May 20, 2008

Contact: Amy Hewes
College of Engineering
805-756-6402
ahewes@calpoly.edu

Cal Poly Students Score at Statewide CSU Research Competition

Cal Poly scored two first place wins among its ten entries at the 22nd Annual California State University Student Research Competition, held on May 2 and 3 at CSU East Bay.

Mechanical Engineering major Chi-Yeh Hsu and electrical engineering major Xian Wang won first prize in the undergraduate engineering and computer science division for their design of a light-weight, mobile, free-space optical communication system. In addition, biochemistry major Daniel Le took first prize in the undergraduate physical and mathematical sciences division for his report on kinetic investigations of a radical-based methodology for carbocycle ring expansion.  

Dr. Xiaomin Jin, faculty advisor to engineering students Hsu and Wang, noted that their project “is designed for mounting on mobile platforms, with effective range of at least 50 meters.” “Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Laser diodes (LDs) are used in the transmitter for comparison for their relative performance in the system,” she explained. “Since almost all commercial FSO systems are mounted on fixed positions such as buildings, this research explores the possibility and challenges of designing a FSO system for a mobile system such as remotely operated-vehicles or between ships.” 

The Cal Poly students were among nearly 200 students from 22 campuses who took part in this year’s competition. All participants were first nominated by their respective colleges, then selected in a preliminary competition at Cal Poly.  Final competitors submitted written papers and made oral presentations to juries of experts from major California corporations, foundations, public agencies and universities. 

Also representing Cal Poly in the competition were:  physics / electrical engineering undergraduate student Eric Albin; chemistry / polymers and coatings graduate student Eric Appel; aerospace engineering undergraduate student Brian Butler; animal science graduate student Carrie Kimmell; microbiology undergraduate student Evan Markegard; biological sciences graduate student Gloeta Massie; dairy products technology graduate student Elizabeth Ng; and English undergraduate student David Schwartz. 

“We didn’t expect to win,” says Jin, “but we stayed for the awards because we wanted to see the whole competition through. And, in the end, we achieved our goal.”  

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