The College of Engineering (CENG) initiated a Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) in 2017. The purpose of the program is to provide research experiences for our undergraduate students working alongside our faculty during the summer. This program also supports the scholarly efforts of our faculty through engagement with undergraduate students. Projects lead to student-faculty authored publications in venues appropriate to the area of research conducted during the summer. Further, the program invites industrial and other external sponsors to provide university-industry collaborative research and project activities.
This program supports Cal Poly’s educational mission as both faculty members and students are provided a significant opportunity for their professional growth. SURP students gain valuable training in research methods and practices, professional experience, have opportunities to apply classroom knowledge and theories in a research setting, and work in a team environment. Through collaboration with faculty members and external sponsors, SURP students gain “Learn by Doing” research experience that will support their growth as a student and set a foundation to build on as they pursue their career goals. Depending on the project, students may have tangible products such as data sets, hardware prototypes, software code, other forms of intellectual property, abstracts and/or research posters, and co-authored publications. SURP faculty participants are able to implement the teacher-scholar model while making progress in their area of research. Partnerships with industrial and external sponsors through SURP support the California State University’s mission of preparing significant numbers of educated and responsible people to contribute to California’s economy, culture, and future. Industrial and external SURP project sponsors gain a head start in cultivating professional relationships with talented and motivated SURP students.
Submissions from 2025
AI Fact-Checking Claims in Videos, Jake Altieri
Exploring Impact of Student’s Proximity to Summer Camp and Demographics on their Interests in Engineering, Yamil Balcells
Safety-Critical Formation Control of Non-Holonomic Multi-Robot Systems in Communication-Limited Environments, Logan Beard
Hand-Tracking and Extended Reality Interfa, Alexander Bloomer and Alberto Cornejo
Modeling an Energy Management System for Residential Hybrid AC/DC Power Networks, Theodor Buerchner, Giovanni Malone, and Alex Maldonado
Human-AI Collaboration for Creative Design, Antony Chen
Sustainability Literacy in CENG, The Knowledge-Attitude Disconnect in Sustainability Education: Evidence from CENG Students, Myron Chen and Rohit Kota
Engaging Students in Materials Engineering Through a Marble-Based Property Ranking Game, Nathan Cloughley and Alyssa Felix
Sustainable Development of Sensing Materials for Structural Health Monitoring, Nat Conti and Matthew Robinson
SURP: Space Robotics Laboratory Lab Manuals and Experiment Development, Connell Crawford
Supporting Migrant Education Program Students, Yaneli Cruz
Supporting Migrant Education Program Students, Yaneli Cruz
Eggbeater Antenna Design 915 MHz, Anshul Deshmukh
Deterministic Motion Planning for Highly Articulated Multi-Link Robots, Matthew Flynn
Wearable Sensing Systems and Data Analytics for Pressure Sensing Prosthetics, Aiden Freeland
Building Pathways to Computer Science Careers for Latinx Students Through Multilingual Collaborative Block-Based Programming, Cis Garcia and Noemi Corona Calvario
Motivation and Engagement in Outreach Activities, Aurora Geisen
Investigating Engineering Students Responses to Failure, Denis Gonzalez-Reyes
Analysis and Evaluation of Backtracking Settings for Energy Yield Optimization at the Cal Poly Solar Farm, Kayla Go-Oco
DeepSeek, ChatGPT, or Gemini? A Multi-Method Investigation of Neural and Behavioral User Experience (UX), Keziah Gopalla
DeepSeek, ChatGPT, or Gemini? A Multi-Method Investigation of Neural and Behavioral User Experience (UX), Keziah Gopalla
Leveraging Smartphones for Balance Assessment, Kelly Graham
Behind the Prompt: The Environmental Impact of LLM Inference, Lucy Hegenderfer and Isaac Huang
Integrating Mobility Dynamics into Facility Location Modeling and Optimization, Daniel Hopkins
Acoustic-Based Quality Monitoring in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D Printing, Madeleine Howard
Building a Smart Transportation Network to Prevent Multi-Vehicle Collisions During Sudden Slowdowns, Leo Huang and Patrick Zhao
AI Agents for Search and Rescue (AI4SAR), Nathan Huang and Lakshana Viswa
Multi-Material Printer Development, Jessica Hu and Phoebe Eplett
Understanding the State of Neuroinclusive Teaching, Jovita Maria Joseph
Performance Dashboard Design for Radiologists: Highlighting What Matters & Fostering Improvement, Trevor Knotts, Jemma Simpson, and Coleman Hawkins
Developing Practical CFD Skills for Undergraduate Researchers, Max Koerner and Sebastian Macias-Gonzalez
Developing Practical CFD Skills for Undergraduate Researchers, Max Koerner and Sebastian Macias-Gonzalez
Constructing a High-Performance IoT Pipeline for Smart Manufacturing Environments, Seth Langel
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Hot Plate and FlackTek Mixing in Nanocomposite Panel Fabrication, Jacky Liang and Wyatt Barnes
TVAC Testing with STELLA, Emily Lieber and Roshan Jaiswal
Light-Activated Self-Folding of Polystyrene-Based Shape Memory Polymers: A Comparison of Laser Induced Graphene and Marker Patterns, Amelia Lodwick
Orbital Mechanics and AI, Daniella Luciani and Cliodhna McGuigan
Relational Algebra Interpreter, Sydney Lynch
Deep-Learning Based Microstructure Reconstruction and Generation, Cameron J. Maloney, Lucas Taliaferro, and Nina St. John
Additive Manufacturing of Multi-Material Aircraft Sandwich Structures, Dhriti Mandalam Surendranath Kumar and Cody van Dyck
Designing for Maintainability, Kyle Marshall
Computational Investigation of the Role of 3D Genome Architecture in the Lifecycle of the Malaria Parasite, Srish Maulik
AI-Powered Accessibility Tracker for Inclusive Public Spaces, Yenny Ma and Kevin Beltran
AI-Powered Accessibility Tracker for Inclusive Public Spaces, Yenny Ma and Kevin Beltran
Evaluating machine-learning models for drone-based image analysis of coastal ecosystem dynamics, Katharine McDaniel and Pragati Toppo
A Computational Approach to Space Trajectory Optimization, Cliodhna McGuigan and Daniella Luciani
Refurbishing and Deploying Oceanographic Equipment, Matthew Moore
Accelerating Metal Extrusion Additive Manufacturing Process Development with Citrine Machine Learning Tools, Sam Moran, Andrea Patin, Tyler Seto, and Cam Sherry
Accelerating Metal Extrusion Additive Manufacturing Process Development with Citrine Machine Learning Tools, Sam Moran, Andrea Patin, Tyler Seto, and Cam Sherry
Accelerating Metal Extrusion Additive Manufacturing Process Development with Citrine Machine Learning Tools, Sam Moran, Andrea Patin, Tyler Seto, and Cameron Sherry
Impact of Lab Design & Prior Engineering Exposure on EPIC Outcomes, Ari Nagle, Tim Pontes, and Lena Roberts
A Biomimetic FE Model of the Human Foot for Kinematic and Footwear Analysis, Brady K. Nakamura
3D Printing Scoliosis Braces, Zak Neddo and Jaylan Mo
Machine Unlearning: The Right to Be Forgotten, Colin Ngo
A Novel Hybrid Re-Entrant Double Arrowhead with Active Link Auxetic Metamaterial: Finite Element Approach, April Nguyen
Augmented Reality Application for Real-Time Coastal Data Visualization, Nithyasri Palanisamy
Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Parking, Ravi Panchal
Making Lab Manuals for Optimizing Student Engagement and Learning, Carlos Perez and Andrea Bautista Rocha
Building Pathways to Computer Science Careers for Latinx Students Through Multilingual Collaborative Block-Based Programming, Valerie Ponce and Priscilla Garcia
AI-Driven Embedded Camera System for Real-Time Traffic Anomaly Detection, Isaac Pruett
Spacecraft Reaction Wheel Simulation Testbed, Shiva Pulmamidi and Daniel Kim
Deep Learning in Eye-Tracking Biomarkers for Anomaly Detection, Jay Rajesh
Mixed Reality in Human–Robot Interaction for Collaborative Applications, Evan Reid and Caitlin Osorio
15cm Gridded Ion Thruster, Arjan Reyes
Hands-on vs. critical-thinking labs and engineering pathways: a gender-comparative analysis, Stacey Rodas Duarte
Propeller Characterization Lab, Stefanos Rosenbaum
How students’ geographical area influences their level of interest in engineering after participating in the EPIC program, Cristina Ruiz
Evaluating the Accuracy of Gen AI Detecting Misinformation, Alan Sebastian
SAL-E: Responsive Space Pathfinder Mission, Adrian Serniak and Kayla Wong
Experimental Study of Flexible Wing Design for Low Subsonic Flow, Blake Shaffer and Timothy Barry
Radiative Heat Transfer Using Spectrometers, Metztli Singha
Analyzing Wearable Sensor Data from Individuals undergoing Motor and Neurological Rehabilitation, Carly Smith
Mastering Undergraduate Algorithms: Improving Problem-Solving Skills and Fluency through Scaffolding Learning Modules, Anissa Soungpanya
Approximating the Maximum Weighted Independent Set Problem Empirically, Sue Sue
Stretchable Mechanoluminescent Devices for Energy Harvesting and Real-Time Force Sensing, Lucas Taliaferro and Phoebe Ong
Building an Inclusive AI Chatbot for Diverse Student Communities at Cal Poly: Uplift AI, Gideon Telahun
Analyzing Wearable Sensor Data from Individuals Undergoing Motor and Neurological Rehabilitation, Nolan William Turk
How Does User Control Reduce Irritation of Mid-Roll Ads, Elijah Villanueva
Building Bridges, Bridging the Gap: Measuring Engineering Confidence Across SES, Amori Waller
HPC Configuration and Automated System Administration, Matty Witt, Deep Singh, and Christopher Imirian
Seismic Resilience of Timber Structures, Mia Wootton, Allison Nocon, Mikayla Caruthers, Ava Fineza, Rebecca Slutsky, and Min Thit Kant
Romance in Games, Camila Yermin
Exploring EPIC’s Effect on Student Confidence and Interest in STEM, Alejandra Zuñiga
Submissions from 2024
Gamified Machine Embroidery, Sai Rama Balakrishnan and Vince Thanh Doan
Advanced Localization Technologies for Autonomous Robotic Apple Harvesting, Gabriel K. Basus
Impact of Composites Material Research on Underrepresented Communities, Neil Bedagkar
Measurement Automation & Measurement System Research Endowment, Brian Bivinetto, Beneda Loya, and Shiron Bendrihem
"Deep Learning for Microscope Image Denoising", Nasreen Buhn, Sriya Adunur, Guy Hagen, and Jonathan Ventura
Machine Learning-Based Stress Detection Using Smartphones and Wearable Sensors, Robert Burns and Kassandra Martinez-Mejia
Drive to Succeed: Empowering Underserved Communities through Autonomous Driving Education, Amanda I. Chan
This is An Automated Software Platform for Grid Interconnection of Renewable Energy Resources., Cathy Chen and Lani Nguyen
Optimizing Sensor Placements for Fixed Source Localization: A Distinct Subset Distance Sum Problem, Peter Chinh
African Californios.org: Reconstructing the African Past of Spanish & Mexican California, Anthony Colin Herrera
Seismic Resilience of Timber Homes, Melia R. Costa
Empirical Support for Algorithmic Conjectures, Shayan Daijavad
Significance of NonInvasive Endothelial Dysfunction and Other Cardiovascular Measurements in Various Communities, Sofi Z. David, Lily Wilcox, and Kalia Richard
AI for Search and Rescue: Probabilistic Reasoning, Emi Dinh, Sydney Lynch, and Swayam Chidrawar
Distributed Multi-Robot Localization and Coordination Framework for Mobile Robots, Dmitri Dobrynin and Indigo T. Garcia