Engineering and... News: April 2025

Dear GW Engineering Community,

It’s that time of year when, at least in my world as an educator, I experience a wide range of emotions resulting from chapters ending, beginning, and continuing. The joy of celebrating the academic accomplishments of – and the sadness of saying goodbye (for now) to  – another

graduating class of GW Engineers and Computer Scientists. The excitement of welcoming admitted students and showing them our fantastic community. And the pride of seeing what we are accomplishing and how we are remaining resilient by working together and supporting each other.

In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Engineering Schools rankings, GW Engineering rose 14 places, from 88 to 74, in just one year. This jump is the largest single-year increase among the top 100 schools. Only 3 schools are ranked higher and are smaller than we are. Our small, tight-knit, supportive community is one of our greatest strengths, and it is clear that we can also be competitive with our much larger peers. Small but mighty indeed! 

Congratulations to GW Engineering Professors Kartik Bulusu, Xitong Liu, Danmeng Shuai, Adam Aviv, and graduate teaching assistant Guanan Zhang on being honored during the 15th Annual Faculty Honors Ceremony. The ceremony recognizes faculty and graduate students for their excellence in teaching, research, and service. The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs presents the awards.

Alumnus Dr. Anmol Agarwal was named a 2025 Top Cybersecurity Leader. Dr. Agarwal, a 2023 graduate of our online Doctor of Engineering program in Cybersecurity Analytics, is a Senior Security Researcher at Nokia, responsible for global security standards for wireless communication networks. The professional and career outcomes of our alumni never cease to amaze me. Without a doubt, we have some of the most impressive alumni in almost every area of engineering and computer science. 

During our annual Research and Design (R&D) Showcase, GW Engineering students’ innovation and ingenuity were on full display. Every year, I’m increasingly impressed and proud of the intellectual prowess our students demonstrate. The out-of-the-box ideas they develop to address large-scale and everyday societal and system challenges are amazing. And, of course, their faculty mentors guide and support them every step of the way.

This month’s newsletter articles demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the school’s mission to provide quality educational opportunities, promote innovative research, and improve communities everywhere. We are consistent, persistent, and resilient, and we continue to rise. 

Raise High Revolutionaries!

John Lach

Dean

GW Engineering’s world-class faculty and graduate assistants are dedicated to educating tomorrow’s leaders and innovating solutions to society’s grand challenges—contributions celebrated annually at GW’s Faculty Honors Ceremony. This year, GW Engineering honorees included Professors Kartik Bulusu, Xitong Liu, Danmeng Shuai, Adam Aviv, and graduate assistant Guanan Zhang, who received their awards at the ceremony on April 24 in the Jack Morton Auditorium.

May 1 at 10am-3pm: GW InnovationFest

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May 1 at 1pm: Liberal Arts in an AI World: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Teaching

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May 1 from 1pm-5pm: Marketplace of the Future

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May 7 & May 14 from 12:25pm-1pm: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Booth

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May 7 from 1pm-2pm: Clearance Preparedness Program

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May 15 from 2pm-3pm: GW Engineering Doctoral Hooding Ceremony

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May 16 from 7pm-9pm: GW Engineering Graduation Celebration

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On Tuesday, April 8, U.S. News & World Report released its annual Best Engineering Graduate Schools rankings, and the George Washington University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (GW Engineering) rose from 88 to 74. This 14-place climb is the largest single-year increase among the top 100 schools.

GW and SMU Develop Magnetic Tweezer System for Safer Robotic Surgery

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Battling the Bug: How GW Engineering is Leading the Charge Against Norovirus

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GW Engineering’s Brain-Computer Interface Research Opens New Frontiers

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New Patent by Professor Louri Reinforces Network-on-Chip Security

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Professor Broniatowski Weighs In on FTC Inquiry into Tech Censorship

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New Exhibit Brings Fluid Dynamics to Life in GW’s Science & Engineering Hall

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used everywhere–from generating human-like conversations to diagnosing diseases. Behind the scenes, the hardware components used for training AI models and facilitating these tasks have distinct benefits and drawbacks. Hardware accelerators for artificial neural networks have emerged as a tool to unlock advanced AI performance, yet conventional computing still struggles with inefficiencies due to memory bottlenecks. A new study led by researchers in GW Engineering’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering proposes a novel approach to overcoming this challenge.

Each department within GW Engineering has its own team dedicated to supporting its community. In the Department of Computer Science, Chris Heroman leads operations to ensure everything runs smoothly for students and faculty alike.

Q: How long have you been working at GW, and what is your position?

A: I have been with GW for 4 years now. Previously, I worked in the Registrar’s Office.

 

Q: What led you to this career?

A: I’ve always enjoyed working in a university setting. I’m drawn to the idea of helping students grow and prepare for the next phase of their lives.

 

Q: Why did you choose GW?

A: Of all the D.C. area universities and colleges, GW reminded me the most of my alma mater, Tulane. I also love the dynamics of an urban university.

On April 25, 116 GW Engineering students from across all six academic departments are came together to showcase their research at the 2025 Research & Design and Senior Design Showcase. This annual event sprawls across the first and lower levels of the Science & Engineering Hall, offering a glimpse into the critical advancements being made within the school.

On March 21, 40 Kimball Elementary School students had the opportunity to envision themselves as future engineers through a field trip to GW Engineering. By filling the day with engaging activities focused on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), this event aimed to spark the students’ excitement about STEM and give them a positive experience on a college campus. 

The GWU-PREP is a collaboration with GWU in Washington, DC and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland. GWU-PREP provides research opportunities at NIST to students, faculty, research staff, and postdoctoral researchers at GW as well as researchers at SURA-affiliated universities.

We support your ambitions by offering financial support to eligible GW community members, including a monthly stipend, hourly wage, or full tuition reimbursement for qualifying undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff.