Principle Investigator
Dr. David Gray
A Virginia Tech alum with a knack for innovative engineering, Dr. Gray is a seasoned professional. Post a post-doc role in developing magnetic field sensors, he joined a small business, contributing to various pioneering technologies for DOD, NASA, and commercial realms. His expertise spans sensing, actuation, materials development, non-destructive inspection, and energy harvesting. Dr. Gray excels in idea creation, proposal writing, project management, and leading engineering teams. Eager to leverage his industry experience, he’s committed to mentoring future engineering professionals. Explore and learn with Dr. Gray, as he brings the real world into the classroom!
Our Current Members by Project
NonDestructive Inspection
Sustainable Materials
Magnetic Materials, Devices, and Phenomena
Artificial Intelligence for HVAC Control
Aerial Drone Surveillance and Image Processing
Non-verbal Driver Communications System
OpenBCI Brain Control Interface System
Natural Language Processing
Phased Array Microphone
Midyears Slump
OpenBCI Brain Control Interface System
Savannah Smith
Hello! I am a sophomore in cognitive and behavioral neuroscience at Virginia Tech, and I’ve been actively involved in this research group since the fall semester of 2023. Within neuroscience, I’ve found a specific fascination with the medical device industry and neurotechnology, envisioning them as integral components of my future career path. My dedication to exploring the interface between neuroscience and technology is exemplified by my commitment to investigating how brain-computer interfaces can revolutionize healthcare, particularly in the context of enhancing prosthetic limb control through the interpretation of brain waves at a low cost. This research reflects my aspiration to contribute meaningfully to advancements within the medical device sector. Beyond my research pursuits, I serve as both a College of Science ambassador and an Academy of Integrated Science ambassador, where I dedicate my time to university events aimed at recruiting prospective students and providing them with insights into our academic programs.
Emma Copening
Hello, my name is Emma Copening, and I am a sophomore majoring in Biological Systems Engineering and minoring in Biomedical Engineering. I chose this degree path to enter the medical field and work in medical research to help find cures for diseases. I am a part of the Brain Control research group, working on developing a prosthetic controlled by EEG activity. This team has allowed me to use the information I have learned in my classes so far and apply it to real world applications through conducting research and has helped me to learn more about conducting scientific research and how that process works. I am hoping to use my degree and experiences in this group to pursue a career in the medical device industry or by creating new vaccines and pharmaceuticals to help cure diseases.
Gobran Hanna
Hello! My name is Gobran Hanna. I am a Junior Electrical Engineering Student at Virginia Tech with a focus in Micro-Nano Systems and a minor in Biomedical Engineering. I am involved in many different clubs on campus including the Catholic Campus Ministry at VT as a coordinator for weekly service opportunities, Vice President of ECE Ambassadors, a member of the electrical sub-team for Astrobotics, and a member of the QL+ design team.
I joined GrayUR’s OpenBCI Team primarily because of my interest in medical device / biotechnology. My career goals are to end up in this industry, and GrayUR provides me with a great opportunity to see how my electrical engineering skills can be applied to this field. It is also a great opportunity to learn how research operates, and, given its student-led nature, teaches great leadership and communication skills in a unique way when compared to faculty-led teams.
Halley Headrick
I am currently pursuing a major in computational neuroscience with a minor in computer science at Virginia Tech. I have a deep passion for the intersection of neuroscience and technology, especially within the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning. As a member of the GrayUR lab, I have been given the opportunity to use the capabilities of OpenBCI software and Arduino to decode and utilize brain waves obtained through an EEG, with the goal of controlling a prosthetic device with brain signals. Within my lab group I have been able to engage with like-minded peers and work within the field of neural interfaces. I am driven by my interest in advancing the understanding of the brain and its computational processes, an interest I aspire to channel into the development of cutting-edge AI and machine learning solutions. I am eager to put the knowledge and skills I have acquired to use in an environment that explores and contributes to the ever-evolving fields of neuroscience and computer science.
Non-Destructive Inspection
Emory Gleason
My name is Emory Gleason, and I am a sophomore at Virginia Tech studying Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Music Technology. I’m also a musician and have played with bands in venues across Virginia. Being a music-loving engineer, I naturally gravitated toward acoustics engineering (designing based on the behavior of sound waves). During my first semester at Virginia Tech, I joined the AONDI team with the hopes of taking my passion to the next level – an endeavor that has proven to be extremely gratifying. Being a part of this project has allowed me to deepen my understanding of the physics of sound and has taught me a great deal about lasers (which I had no idea would be so fascinating). It has also provided me with a real-world understanding of Non-Destructive Inspection techniques and a unique set of skills that give me a leg-up in my industry.
Aerial Drone Surveillance and Image Processing
Nizigiyimana Ejide
My name is Nizigiyimana Ejide. I was born in Tanzania but moved to the states when I was 2 years old and have grown up in Fredericksburg, VA since. At Virginia Tech, I am a freshman hoping to major in Aerospace Engineering. I have a big interest in rockets, planes, and outer space. At GrayUR, I am working on the AutoPlane project and am hoping to have a big impact on the team while learning new skills and gaining experience.
Daniel Ra
Non-verbal Driver Communications System
Sebastian Dominguez-Ruiz
Sebastian Dominguez-Ruiz has been involved in GrayUR with the Courtesy Horn team since the Fall of 2023. In addition, he has been involved with the SolarCar design team as a member of their dynamics subteam and has also been a member of the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers since his sophomore year of college. In his free time, he has involved himself with the Polo Club and is the club secretary for the 2023-2024 school year. As current leader of the Courtesy Horn project, he is focused on expanding the work done in previous years whilst paving a way for the newer members of the group to continue the work of the project into the future.
Max Dang
Hello! I’m a senior computer science student at Virginia Tech, pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science with a passion for community engagement projects. Currently, I’m contributing as an Undergraduate Researcher at GrayUR within the Virginia Tech College of Engineering. In this role since September 2023, I’ve analyzed human factors research for over 30 scenarios. In the near future, I am hoping to get hands-on experience refining sound palettes, and completing beta system designs. I regularly present research updates to a large sum of researchers.
Previously, I worked as a Content Developer at Ozmo, where I ensured the availability of over 10,000 tech support answers for various devices, applications, and services. I thrived in an agile team environment, contributing to technical tasks with a commitment to meeting rigorous deadlines.
My technical skills include proficiency in C/C++, Python, Kotlin, Java, C#, TypeScript, JavaScript, Angular, React, Node.js, and MongoDB. I hold certifications in Google Data Analytics, IBM Artificial Intelligence, and IBM Machine Learning. My academic journey at Virginia Tech has been supported by the VT-NETS Scholarship.
I’m particularly enthusiastic about impactful projects, such as the Full Stack MERN Application I developed in November 2023, enhancing user interactions and implementing React-based GUI designs. Additionally, my Performance Optimizer project in Java showcased my skills in efficient data access and runtime statistics generation.
Outside of academics and research, I love engaging with the community through my involvement in the Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE). My goal is to leverage my technical skills and experiences to contribute meaningfully to both academic research and community-oriented projects. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to explore potential collaborations or discussions!
Ty Stephens
My name is Ty Stephens, and I am a freshman in Mining Engineering. I joined the Courtesy Horn team for an exciting new experience unlike anything I have done before, an opportunity to work on something practical and beneficial to the world, and a way to get more experience in research settings. Some of the other teams I am a part of here at Virginia Tech include the Steel Bridge Design Team, VT e-NABLE, and the new Destructive Arena Robotics Team (DART). In my free time, I love to design and build custom radio controlled cars and planes.
Magnetic Materials, Devices, and Phenomena
Niranjan Aradhey
My name is Niranjan Aradhey and I am working in the Magnetothermal Devices (MT Devices) research group. I joined this research group because I wanted to get some experience with materials science research in addition to my mechanical engineering coursework here at Virginia Tech. I am also interested in other avenues of engineering including biomedical and electrical engineering. My current goal after college is to go to graduate school and later pursue a career in a research and development setting. In addition to GrayUR, I am also a part of the Human Powered Submarine design team and the e-NABLE club.
Clayton Rosenberger
MidYears Slump
Annabel Bass
I joined the IDPro Slump team because of my interest in accessible education. It is no secret that college can be one of the most mentally taxing periods in a young person’s life, I hope the results of this research will shed light on why so many VT students are feeling burnt-out. I am an at-large senator in VT undergraduate student government, focusing on revising university policy to be more inclusive and representative of the undergraduate body. GrayUR has given me and my slump teammates the opportunity to hear the concerns of students and bring them to the attention of investors and administration. Working on an interdisciplinary project has been an invaluable experience. I am so grateful for the opportunity to surround myself with students and faculty committed to expanding our knowledge of barriers in higher education.
Analiese Maciel
Hello, I’m Analiese Maciel: a driven and passionate sophomore at Virginia Tech majoring in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. Throughout the progression of my academic career, I have discovered that my interests lie in neurobiology and psychology, exploring these interdisciplinary topics throughout my academic coursework. More specifically, I am intrigued to direct my focus on research efforts pertaining to the significance of the prefrontal cortex and its influence of mediating the processes of complex thinking and decision making. My research experience includes being Document Coordinator of the Mid-Year Slump Team, attempting to determine the correlation between undergraduate education and burnout in the median years. Throughout my research endeavors, I hope to shed light on effective interventions to mitigate burnout and promote holistic student wellness. My goal moving forward is to ultimately bridge the gap between theory and practice in the field of biomedical research through wide-scale laboratory operations, applying my coursework to real-world scenarios and providing assistance to individuals with their own nervous system complexities. For future communications, please email analiesemaciel@vt.edu. If you would like to see more of my research, please find me on LinkedIn
Artificial Intelligence for HVAC Control
Christian Lauture
Mynameis Christian Lauture and I am a Undergraduate student in my Junior year majoring in Computational Modeling and Data Analytics (CMDA) with a minor in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics. My ambition is to contribute to the field of Artificial Intelligence and to expand my technical experience pertaining to such capabilities. Currently, I am a part of Dr. Gray’s Nest AI research, which is involved with providing machine learning models to pre existent thermostat capabilities. My research within this group has further helped fuel both my curiosity and has helped bring me closer to my long term goal working within both data science and AI. I am dedicated to further apply the lessons learned in my classes to the goals and objectives of my current research and I am excited for what is to come.
Alon Wilson
Natural Language Processing
Ananya Seth
Hello! I’m Ananya Seth, a senior in Computer Science, and I’m part of the NLP (Natural Language Processing) research group. This is my second time around with the NLP team, and we’ve all been learning a ton from each other. When I first joined, NLP was pretty new to me, so it was a learning curve to jump into. But the stuff we’re working on, like figuring out how to group things together and understanding graphs, is really interesting, especially when you’re doing it with a team that’s all aiming for the same goal. Besides the research, I also got to present and win for my paper on machine learning at the 2023 English Undergraduate Excellence Conference here at Virginia Tech. I enjoy exploring the concept of ML and I’m glad to be a part of a team that helps me with it.
Rohan Reddy Ilapuram
My name is Rohan Ilapuram, and I am currently pursuing a B.S. degree in Computational Modeling and Data Analytics at Virginia Tech. I am actively involved in performing research under the guidance of Professor Dr. David Gray, alongside a dedicated team of undergraduate students. Our primary focus is on developing a Natural Language Processing (NLP) model tailored to assist professors at Virginia Tech in efficiently analyzing large volumes of student survey responses. By leveraging advanced computational techniques, we aim to streamline the process of extracting valuable insights from textual data, ultimately enhancing the overall teaching and learning experience within the university.
My work within the GrayUR group not only allows me to apply theoretical concepts learned in the classroom to real-world problems but also provides me with invaluable hands-on experience in the field of data analytics and machine learning. Through this research endeavor, I am constantly learning and honing my skills in data analysis, programming, and model development, all of which are essential in today’s data-driven world. I am passionate about leveraging technology and data-driven approaches to address complex challenges and drive meaningful outcomes.
Phased Array Microphonics
Kyle Gruen
My name is Kyle Gruen and I am the Research Lead of Phased Array Microphonics. Throughout my college career, I have centered a specialization in human-computer interaction through a lens of machine learning, parallel processing, and data science expertise. With my background in software engineering and data science, I truly found my niche for what I want to do in the future, which is to develop innovative technologies to those in need of life-changing solutions.
GrayUR has given me an opportunity to not only take my hard skills, but also my natural aptitude for leadership to the next level. Being able to watch the project grow alongside all the undergraduate students involved has been an absolute privilege.
Jandre Erwee
Hello, I am Jandre a technical-minded junior electrical engineer focused on the analysis and design of radio frequency systems. I have spent a lot of time studying circuit theory and I am eager to apply it in the real world. Currently, I am engaged in a research project designing a phased array of microphones to perform spotlight amplification. The goal is to create a system that can amplify sound generated anywhere in a room using microphones positioned in the back of the room. My goal is to bridge theoretical knowledge with real-world solutions in a collaborative environment.
Noah Welenteychik
My name is Noah Welenteychik and I’m a third-year electrical engineering major at Virginia Tech with an interest in controls and signal processing. I am a member of the Phased Array Microphonics team with GrayUR. With Phased Array Microphonics, my main role is to work with the team to develop an audio recording system to test the phased array process. I’m also researching analog implementations of the phased array system.
Ghaleeb Hakim
Yumna Rivzi
Chihisa Shabani
Sustainable Materials
Ahtumn Rains
Alumni
Drew Burcher
Ethan Chung
Currently I am an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. I worked with the AONDI team for one semester in Fall 2022. My experience with GrayUR was short due to my opportunity to co-op and study abroad, but I give the research experience credit for helping me explore my options in finding the best opportunity for me and being a great talking point with employers and my friends. Now I am currently interested in the path of Biomedical Devices and Biomedical Engineering to help use my expertise in engineering for expanding the horizons of research and healthcare.
Rishab Desai
Rishab is pursuing a Computational Modeling and Data Analytics (CMDA) program specializing in Cryptography and Cyber Security. He has hands-on experience in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) with his current research. He has also conducted a National Science Foundation-funded research using a blend of Machine Learning (ML) and Nano Technology. Beyond research and academics, Rishab also represents the College of Science’s CMDA program as its Ambassador.
This is his second semester of research at GrayUR, where he is developing an NLP system to support guided assessment in large-scale classrooms. The project’s overall scope is to design and implement systems that use pre-trained AI models, establish a means for ‘local training’ of AI models, and develop front-end interfaces. In addition to working with instructors and professors to understand how assessments work, he uses Python to plot clustered data from the responses. He is also researching and investigating different available technologies being implemented for effective data visualization.
He enjoys working out, snowboarding, traveling internationally, and playing competitive chess.
Maude Focke
My name is Maude Focke and i’m from Andover Ma. I’m apart of the class of 2025 as an environmental science major. I joined the grayur team at the start of my sophomore year and am apart of the original team for the sustainable materials project. The project has given me great team collaboration skills and helped introduce me into the engineering and materials world. I hope to help move the world onto the right track with a more sustainable wood product during my time apart of the team. I have enjoyed my time working with Dr Gray and have my time here at Virginia Tech greatly. I am hoping to go into either the water quality or conservation field after graduation.
Vasu Gatne
I am currently a student at Virginia Tech, pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. I loved my experience as a part of GrayUR and being able to collaborate with amazing and passionate individuals. Since then, I have been part of various other research endeavors in the realms of software, machine learning, and informatics. I aspire to continue contributing to efforts that create positive change in our communities through computing and technology.
Jordan Handy
Hey, I am Jordan. I am from Los Angeles, California and I am currently in my third year here at Virginia Tech pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering with a specification in propulsion. I love everything surrounding military aircraft design and hope to be a part of future jet design programs. My career goals involve working on and designing the next generation of military jet engines. I joined the Autoplane team in hopes of gaining hands-on experience surrounding aircraft design. Up to this point, my work on physical planes has been limited and through Autoplane under GrayUR, I can apply concepts learned in my classes to real world designs. The team has been instrumental in my understanding of material selection and fuselage design surrounding a payload. I am also a member of the Mach Works design team. We hope to design and manufacture the first of its kind supersonic remote-controlled aircraft. My future goals involve starting and maintaining my own research team focusing on jet engine performance using a variety of new fuels.
Irene Johns
My name is Irene, and I’m majoring in Mechanical Engineering! From 2019 to 2023, I led the payload system subproject for the Autoplane team. Presently, I serve on the Ambassador Board of the Office of Undergraduate Research. The experiences I gained from working with Dr. Gray and my teammates has helped me show the impact of research to numerous students. Working with Autoplane improved my skills to present research at national conferences, secure internships in both research and industry, and ultimately led me to my current path of peer mentoring. Upon graduation, I will start a full-time managerial role within the engineering department at Amazon FC. I aspire to continue my research journey and pursue graduate studies after gaining industry experience.
Ben Koniers
Caroline Larsen
I’m Caroline, a senior in Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech. I joined GrayUR to get involved in research at Virginia Tech, and I am a member of the AONDI (Acousto-Optic Nondestructive Inspection) group. Participating in research has greatly enriched my time at Virginia Tech, and I enjoy working with other students to understand a problem deeply and formulate a solution. Some other activities I have been involved with on campus are working as a teaching assistant for a computer science class, being on the Astrobotics design team, and doing power systems research. My primary research interests are sensing, signal processing, and control and simulation for power systems.
Dowon Lee
I was in the GrayUR AutoPlane group’s image processing subteam working on getting multispectral images from Raspberry Pi utilizing the Picamera2 library. I also supported the airframe and flight operations subteams with connecting electrical components, building the plane’s fuselage, and researching different entities needed for the plane.
I’m very passionate about electrical hardware, such as integrated circuits and semiconductors, along with the software side. My interests are in computer architecture, especially designing a CPU, GPU, and other semiconductor parts.
Besides academic studies and interests, I enjoy playing sports, like soccer and basketball, and jogging around campus, especially at the duckpond.
Felix Lopez
Hello, I’m Felix Lopez, a fourth-year student at Virginia Tech, pursuing a major in Computational and Systems Neuroscience, with double minors in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction. This undergraduate research group was a great fit for me has I was and am really interested in joining the Brain-Computer Interface industry post-graduation. Thankfully it has allowed me to gain various experiences, some being EEG data collection and learning a bit more on some electrical engineering concepts such as signal processing.
Beyond academics and my involvement in GrayUR, I currently hold the position of President at Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Fraternity Inc., a Latino-based fraternity dedicated to expanding access to higher education for historically underrepresented students. Throughout my time at VT, I’ve actively sought diverse engagement opportunities, including serving as a UX Committee Organizer at VTHacks, VT’s premier Hackathon. In this role, I contributed to optimizing the overall experience for both participants and organizers, facilitating workshops, securing sponsorships, and refining event design to ensure a memorable and impactful event for all involved.
Minahil Malik
Farah Nasir
Loren Parra
Willy Peper
I am an international student from Brazil pursuing a career in Physics. With my time at Virgina Tech, I have developed interest for areas in physics that I did not think would captivate me as much, such as magnetism, particle, and nuclear physics. One thing that I did not count was being so fascinated by the more experimental and engineering side of this science, which motivated me to join this project. I used my deeper understanding in physics and mathematics to perform the calculational and data analysis side of the project, which trying to improve my ability to apply my magnetism knowledge in order to optimize the project. I look forward to working on more projects that test my skills and show me different sides of my passion for physics and its laws.
Falan Peters
My name is Falan Peters and I am a freshman in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech. I am currently in my first semester of working with Courtesy Horn and greatly look forward to the progress of the project. I became interested in engineering at my high school governor’s school where I could focus on growing my STEM education. The school had an annual science fair in which I presented two engineering mechanics projects. With the success of the projects and the knowledge I gained, I knew mechanical engineering was the discipline for me. The engineering classes and projects allowed me to explore CAD, code, and part production and I’m excited to use those skills now with Courtesy Horn.
Megan Phan
I was with Dr. Gray’s research group for three years, beginning on the Heat Switch team and switching to Sustainable Materials when the team was created in 2022. I have a particular interest in polymers and sustainable material practices. I believe that green engineering and finding new and innovative ways to reuse what we have already made is the way forward in terms of future engineering endeavors. My co-op at GE Aerospace in 2023 also shaped this stance. During my time there, I learned about the ins and outs of the aerospace industry and how it is slowly shifting toward a sustainable future. When I’m not researching, I spend my free time in the fall semesters as a saxophone player for the Marching Virginians and in the spring semesters as a member of the Treble Choir. I am also an avid cook and love to crochet.
Joshua Prince
Catalina Reinhart Diaz
Hello, everyone! I am Catalina Reinhart—a former GrayUR student who was on the Courtesy Horn team. Currently, I am completing my Master’s degree in Human Factors Engineering. This concentration is a mix of psychology with engineering design. I found my love for this concentration while on Dr. Gray’s research team, as we worked to find solutions to non-verbal driver communication. With this prior experience, I was able to figure out that I wanted to continue focusing my expertise into designing interfaces for human use. Specifically, I will be continuing my research in designing the interior of vehicles by developing spacecraft interiors to meet the demands of space travel for astronauts—similar to how the cockpit of an airplane is optimally designed for the pilot or how the interior of a car is optimally designed for the driver.
Karim Said
As an engineer at IBM, I apply machine learning and Python skills to solve client engineering problems. I work with a diverse and innovative tea, to deliver data-driven AI-powered solutions that enhance customer satisfaction and business performance.
I have a strong interest and background in firmware, software, data science, and data engineering, which I developed through my education and experience. I graduated Magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (with Honors) at the Virginia Tech College of Engineering (8th in my major). I also earned multiple professional certifications/licenses from IBM, Google, Microsoft, AWS, LinkedIn, Kollmorgen, and ivy league Institutions. I value innovation, collaboration, and diversity. I am eager to learn from and contribute to the IBM team.
Roussell St. Laurent
Hello, my name is Roussell St. Laurent. Driven by a fascination with the fundamental principles governing our universe, I am currently pursuing a degree in physics while actively contributing to the AONDI team. My role involves leveraging my understanding of physics to provide comprehensive support for their projects. This experience has further ignited my passion for the subject, particularly its role as the cornerstone of diverse scientific disciplines.
Beyond the theoretical realm, I am captivated by the practical applications of physics and its intersection with engineering, particularly mechanical engineering. Witnessing the translation of abstract concepts into tangible solutions in fields like mechanics and robotics fuels my desire to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
My academic background, honed through rigorous coursework involving complex mathematical derivations, has equipped me with the analytical foundation necessary to excel in physics. However, it is the practical application of these concepts that truly excites me. I am drawn to the tangible impact physics has on real-world systems, and I believe this fascination stems from a desire to see theoretical knowledge translated into solutions that can benefit society.
As I continue to delve deeper into the world of physics, I am confident that my passion, combined with my analytical and practical skillset, will enable me to make significant contributions in this ever-evolving field.
Kyle Takeuchi
My name is Kyle Takeuchi, and I am a senior studying Machine Learning at Virginia Tech. My academic journey thus far has ranged from low-level programming with embedded systems to learning about different types of machine learning models. Joining Nest AI allowed me to apply my knowledge of machine learning models within the dynamic environment of real-time data collection using microcontrollers. This role aligns with my passion for harnessing the power of data to drive innovation and make informed decisions. My goal is to leverage my background in machine learning to grow as a professional and make a tangible impact through data.