to see when a cyber attack is happening and also allows us to feel out a dangerous area and seamlessly copy a system.”

The group is in the first phase of the project. They spent this fall semester building the program and will spend the following semester refining and adding other elements to complete the software.

“A viable network is what we intend as we move forward,” Harris said. “Anybody running large-scale networks would be interested in this technology.”

A partnership that prepares students for success in computer science

The partnership with Cyperpath resulted out of Brian Lamarche, the instructor for the course, reaching out to local industry members about possible real-world projects for their students to complete as a senior design final project.

“I reached out to a few colleagues I’ve worked with and many agreed to provide us with a project and also be the technical mentors for the project,” he said.

Lamarche said what is exiting about the group’s project is that it will be viable for companies ranging from small to large.

“This company provides a simplified system that cuts costs for many companies,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for our students because they’re a local organization and their project could have a large impact.”

The software the students are completing is an entirely new platform, but one that will exist between two existing systems for Cypherpath, aiding in their overall efforts to meet regional, state and national company networking needs.

“The students’ project will enable our customers to discover and bring existing infrastructure definitions directly into Cypherpath’s Software Defined Infrastructure Operating System, where they can provision, copy, share and management infrastructure on-demand,” Silva said. “This project has also introduced us to talented individuals who could someday join Cypherpath’s mission.”

The students will present their project to Cypherpath in April. The goal with their software, Tolman said, is to hopefully open it up through Cypherpath as an open source so that anybody can use it.

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�� Tri-Cities working with PNNL to develop teacher endorsement program in computer science

Maegan Murray — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 15:25:10 +0000

By Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities

Firestone

RICHLAND, Wash. –�� Tri-Cities is developing a teacher endorsement program in computer science that has attracted a $49,000 grant from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and a matching contribution from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Currently, there is no teaching endorsement program at any universities in Washington state for computer science, which makes program development in the subject increasingly important in today’s advancing technological society, said Jonah Firestone, �� Tri-Cities assistant professor of teaching and learning and campus lead on the grant.

“The state of Washington has pushed to have at least one computer science teacher at every school who has an endorsement in the subject,” Firestone said. “Up until now, it was usually a math or science teacher who also had an interest in computing that would serve that role. But we need to take that further and offer an endorsement in the subject in order to best prepare our teachers.”

The first phase of the grant funds, he said, will fund the development and offering of professional development workshops with teachers from five districts that include Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, Prosser and Othello. The workshops, which currently are being developed by �� Tri-Cities and PNNL and will be taught by PNNL computer scientists this spring, will provide training on computer science concepts and skills and for designing computer science curriculum.

The funds will also go toward stipends for educators who participate.

Firestone said there will be a combination of teacher recruitment for the program and recommendations from districts for current instructors who would immediately qualify for the program based on their roles in schools.

“We’re looking at teachers who are already in technology classes, plus we’re working with our contacts at the local science, technology, engineering and mathematics schools to inquire about teachers who would qualify and be interested,” he said.

Morrison

The second phase of the grant entails the analysis of data collected over the course of the workshops, which will then be used for the development of a computer science certificate program for educators. Firestone and Judy Morrison, associate professor of teaching and learning, will co-lead the project. Together they will analyze the workshops and develop the certificate program.

Firestone said the certificate program will combine education courses with computer science courses.

“Classes on the content are not enough,” Firestone said. “We have to have classes on how to teach this material to the kids.”

�� Tri-Cities is the only university in the state selected for the grant program. Twenty-four other districts, schools and nonprofits also were selected for the program, who will use the funds to train teachers, provide and upgrade technology, and expand access to girls, students from underrepresented populations and communities who have historically been underserved. The grants awarded to higher education institutions across the state total nearly $1 million.

“We are very grateful to OSPI for presenting this opportunity and to PNNL for providing the in-kind matching funds that will go toward the program and their time in working with us on this endeavor,” Firestone said. “This grant is allowing us to get this program started and off the ground. This is stage one of a multistage process.”

Contacts:

Jonah Firestone, �� Tri-Cities assistant professor of teaching and learning, 509-372-7198,��jonah.firestone@tricity.wsu.edu
Judy Morrison, �� Tri-Cities associate professor of teaching and learning, 509-372-7176,��jmorriso@tricity.wsu.edu
Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities public relations specialist, 509-372-7333,��Maegan_murray@wsu.edu

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Student values �� Tri-Cities support for veterans

Maegan Murray — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 23:51:51 +0000

For Emmanuel “Manny” Bonilla, Veterans Day holds a special significance.

The son of undocumented immigrant parents, and formerly an undocumented individual himself, he joined the United States Air Force at 27 as a means to improve life for himself and his family.

“I signed up at 27 for two reasons: one, I was an illegal immigrant and I wanted to get citizenship, and one of my other dreams was to use it as a way to finish college,” he said.

The military would help him accomplish both. Bonilla is now a U.S. citizen. He is also currently pursuing his dream major of computer science at Washington State University Tri-Cities. Now, he and his fellow veterans at �� Tri-Cities are giving back to the veteran community through a tribute at the university, as well as a drive that will send donated items to military members overseas.

The �� Tri-Cities Veterans Center held a ribbon event his week, where campus and community members were invited to write the name of loved ones that served in the military on a ribbon, which were then hung and displayed throughout the week on the Hero Tree near the entrance to the East Building on campus. The group is also holding a package drive where they are taking donations of toiletries, food items, games and miscellaneous items that will be packed and sent to active duty servicemen overseas as part of Operation Thank You.

“The purpose of Veterans Day is to honor all of our past and current soldiers, airmen, sailors and other current and former members of our branches,” he said. “One of the things we are trying to do is show respect to all of our servicemen who are currently out there right now or who have already served. We noticed a lot of students came out, grandparents who served, friends of people who are currently out there right now. It means a lot for us to honor them.”

Bonilla said the university holds veteran students in high regard, and truly supports its students’ transition back to civilian life by preparing them for the next stages in their career.

“I don’t think there is a school that is more accepting and more supportive of its veterans,” he said. “I love this school and it has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Bonilla’s story

Bonilla enlisted in the U.S. Air Force more than five years ago and served in two tours overseas at seven months each: one in Oman and one in the United Arab Emirates.

“The fun parts were honor guard, I got to see the world and I also got to meet lots of outstanding individuals in the military,” he said.

The tours overseas and training regimens that kept him away from his family throughout the years, however, were what made him consider a career change. Growing up in the Tri-Cities, Bonilla said he always saw �� Tri-Cities as a natural fit, especially for veterans. He also feels comfortable serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserves while working on a full-course load at �� Tri-Cities because of the support system in place.

“It is like hitting the brakes in a car going 60 miles an hour,” he said of transitioning from military life to civilian life. “It is a complete shock. A lot of us have a lot of problems with that. You are so used to structure. Every day, you know what you’re going to do. You wake up early every morning. Once I got to school at ��, it really helped with the transition.”

Bonilla said the university, from the teachers to the administration, are always willing to work with his schedule in the reserves and make accommodations for his classwork.

“They are always willing to work with me, especially when I have to go the Air Force base for training and other requirements for the reserves,” he said. “Some topics are hard to talk about for us veterans and they understand.”

“TRIO student support services at �� Tri-Cities was also a crucial tool for me,” he said. “From the tutoring to the individual support they provide, they were so valuable. It’s been a great environment for veterans.”

Looking toward the future

Bonilla said he reaps the benefits of the challenging coursework at �� Tri-Cities with industry connections, especially in his specific degree field of computer science.

“I have been a geek since I was born,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve always liked computers and electronics. So that was naturally what I saw myself drawn to as a future career option.”

Bonilla said growing up with all of his family members working in the field, they didn’t have money to purchase new electronics, so he learned to fix broken pieces of equipment for his and his family’s use. He said he feels privileged to now turn his past into a forward-thinking career at a university with so many industry connections.

“My computer science courses here at �� are definitely hands-on,” he said. “Our professors here work with all of their students to start slowly and then we build on what we learn through each course and each lesson. That certainly doesn’t mean it is easy, but I like the challenge. That coursework then applies directly into internships, which are held in plenty in the Tri-Cities.”

Bonilla is working to secure a computer science internship at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. After graduation, he said he would love to eventually work for Microsoft as a computer programmer.

“That’s the dream,” he said. “I feel honored that I got the chance to serve my country and had the privilege of putting on the uniform and completing some of the things that my brothers and I did. Now, I’m lucky enough to pursue a different dream. Some of our friends didn’t make it, that is all the more reason why what I am doing is so important. I have to take advantage of these opportunities because some of my brothers don’t have that luxury.”

�� Tri-Cities holds the designation of “Veteran Supportive Campus.” The designation is declared by the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs based on the university’s ability to meet individual veteran needs, its supply of potential benefits for veterans and its assistance in helping veterans obtain internal and external benefits and care.

For more information on resources available to veterans or to see how you can donate for the Operation Thank You drive at �� Tri-Cities, visit /veterans/ or contact the �� Tri-Cities Veterans Center at 509-372-7364.

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April 26: Expo shows engineering, computer science projects

Maegan Murray — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 22:18:14 +0000

By Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – A self-driving fuel-cell car, a prosthetic arm and a solar-powered hot water heater are among the 14 projects that will be showcased during the 2016 Washington State University Tri-Cities Engineering and Computer Science Senior Design Expo at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 26, in the West Atrium.

Students will present real-world projects they spent the school year researching, designing and developing. Members of the community are invited to attend give their feedback to the students.

“Each of these projects began as an idea enriched by considerable enthusiasm and compelling vision,” said Joseph Iannelli, �� Tri-Cities executive director of engineering and computer science. “Through teamwork, diligence and expert mentorship, these students successfully completed innovative projects that are fully anticipated to make a real-world impact soon.”

Other projects include a pedestrian bridge for Badger Mountain Trail, design for a new engineering building, cloud-based decision support and data integration for precision agriculture and an optimized TiLite wheelchair.

Contacts:
Joseph Iannelli, �� Tri-Cities engineering and computer science, 509-372-7420,joseph.iannelli@tricity.wsu.edu
Maegan Murray, �� Tri-Cities public relations specialist, 509-372-7333,maegan.murray@tricity.wsu.edu

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computer science Archives - ������ Tri-Cities

������ Tri-Cities opportunities connect computer science student with Google, PNNL

Students experience real-world impacts of research through summer scholars program

Teachers benefit from new ������ Tri-Cities course focused on computer science for K-12 classrooms

Professor partners with Hanford High School students to host programming workshop

������, PNNL software team focuses on detecting cancer biomarkers in real time

������ Tri-Cities partners with WRPS to develop technologies for Hanford Site

Computer science class partners with technology firm to develop IT, cyber security infrastructure

������ Tri-Cities working with PNNL to develop teacher endorsement program in computer science

Student values ������ Tri-Cities support for veterans

April 26: Expo shows engineering, computer science projects

computer science Archives - �� Tri-Cities

�� Tri-Cities opportunities connect computer science student with Google, PNNL

Teachers benefit from new �� Tri-Cities course focused on computer science for K-12 classrooms

��, PNNL software team focuses on detecting cancer biomarkers in real time

�� Tri-Cities partners with WRPS to develop technologies for Hanford Site

�� Tri-Cities working with PNNL to develop teacher endorsement program in computer science

Student values �� Tri-Cities support for veterans