Marketing and Communications

2024: Year in Review

Engineering with purpose

In 2024, the faculty, staff and students in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University took the initiative to innovate with intention.

The Fulton Schools addressed key issues through research initiatives in data, education, energy, health, security, semiconductor manufacturing and sustainability to generate positive impact. Its awards, achievements and actions are a testament to the values the Fulton Schools strives to embody and impart within the ASU community and beyond.

Revisit some of the year’s most popular stories published in the ASU engineering news blog. The following articles reflect a fraction of the ingenuity and work produced by the Fulton Schools throughout 2024 and serve as a foundation for immeasurable future benefits to the world.

Innovative approaches and tools to help better process, use, manage and access data.

In 2024, the Fulton Schools spearheaded key innovations in artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable smarter, more connected solutions for a sustainable future across various industries.

Aviral Shrivastava holding a small vehicle with a speech bubble that says "Forks up!"

Kachow! ASU engineers will bring us talking cars

ASU professor Aviral Shrivastava has a plan that allows self-driving cars to collect data through sensors and cameras and tell other vehicles what they detect.

A man sitting on a wooden bench in a park, looking thoughtfully into the distance.

New AI for a new era of discovery

ASU computer science and engineering researcher Kookjin Lee received an NSF CAREER award to develop a machine learning system to discover new scientific laws.

A graphic featuring a pregnant woman and a doctor — A pregnant diabetic woman checks her blood sugar levels while a doctor chats with a patient. In the IMPACT Lab, researchers in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, are developing artificial intelligence solutions in cardiology and endocrinology to improve women’s health. Illustration by Kelly deVos

Using AI can improve health outcomes for women

Team of ASU researchers receive multiple grants to develop tech tools to improve treatment options for women.

ASU student Abril Ramos works with a prototype of a NASA spacesuit helmet in the lab. — Abril Ramos, a chemical engineering student in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, works on a prototype of a spacesuit helmet with an anti-fog coating developed by Swift Coat, an ASU spinout company. She is part of a team developing a solution for new NASA spacesuits to be used in an upcoming crewed mission to the moon. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU

From ASU to Artemis: Engineering student helps astronauts suit up for moon mission

ASU chemical engineering major Abril Ramos has been instrumental to startup Swift Coat’s success in the NASA Small Business Innovation Research program.

David W. Coon. Erin Chiou, Ming Zhao and Nicole Roberts — A cross-disciplinary team of four researchers working across four campuses at Arizona State University have united to create artificial intelligence solutions to improve health care outcomes for aging veterans. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU

No one left behind: AI-enabled support for aging vets

Four perspectives. Four campuses. Four schools. Four researchers use AI to helping aging vets.

AI to connect small and medium manufacturing companies with a larger clientele

Associate Professor Farhad Ameri is working on a project called the Prototype Open Knowledge Network, or Proto-OKN, an interconnected set of data repositories and knowledge graphs to enable data-driven, AI-based manufacturing solutions.

AI-generated image of scientific containers holding materials

Discovering new materials using AI and machine learning

An ASU-led collaboration is using AI and machine learning to address critical material shortages and revolutionize materials discovery and manufacturing processes.

Advancing ways to educate engineering students.

Faculty within ASU Engineering focus on learning methods, cognitive theory and best teaching practices to educate the community about the impact engineering has on everyday life. The Fulton Schools are prioritizing collaboration with industry, diverse and inclusive learning environments, and practical, technology-driven education to equip students for leadership roles in the rapidly evolving engineering landscape.

Litzi Matancillas, a member of Desert WAVE, in the water at a robotics competition with one of the robots they competed with.

Teamwork among students and robots wins international competition

Desert WAVE, an all-female robotics team, wins international RoboSub competition using two robots in tandem.

Two students work with electronic components at an ASU microelectronics workshop.

Microtechnology advances promising career possibilities

A hands-on workshop with industry leaders gave students a look at work and creative opportunities in the evolving microelectronics field.

A graphic depicting students and faculty members on a gold background.

Advancing inclusive excellence in engineering

The ASU engineering community has been highly involved in increasing inclusive excellence through education, student success, research and outreach activities.

Shawn Jordan, an Arizona State University associate professor of engineering, is pictured in his Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math, or STEAM, Lab which enables middle school and high school students and teachers throughout Arizona to get involved in classes, curriculum and educational camps focusing on integrating engineering knowledge and practices with other STEAM disciplines. Photo courtesy of Shawn Jordan

Expanding engineering education across the career spectrum

The newest of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering will focus on preparing students to integrate evolving engineering knowledge and expertise into varied industries and professions

ASU students to learn industry skills firsthand in a new entrepreneurship course

(THUMB) A course launching in fall 2024 will provide an opportunity for students to work directly with experts to determine new ways to overcome industry challenges.

Del E. Webb School students — Student interns from the Del E. Webb School of Construction, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, pose for a photo on an Okland Construction Company, Inc. job site. The Del E. Webb School’s construction management and technology undergraduate degree program requires students to complete two formal internships to prepare to enter the lucrative and rapidly growing construction industry. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU

Building a modern construction workforce

ASU’s Del E. Webb School of Construction prepares the next generation of construction leaders using modern technology and hands-on experience.

Tyler Jiemback at Lallemand Baking — Tyler Jiemback, a Mechanical Engineer at Lallemand Baking and an Arizona State University alumni, poses in front of Lallemand Baking’s newly-installed robot designed during Tyler’s ASU senior capstone project. Photo courtesy of Tyler Jiemback/Lallemand Baking

A legend in the baking: ASU alumnus finds success with capstone project

ASU alumnus Tyler Jiemback’s capstone project robot comes to life at Lallemand Baking, enhancing the functionality and automation of the baking process.

Conducting multifaceted research in renewable and alternative energy sources.

The Fulton Schools are at the forefront of innovative energy materials research and next-generation power systems, with a dual emphasis on efficiency and sustainability. Their work integrates academic rigor with industry collaboration to drive advancements in renewable energy, power electronics and materials science for diverse applications, including extreme environments and global energy infrastructure.

A satellite is shown in space above Earth.

Taking batteries B-LO Zero

ASU researcher Nick Rolston is collaborating with Swiss researchers to develop solid-state batteries that can survive extreme temperatures in space.

A bright idea

ASU’s Mojdeh Khorsand Hedman received a 2024 NSF CAREER award to determine how best to integrate distributed electricity resources into the power grid.

Improving electrical efficiency

ASU researcher Wonmo Kang earned an NSF CAREER award to develop a manufacturing technique for materials with ultrahigh electrical conductivity properties.

Charging up an electrified future

Assistant Professor Houqiang Fu received a 2024 NSF CAREER award to improve the efficiency and reliability of power electronics using aluminum nitride.

inside the hood of an electric van — An electric U-Haul van has its hood open for onlookers to view at an event on the Arizona State University Tempe campus. Nidhin Kurian Kalarickal, an assistant professor of electrical engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU, has developed a damage-free semiconductor manufacturing manufacturing step known as etching for emerging material gallium oxide. Gallium oxide has applications in areas such as electric vehicles’ power electronics. Photographer: Erik Wirtanen/ASU

Perfecting semiconductors for power electronics

Nidhin Kurian Kalarickal collaborated with Agnitron Technology to develop a damage-free etching method for gallium oxide, a semiconductor material.

Nick Rolston in lab — Nick Rolston, an assistant professor of electrical engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University (left), conducts experiments in his lab with electrical engineering alumnus Hunter Mantle (center) and electrical engineering undergraduate student Jacob Burrows (right). Rolston received a 2024 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award to explore durability standards for solar panels made from a class of materials called perovskites. Photographer: Erika Gronek/ASU

Setting new standards for materials testing

ASU researcher Nick Rolston received an NSF CAREER Award to advance perovskite solar technology and further develop the field’s workforce.

Discovering future solutions in health research through interdisciplinary collaboration to address critical health challenges.

Mary O’Reilly, Pankaj “Jay” Pasricha, MD, and Heather Clark at Mayo Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Arizona

ASU, Mayo Clinic forge a new health innovation program

Arizona State University is on a mission to drive innovations that will help people lead healthier lives and empower health care professionals to develop novel new health solutions. As part of that goal, the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU — with support from the Flinn Foundation — is announcing the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University Alliance for Health Care Biomedical Engineering Program.

The program aims to enhance education and training opportunities for ASU and Mayo Clinic students, advancing pathways for medical entrepreneurship, clinical immersion and community embeddedness.

Researchers are leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced engineering for medical diagnostics and assistive technologies to improve the quality of life for aging populations and explore novel manufacturing techniques for biomedical applications. Partnerships, such as the ASU-Mayo Clinic collaboration, underscore a commitment to driving medical entrepreneurship and enhancing patient care across sectors.

Michelle Jang in a lab — Michelle Jang, a biomedical engineering graduate student in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, works on using stem cell technology within conductive hydrogel solution. She is part of Mehdi Nikkhah’s lab team currently studying EHTs to improve cell maturation and electrical properties. Photographer: Allison Lyne/ASU

Harnessing the benefits of stem cells for heart regeneration

Nikkhah and Zhu are exploring stem cell transplantation to repair and possibly regenerate damaged myocardium, or heart tissue.

'YZ' Yezhou Yang speaking in front of a group — Over the summer, ‘YZ’ Yezhou Yang, an associate professor of computer science in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, gave a talk on artificial intelligence, or AI, topics to the residents of the Mirabella at ASU retirement community where older adults expressed enthusiasm for new technology. Fulton Schools researchers are hard at work on innovations designed to improve quality of life for aging people. Photographer: Mike Sanchez/ASU

Advancing technology for a population advancing in years

ASU researchers are using artificial intelligence to improve Alzheimer’s disease treatment, non-invasive health monitoring and independence for older adults.

A young girl getting an eye exam. — A child receives an eye exam. A serious, irreversible eye disease known as myopic maculopathy is on the rise. Yalin Wang, a professor of computer science and engineering in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, is leading a team to find solutions. Collaborating with computer systems doctoral student Wenhui Zhu and neurologist Dr. Oana Dumitrascu, Wang is developing AI-powered tools to aid in the effective diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Photo courtesy of Syda Productions/Adobe

Using AI to help people see more clearly

ASU researchers use artificial intelligence to improve treatment outcomes for those suffering from the world’s leading cause of vision loss.

Perfecting the pulse of haptics

Hasti Seifi, an assistant professor of computer science, has been awarded the 2024 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation for her work in making touch technologies more accessible.

Addressing issues of national defense, homeland security and cybersecurity to devise solutions

Researchers are tackling the critical need for cybersecurity innovation to address emerging challenges in a data-driven and connected world. From protecting privacy to the use of artificial intelligence in data systems, the Fulton Schools is preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Securing the wireless spectrum

ASU researcher Yanchao Zhang is leading work to ensure the security and privacy of wireless network customers as the user base grows and technology evolves.

Protecting privacy in the age of data proliferation

ASU researcher Oliver Kosut is leading an investigation of methods to protect personal information in aggregate datasets used to train AI algorithms.

neon pink pentagon — Three faculty members in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University have received multi-year Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research grants from the Department of Defense for their work in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and robotics. Photo courtesy of Depositphotos

ASU receives three DEPSCoR awards for research critical to national security

Teams in ASU’s School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence will conduct research relevant to U.S. Department of Defense science and technology missions.

image of a silhouette of a student overlooking Phoenix with a drone flying in the sky — An ASU student gives the forks up gesture in silhouette at sunset as a drone cruises across the Phoenix, Arizona skyline. Tiffany Bao, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, is leading a team that will secure cyberphysical systems like drones. Photo illustration by Kelly deVos. Photos by Andy DeLisle/ASU and Leopolis/Depositphotos.

ASU team creates fast tools to secure cyberphysical systems

Cyberphysical systems, like satellites and drones, are everywhere. ASU faculty members are working to secure them — quickly.

Seeking the biometric bill of rights

Fulton Schools researcher Katina Michael studies the intersection of biotechnology and cybersecurity.

Yan Shoshitaishvili standing next to computers — Yan Shoshitaishvili is developing a novel technique to more effectively identify vulnerabilities in software code, and his research at ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering has been selected for up to $1 million in support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Photograph by Erika Gronek/ASU

The next generation of cybersecurity pros drills in the dojo

An ASU associate professor has developed the definitive global platform for training a well-qualified, dedicated cybersecurity workforce to fight surging cybercrime.

Discovering more sustainable, reliable and advanced methods for semiconductor manufacturing

ASU is leading a robust effort to strengthen the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain through workforce development, international collaborations and advanced research. Collaborative and global initiatives demonstrate a commitment to fostering talent and innovation in the microelectronics sector.

Strengthening semiconductor skills at the SWAP Hub

The ASU-led SWAP Hub, a U.S. Department of Defense Microelectronics Commons Hub, advances electronic technology and workforce development for national defense.

Arizona State University President Michael Crow (center) speaks while sitting next to Esteban Moctezuma Barragán and Alfonso Durazo Montaño

Cross-border semiconductor collaborations translate success

A technical language course and other workforce development efforts by ASU are set to economically benefit people and businesses in the U.S. and Mexico.

Scaling down manufacturing dimensions to scale up chip production

ASU researcher Chao Wang developed an accessible manufacturing method for researchers to prototype and produce ultrathin nanophotonic devices.

Diagnosing data corruption

ASU researcher awarded by the Open Compute Project to improve microchip quality assessments.

A new dawn in hydrogen purification

ASU doctoral student Daniel Rivera’s innovative research uses electric fields to purify hydrogen in petroleum refineries and semiconductor manufacturing.

The Crystal Sonic team in its lab space in downtown Phoenix. Pictured left to right: Senior Process Development Engineer Jessica Abraham, CEO Arno Merkle, ASU professor and co-founder Mariana Bertoni, electrical engineer Saideep Kamishetty, Senior Process Development Engineer Taylor Black and R&D Director and co-founder Pablo Guimerá Coll.

ASU startup Crystal Sonic wins Natcast pitch competition

Researcher Mariana Bertoni and team are using acoustics to advance next-generation technology transforming the semiconductor production landscape.

David McComas in a lab — David McComas, an undergraduate electrical engineering student in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, deposits a metal mask on a gallium oxide wafer in the ASU NanoFab semiconductor fabrication facility. McComas is working on a Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative, or FURI, project to improve microelectronics sustainability, one of eight FURI projects sponsored by semiconductor manufacturer TSMC. Photo courtesy of David McComas

Student research supports semiconductor sustainability

TSMC-sponsored student research projects through FURI aim to improve semiconductor sustainability in use and manufacturing practices

Committing to scalable, interdisciplinary engineering initiatives to ensure a sustainable future

The Fulton Schools is creating a culture and community that commits to sustainable solutions across all disciplines. ASU faculty members and students are using engineering and technology innovations to address global environmental challenges. From reducing carbon emissions to resource management, researchers are exploring alternative opportunities to achieve scalable eco-friendly solutions.

Engineering low-carbon building materials

The new Center for Carbon Efficient and Advanced Manufacturing of Materials and Structures, or CAMMS, directed by Fulton Professor of Structural Materials Narayanan Neithalath, aims to decarbonize the manufacturing of cement, which is responsible for more than 20% of all industrial carbon emissions.

The CAMMS research team plans to use new source materials and improved manufacturing and construction processes to accomplish its goal.