Evidence of NIU engineering’s wide-ranging relevance and impact was on full display at the recent second annual “Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion” held March 1 in the Duke Ellington Ballroom at the Holmes Student Center.
Three CEET faculty members made presentations that ranged from working to improve early detection of autism to digging into biodegradable food packaging and circuit to bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and practical application.
It was an engaging experience capped by Ziteng Wang, associate professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, receiving the event’s largest grant: $15,000 to test and launch an app for analysis of a child’s walking pattern after a short video of the child’s gait is uploaded. Analysis to this point has demonstrated over 80 percent accuracy in predicting the child’s likelihood of autism, Wang said.
“Without a timely diagnosis, autistic children are prevented from receiving early intervention services,” Wang said. “There is a critical need for accessible, innovative, less subjective, and more inclusive tools for early detection of autism.”
In addition to overcoming barriers to early autism screening, the development holds the promise of earlier detection and proactive support for children with autism. The web-based tool known as iGAIT is the outcome of Wang’s ongoing research partnership with Allison Gladfelter and Milijana Buac, both from the College of Health and Human Sciences, and Sinan Onal, associate professor of industrial engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Their efforts have been supported by a seed grant from the Illinois Innovation Network.
“One in 36 children are autistic in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control,” Wang said. “We are experiencing a public health crisis related to autism diagnosis with many children not diagnosed well into their preschool years or even later.”
NIU’s Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships also awarded Wang funds for a graduate assistantship. That will enable him to recruit a talented student for an outstanding research opportunity.
Also representing CEET were Associate Professor Mahdi Vaezi, from the Department of Engineering Technology, and Presidential Teaching Professor Nick Pohlman, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, each of whom received a $5,000 grant.
Vaezi discussed the work he’s leading at NIU’s Bioplastics Lab, a branch of the Waste Advanced Solution Technologies and Ecosystems Lab (WASTE Labs) to convert underutilized hemp and soybean residues—such as hemp fibers and soy protein—into biodegradable food packaging and circuit boards.
It’s a key step in “turning waste into solution,” he said. The work also highlights a custom-made 3D printer specifically designed to print biomass-based filaments.
“With thousands of tons of single-use plastics and electronic waste polluting the environment daily–lasting for hundreds of years—this project explores replacing oil-based plastics with biodegradable biocomposites made from agricultural residue. By doing so, it addresses critical environmental challenges while meeting consumer demands,” Vaezi wrote in his Trek Talk proposal.
Addressing the audience on March 1, he emphasized how undergraduate CEET students “are not sitting and watching from the sideline. They have been part of this from day one. In fact, some of the most fascinating achievements in the lab have come from the projects (in which) undergrads took the lead.”
“The future is biodegradable,” Vaezi concluded in his remarks. “And we are building it right here at Northern Illinois University.”
In addition, Pohlman shared about efforts that he and Becca Husar, associate director of innovation and partnership for the NIU College of Business, have undertaken in developing a transdisciplinary approach to integrate an entrepreneurial mindset in future engineering.
Ideapalooza started in 2023 as an integrated part of the capstone instruction where engineering students participate in short-term creative challenges and guided workshops to help them understand long-term connections to corporate innovation and technology commercialization. A network of College of Business students, alumni, and partners initiate conversations to expand peer mentors and collaborators.
In their Trek Talk, Pohlman and Husar proposed an option to extend Ideapalooza to a larger audience of innovators beyond engineers. The vision is to have a blend of Lollapalooza and South by Southwest (SXSW) festival that includes panel discussions and meet-and-greet networking events while serving as a hub of connection throughout the northern Illinois region.
CEET Dean Dave Grewell said he was “extremely impressed and inspired by all the Trek Talks.”
“I was especially proud of the significant work that our own faculty members are doing here in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology,” he added. “Ziteng, Mahdi and Nick are great representatives of our faculty’s extraordinary commitment to finding ways to channel engineering problem-solving skills into positive impacts.”
Related: see the NIU Alumni Association’s recap of Huskie Trek Talks: Ideas in Motion.
