Making automatic grading in education explainable, building better orthopedic implant coatings, automating cybersecurity tasks and affordably analyzing soil and water quality are just some of the ways Arizona State University students are addressing real-world challenges through hands-on research.
Undergraduate and graduate students in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU have myriad opportunities to conduct research that creates tangible impact. Through individual projects mentored by Fulton Schools faculty members, students apply their classroom knowledge, build new skills and forge meaningful advances in the research themes of data science, education, energy, health, security, semiconductor manufacturing and sustainability.
In the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative, also known as FURI, and the Master’s Opportunity for Research in Engineering, or MORE, programs, participants conceptualize ideas, develop plans and investigate research questions during a semester.
Students participating in the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, or GCSP, can apply for additional funding to conduct research through the GCSP research stipend program. Conducting research is one part of the rigorous GCSP competency requirements designed to prepare students to solve the world’s most complex societal challenges.
These three programs enhance students’ ability to innovate, think independently and solve problems in their communities. They also benefit from the technical and soft skills they gain, which prepare them for their careers and the pursuit of advanced degrees.
Each semester, students who participate in FURI, MORE and the GCSP research stipend program are invited to present their findings at the Fulton Forge Student Research Expo.
Meet the four research participants highlighted below and more than 100 other student investigators at the Fall 2025 Fulton Forge Student Research Expo, which is open to the public, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union on ASU’s Tempe campus.
Kumar Satvik Chaudhary
Kumar Satvik Chaudhary, a computer science undergraduate student, decided to participate in FURI to combine his passion for making the reasoning of artificial intelligence, or AI, models easier to explain with an interest in AI use for education. Mentored by ASU Regents Professor Huan Liu, who teaches in the computer science and engineering program, Chaudhary is working on a project to give students more valuable feedback from automated grading systems.
What made you want to get involved in this program? Why did you choose the project you’re working on?
My research interest started when I took CSE 475 Foundations of Machine Learning at ASU, which opened my eyes to the power of AI in education. Later, I got the chance to work with Professor Huan Liu, and that experience shaped my passion for making models more transparent and trustworthy. I chose EduCBM, which is the name of my project, because I want to reduce the uncertainty in automated grading and give students and educators clearer, more interpretable feedback.
How will your engineering research project impact the world?
EduCBM tackles one of the biggest problems with AI in education — its “black box” nature. By making grading models interpretable, it ensures fairness and builds trust among students, instructors and institutions. In the long run, I see it helping educational systems adopt AI more responsibly and improving the way learning outcomes are measured.
What has been your most memorable experience as a student researcher in this program? Did you have a particular “aha!” moment during your project?
My most memorable moment was when I first saw how concept bottlenecks could explain a model’s decision in plain terms rather than just numbers. It felt like I had unlocked a window into how AI “thinks.” That moment confirmed to me that interpretability isn’t just a research goal — it’s a necessary bridge between technology and people.
Have there been any surprises in your research?
Yes, I was surprised by how often large language models can sound convincing but still give uncertain or inconsistent results. It was eye-opening to realize that even powerful models need additional layers, like concept bottlenecks, to make their outputs meaningful and reliable in high-stakes fields like education.
How do you see this experience helping with your career or advanced degree goals?
This project has deepened my interest in research and prepared me for graduate studies in machine learning and AI. It gave me hands-on experience in combining theory with practical applications, which I believe will help me pursue advanced degrees and eventually contribute to building trustworthy AI systems in both academia and industry.
What is the best advice you’ve gotten from your faculty mentor?
Professor Liu told me that research is not just about solving problems but about asking the right questions. That advice helped me shift my focus from chasing results to really thinking about why a problem matters and how my work can make a difference.
Why should other students get involved in this program?
I think FURI is one of the best ways to explore your passions beyond the classroom. It gives you the chance to ask big questions, work closely with faculty and build skills that carry forward into your career or graduate studies. More importantly, it shows you that your ideas can have a real-world impact even as an undergraduate.
Munia Ahmed
As a GCSP student, biomedical engineering major Munia Ahmed got involved in the research stipend program to deepen her experience in research. Working with Vincent Pizziconi, a Fulton Schools associate professor of biomedical engineering, Ahmed is investigating how well a special type of gel formulation for orthopedic implant coatings ages during use.
What made you want to get involved in this program? Why did you choose the project you’re working on?
I wanted to get involved in the GCSP research stipend program because it offers an incredible opportunity to continue pursuing research with the support and resources necessary to explore meaningful questions. After participating in FURI for the past two semesters, I knew I wanted to continue securing funding to build on my project and further develop my skills. This program allows me not only to follow my curiosity but also to contribute to impactful advances in health innovation. I chose my current project because of my strong passion for regenerative medicine and biomaterials research, and being part of the Laboratory of BioInspired Complex Adaptive Systems at ASU has continually fueled my motivation and deepened my commitment to this field.
What has been your most memorable experience as a student researcher in this program? Did you have a particular “aha!” moment during your project?
It’s fun seeing all the literature searches and research you’ve been doing come to life once you undergo your own experiment. It makes you realize that unexpected things can happen in the lab, and that it’s important to not take things so seriously and figure out why something is happening rather than give up!
How do you see this experience helping with your career or advanced degree goals?
I see this experience as an important step in preparing for graduate school and advancing my research career. I am strengthening my ability to think critically about scientific problems, design experiments and independently carry out a research project from start to finish. These experiences and skills are important, whether I’m going into industry or pursuing a higher degree. Working in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering also allowed me to explore different research areas that I can pursue as a biomedical engineering major and helped me build a strong technical foundation.
What is the best advice you’ve gotten from your faculty mentor?
Professor Pizziconi always gives really great advice, but the one thing he asks the lab members and I to think about is the “why” in your project. He consistently reminds our lab to look beyond the technical details and reflect on the bigger purpose of our work. This perspective has pushed me to approach my research with intention.
Why should other students get involved in this program?
Other students should get involved in the GCSP research stipend program or FURI because they provide a unique opportunity to pursue research with both independence and support. The GCSP research stipend not only offers funding but also encourages students to connect their curiosity to real-world challenges, making their work more meaningful. It allows you to take ownership of a project, develop valuable critical thinking skills and gain experience that prepares you for graduate school or a career in research and innovation.
Sameera Shah
Sameera Shah, a Fulton Schools computer science undergraduate student, chose to participate in FURI to gain more research experience while working in an area beyond her expertise. Now under the mentorship of Stephanie Forrest, a Fulton Schools professor of computer science and engineering and director of the ASU Biodesign Center for Biocomputing, Security and Society, Shah is exploring the use of automated error correction in software code.
What made you want to get involved in this program? Why did you choose the project you’re working on?
I was part of the Biocomputing Scholars Program and had already become familiar with [Dr. Forrest’s] project over the past couple of months. I decided to apply to FURI because I wanted to dive deeper into research and get more hands-on experience. I chose this project specifically because it’s in a domain I hadn’t worked in before, and I was excited about the opportunity to learn something completely new.
How will your engineering research project impact the world?
This work can have a significant impact by making software development more reliable and efficient. By automating the detection of bugs, it can reduce human error, save developers valuable time and improve the overall quality of software. In critical systems, faster and more accurate bug fixes can lower costs and ensure that technology works as intended for users everywhere.
Have there been any surprises in your research?
Yes, there have been some surprises. I was replicating results and did not anticipate it would take this much time. It ended up taking almost three to four times longer than I expected. This taught me to be more patient and helped me improve my time management by planning better for unexpected challenges.
How do you see this experience helping with your career or advanced degree goals?
Through this research, I’ve learned how to use new technologies that I wouldn’t have gotten to work with in class. I’ve also learned from my faculty mentor and postdoctoral mentor, who both bring a lot of experience from research and industry. Their guidance, along with the technical skills I’ve gained, will really help me as I start my career.
Why should other students get involved in this program?
Students should get involved with FURI because it allows you to go beyond the classroom and explore real-world applications of what you learn in class. You get the chance to work on projects that are not covered in coursework and build valuable skills that prepare you for future internships and careers. Through FURI, you’ll build connections with faculty mentors who can support your academic and career goals.
Ahadu Assegued
Ahadu Assegued, a Fulton Schools aerospace engineering undergraduate student, got involved in FURI to gain experience working in sustainability research. Working with Saurav Kumar, an assistant professor of civil, environmental and sustainable engineering in the Fulton Schools, Assegued is exploring a new method to affordably assess water and soil quality.
What made you want to get involved in this program? Why did you choose the project you’re working on?
I wanted to get hands-on experience by doing research in a lab. I chose this project because it focuses on sustainability, and it allows me to get the research experience I want by working on a theme I’m passionate about.
How will your engineering research project impact the world?
The purpose of my project is to make water and soil quality assessment more affordable by using low-cost spectrometers. This data could then be used to calibrate Earth observation satellites, which monitor our environment, to make them more accurate.
How do you see this experience helping with your career or advanced degree goals?
I hope to continue my education after graduation and would like to become a researcher at some point. This experience allowed me to get an idea of what it means to work in academia.
Why should other students get involved in this program?
It’s a great way to get started with research, as it allows you to work on real-world problems while getting to connect with faculty members. It’s also a great way to develop crucial skills such as technical writing.
Have there been any surprises in your research?
I didn’t expect to have to take a lot of samples and trials to get the data I needed to process. Through this I learned to be patient with the amount of work.
