{"id":354,"date":"2019-02-08T16:09:26","date_gmt":"2019-02-08T21:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/?page_id=354"},"modified":"2026-05-26T15:49:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T19:49:28","slug":"former-students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/former-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Students"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Graduate Students<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>
\"Clayton<\/span><\/a>

Clayton Bardall<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

Clayton graduated from the MSET program and was also a football player at WCU.\u00a0 His project is to use instrumented mouth guards to measure head impacts. Working with our collaborators at Pennsylvania State University he studied the effect of brain strain caused by…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Carson<\/span><\/a>

Carson Pardue<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

Carson is a graduate student earning a Master of Science in Engineering Technology. He is interested in Industry 4.0 and product life cycle management (PLM). Through is research we hope to use digital technology to improve the efficiently of data and information transferred between engineering, manufacturing, quality control, customers, and suppliers.<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Pablo<\/span><\/a>

Pablo Valenzuela<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

Pablo earned a MS in Technology degree from WCU in 2021. He developed the fourth generation neural prosthesis that included the addition of a neural network and machine learning to enhance the artificial intelligence (AI) of the device. Prior to this he earned a BS in…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Premkumar<\/span><\/a>

Premkumar Subbukutti<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

Graduate Student Prem is developed the third generation of the neural prosthesis.\u00a0 We are working with the department of physical therapy to developing an experimental medical device to improve gait in people with muscle weakness associated with spinal cord injury,…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Jeremy<\/span><\/a>

Jeremy Smith<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

Graduate Student Jeremy is developing methods to optimize the design of 3D metal printed parts. Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) is a new technology that can be utilized to create structures that cannot be produced by traditional machining processes.\u00a0 Unlike…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Reza<\/span><\/a>

Reza Farsad Asadi<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

M.S. in Technology 2018 Reza developed the first two generations of the neural prosthesis.\u00a0 The device includes a microcontroller that captures data from four Inertial measurement units (IMUs) and four foot pressure sensors.\u00a0 The device also include a functional…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Erik<\/span><\/a>

Erik Myers<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

Graduate Student Erik is developing an new rotary valve system for internal combustion engines that improves engine power.\u00a0 Dr. Tanaka provided local support for Erik after his thesis adviser, Dr. Tony Rizk, left WCU to take a position at California Institute of…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Terail<\/span><\/a>

Terail Clonts<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

Graduate Student Terail is designing \u201cmaterials\u201d in which the elastic modulus can be adjusted. This is being achieved by 3D printing mesostructures within the material.\u00a0 These meso structures are smaller that the overall size of the part so overall part shapes can be…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Theo<\/span><\/a>

Theo Waltz<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

M.S. in Technology 2016 Theo is designing a new type of powered ankle orthosis to assist people that have difficulty walking. The device will have a novel power transmission system that will enable high power to be delivered over a short time improving push-off during…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article>

\"Chaoke<\/span><\/a>

Chaoke Dong<\/a><\/h2>

<\/p>

M.S. in Technology 2015 Chaoke is using the Basin of Stability Chair to measure the stability of the human spine. This research will provide experimental data to complement previously developed theoretical models in order to gain a better understanding of spinal…<\/p>\n<\/div>read more…<\/a><\/div><\/article><\/div>

\n\t
« Older Entries<\/a><\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Undergraduates<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>
\"Andrew<\/span><\/a>

Andrew Robakiewicz<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Feb 12, 2025<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Andrew is a senior studying mechanical engineering. He is interested in inventing new commercial products and he is using his knowledge of “design form manufacturing” to develop a new device for the outdoor activities market. He is also working with Dr….<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"John<\/span><\/a>

John Davis<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | May 14, 2024<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

John is a senior in Electrical Engineering this coming Fall and he is also a philosophy major.\u00a0 He is on track to graduate this spring. He is using mathematical modeling to develop a framework to better understand how mesenchymal stem cells move through artificial…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"Sierra<\/span><\/a>

Sierra Norris<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Oct 3, 2022<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Sierra is a second year student pursuing a degree in Engineering Technology.\u00a0 During her first year, she developed a portion of an irrigation system that will be used to water indoor plants including an automated flow control system utilizing an electronic valve and a…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"Helen<\/span><\/a>

Helen Hester<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Oct 3, 2022<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

In 2022-2023 Helen, a first year student in Engineering Technology, conducted research with our group. She developed a portion of an irrigation system that will be used to water indoor plants including the development of a reservoir with a pump and filtration system.\u00a0…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"Allison<\/span><\/a>

Allison Royer<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Oct 3, 2022<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Allison Royer graduated in the spring of 2023 earning a double major in Engineering with a Mechanical Concentration and Emergency and Disaster Management. She was an NSF Undergraduate Researcher studying the biomedical properties of the anterior cruciate ligament and…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"Ryan<\/span><\/a>

Ryan D’Amore<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Oct 3, 2022<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Ryan is a Senior pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering with a mechanical concentration. Last year he combined his interest in biodegradable polymers with his interest in Crocs (shoes). He designed, built and tested Crocs made from biodegradable plastics….<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"Jake<\/span><\/a>

Jake Toney<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Nov 15, 2021<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Jake graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Mechanical Concentration in Spring 2022.\u00a0 He is used mathematical modeling to characterize the performance of a glass blowing furnace at the Jackson County Green Energy Park (JCEP).\u00a0 Using these model he…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"Lindsey<\/span><\/a>

Lindsey McGregor<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Dec 9, 2019<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Lindsey worked with our group to study how combustible fuel can be produced from organic waste.\u00a0 She created computational models to characterize the performance of a small scale biodigester (anaerobic digestor) located at the Jackson County Green Energy Park (JCEP).\u00a0…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"Ian<\/span><\/a>

Ian Green<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Dec 9, 2019<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Ian worked with our group to better understand and improve the flight time of drones.\u00a0 He created a mathematical model to understand the impact of adding solar cells to a commercially available drone. These cells produce energy, but they also add weight.\u00a0 Modeling is…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article>

\"Soha<\/span><\/a>

Soha Yusuf<\/a><\/h2>

by Martin Tanaka<\/a><\/span> | Feb 9, 2019<\/span> | Former Undergraduate Student<\/a><\/span><\/p>

Junior Engineering Soha is a visiting student from Pakistan who is working to developing a mathematical model to characterize the vascular nature of brain tumors and model the effect of chemotherapy.\u00a0 We are interested in modeling the transfer of nutrients from blood…<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/article><\/div>

\n\t
« Older Entries<\/a><\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-354","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=354"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2703,"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/354\/revisions\/2703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/faculty.wcu.edu\/mtanaka\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}