On Saturday, April 3rd, Yuki Gao and Noshin Raisa, College of Engineering and Computing Sciences seniors majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering, presented the research they have developed with the faculty mentor and electrical and computer engineering assistant professor, Reza K. Amineh, Ph.D., at the Columbia University Science Journal’s annual Spring Research Symposium. Their project titled “Effect of Eccentricity in Microwave Imaging of Multiple Composite Pipes,” is focused on the “non-destructive [material] testing” capabilities of electromagnetic imaging and how it can be utilized to assess defects in composite components. Their findings have been accepted by the journal following the review process and will be published soon.

Funded in part by the United States National Science Foundation, both students began working alongside principal investigators Dr. Amineh and electrical and computer engineering assistant professor Maryam Ravan, Ph.D. in the Fall 2019 semester through New York Tech’s Undergraduate Research and Entrepreneurship Program (UREP).

“There was a huge learning opportunity… it was a lot of learning new theories and understanding the concept,” said Raisa when asked about her initial experience with the project. Since joining the project, both students have continued to develop their work using “electromagnetic simulator tools” in theoretical studies of composite pipes that might be used in the oil and gas industry. “Since this is ongoing research, we are moving from simulating [experiments] to applying it in reality,” said Raisa. “We hope to further develop a technique to estimate the value of unknown eccentricity parameters and then try to reduce the effect of that on the images,” added Gao.

The Columbia University Science Journal, founded in 2006, is a peer-reviewed, student-run publication dedicated to showcasing the capabilities and achievements of undergraduates from Columbia and neighboring universities. The journal forms connections with these students through community outreach and networking events. One of these events is the Spring Research Symposium, at which Raisa and Gao presented their research this year. When asked about the experience, Gao stated, “It was my first time presenting our research results to people outside of New York Tech. It was a great experience and I learned how to tackle questions from the audience from this symposium.” Reflecting on the fact that much of their research thus far has been done remotely, Raisa remarked that “[being accepted] was a reward for that hard work.”

Both students would like to thank Dr. Reza K. Amineh and the UREP program for the opportunity to participate in this research project, and they are glad to have worked alongside each other thus far. They plan to present their findings once more at New York Tech’s 2021 Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). In addition, both students will continue their studies in the Fall 2021 semester through the B.S. with Accelerated M.S. Options program offered by the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences and will receive their Master’s degrees in May of 2022. During their additional year at New York Tech, they intend to develop this research project further in collaboration with Dr. Amineh.

By Julian West