A Message from the Associate Dean for Research Marcus Tullius Cicero was one of the first theorists to discuss “ingenium” as a cognitive process whereby we discover our world. In his dialogue De Oratore, written in 55 BCE, he notes that “Oratory is an art [like architecture] in the loose sense that its successes can be codified and taught; but the chief virtue of the orator is inborn, ingenium, from which sharpness of mind arise sharpness in invention, richness in exposition and ornament, firm and long-lasting memory.” Here at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, we strive to support our students in their successes, in how they are taught and mentored, in an effort to encourage and echo that precise message. And this is how our own Ingenium was born. On behalf of the Swanson School and U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering James R. Martin II, I proudly present the seventh edition of Ingenium: Undergraduate Research at the Swanson School of Engineering, a compilation of articles representing the achievements of our exceptional undergraduate students and their 2020 summer David A. Vorp, Ph.D. research projects. Despite a year full of turbulence and uncertainty, our students once again showed that engineering is at the forefront of leading the way to change, adaptability, and flexibility. Living through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, they thrived and persevered. They showed resilience and rose to the challenging times that we’ve endured. Some of them even embraced the pandemic and used it as a way to further their academic and research goals. As with each year and with each edition of Ingenium, this year was no different, despite the challenges brought forth by the pandemic. We’ve continued to see notable and impressive academic and professional growth and development in our undergraduate students when they are given opportunities to engage in scientific research. We witnessed students taking the knowledge, skills, and information that they learn in their course work and applying it in a meaningful and intentional manner outside the classroom. These students are the future of both our highly accredited institution and our world. They will go on to become engineers, scientists, physicians, or whatever else they set their mind to, and they will, undoubtedly, make significant impacts in the fields of technology, medicine, travel, space, communication, and so much more. The student authors of the articles in this issue of Ingenium studied mostly under the guidance of faculty mentors in the Swanson School. In most cases, the research was largely conducted remotely due to the pandemic. At the conclusion of the summer research program, students were asked to submit an abstract summarizing the results of their research, and the abstracts were reviewed by the Graduate Student Review Board (GSRB). The authors of the highest-ranked abstracts were invited to submit full manuscripts for peer review by the GSRB for inclusion in Ingenium. Therefore, Ingenium serves as more than a record of our undergraduate student excellence in research; it also is a practical experience for our undergraduate students in scientific writing and in the author’s perspective of the peer-review process and additionally provides graduate students with an opportunity to experience the editorial review process and the reviewer’s perspective of the peer-review process. I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the coeditors in chief of this issue of Ingenium, Camille Johnson and Jennifer Mak, as well as the production assistance of Reiko Becker, the team in the Office of University Communications and Marketing, and Jaime Turek. This issue would not have been possible without the hard work of the graduate student volunteers who constitute the GSRB and who are listed by name in this issue. It also is altogether fitting to thank the faculty mentors and other coauthors of the reports included in this issue. I hope that you enjoy reading this edition of Ingenium and that the many talents of our students inspire the engineers of the future. Hail to Pitt!
David A. Vorp, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Research Swanson School of Engineering University of Pittsburgh
4 Undergraduate Research at the Swanson School of Engineering
