undergraduate

Using machine learning to accurately count species

Computer science and ecology may seem like an unlikely combination at first, but it’s exactly the niche Oregon State University assistant professor, Rebecca Hutchinson, envisioned. Her research uses machine learning and statistical modeling to help scientists answer questions like: What will happen to monarch butterflies under climate change? What are the habitat requirements of olive-sided flycatchers?

Great strides

In a dramatic breakthrough for robotics, researchers in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University used a reinforcement learning algorithm operating in a simulated environment to train a bipedal robot to walk, run, hop, skip, and climb stairs in the real world.

The “sim-to-real” learning process represents a transformation in robotics control, according to Jonathan Hurst, professor of mechanical engineering and robotics.

Alumni spotlight: Alex Hagmüller '09

In 2015, Alex Hagmüller (’09 B.S. Mechanical Engineering) co-founded Aquaharmonics, a wave energy converter company, with Max Ginsburg (’10 B.S. Electrical Computer Engineering). After winning a $1.5 million Wave Energy Prize, they were awarded up to $5 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding to enhance and test their energy-converter concept in the ocean.


Where did your interest in wave energy come from?

Pushing 3D metal printing further

Additive manufacturing (AM)—also known as 3D printing—is rapidly disrupting the manufacturing sector, providing freedom of design, allowing a transition from rapid prototyping to real commercialization, decreasing material waste, and reducing time and cost of manufacturing. Furthermore, AM methods can be utilized for manufacturing of functionally graded materials (FGMs).

The art of engineering buildings

No question about it, Alex Saccente was going to study art when she went to college. Art was her passion, and she’d been painting and sketching for years. At the start of her senior year in high school, Saccente poured everything into completing her advanced placement art portfolio. 

A couple of teachers at Wilsonville High School had a different idea. Recognizing their student’s aptitude for math and science, they encouraged Saccente to contemplate a future in engineering. 

Stepping up and giving back

When Quentin Onyemordi reflects on his time at Oregon State University, he seems genuinely impressed by how far he’s come on his journey as an engineer.

“From the moment I came to school, I was definitely interested in engineering, but I didn’t have the technical knowledge,” he said. “Every year, I’ve added new milestones in that regard and taken some big steps toward becoming an engineer. The entire learning experience has been amazing.”