News and Awards

UW ITAC Students Earn PNW BTAC Certificates of Achievement

February 2026

Konner Franklin, Paul Chen, Dante Breuder, Riley Wicklander

The University of Washington Industrial Training and Assessment Center (UW-ITAC) is proud to announce that four of its students — Konner Franklin, Paul Chen, Dante Breuder, and Riley Wicklander — have been awarded Certificates of Achievement from the Pacific Northwest Building Training and Assessment Center (PNW BTAC) for their exceptional participation in the program.



The PNW BTAC, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to train the next generation of students in best practices for building performance and energy efficiency in commercial and institutional buildings, particularly in traditionally underserved communities. The PNW BTAC is led by the University of Washington Integrated Design Lab (UW IDL) and the University of Washington Industrial Training & Assessment Center (UW ITAC), with core training partners including South Seattle College's Sustainable Building Science Technology Program and Northwest Indian College's Physics and Engineering Program. The center leverages partnerships with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Washington State Department of Commerce, and the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment, and provides services to Washington, Oregon, and California.



The UW-ITAC, which serves as a partner in the PNW BTAC program, has a strong track record of training students in energy assessment work. Established in 2007 under the direction of Alexander Mamishev, the UW-ITAC provides free energy, productivity, and waste assessments to small and medium-sized industrial facilities through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy. Since its founding, the center has trained 83 students, conducted 127 assessments, and delivered over 608 recommendations resulting in an estimated $24.47 million in cost savings and 1.24 Tbtu in energy savings for manufacturers across the Pacific Northwest.



Congratulations to Konner, Paul, Dante, and Riley for this well-deserved recognition of their dedication to building energy efficiency and workforce development in the Pacific Northwest.



For more information, visit the PNW BTAC page at https://idl.be.uw.edu/pacific-northwest-building-training-and-assessment-center-btac/ or the UW-ITAC page at itac.university/center/university-of-washington.

International Union of Radio Science National Radio Science Meeting (USNC-URSI) 2026 (Boulder, Colorado)

January 2026

Xueyicheng Xu, Zheng Liu, Mingcheng Yang, Taniish Agarwal, Maxwell Mamishev, Harris Nakajima, Max Stafford, Gokul Nathan, Sep Makhsous, Alexander Mamishev

On January 9, 2025, the SEAL Ionosphere Research Team presented “Influence of Meteor-Induced Ionospheric Disturbances on HF Radio Signal Propagation” at the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Radio Science (USNC-URSI) National Radio Science Meeting in Boulder, Colorado.

This annual meeting, hosted by USNC-URSI and held in Boulder almost every year since 1974, is widely regarded as a flagship forum for radio science, including ionospheric research and radio-wave propagation.

The presentation reported new findings on meteor/fireball–driven ionospheric disturbances and their measurable impact on the integrity of HF radio propagation, addressing a key reliability challenge for HF communications under transient geospace conditions.

Our work introduced the world’s first event-level, database-driven method for attributing propagation-integrity changes to individual transient ionospheric disturbances. Instead of relying on broad time-window correlations, the approach supports event-resolved attribution by linking discrete transient disturbances to observable propagation impacts.

Second Prize in global IEEE Communications Society Student Competition 2025

November 2025

Maxwell Mamishev, Zheng Liu, Xueyicheng Xu, Harris Nakajima, Max Stafford

We are proud to announce that our ionosphere sensing team has won Second Prize in the 2025 IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) Student Competition, with the project: "CommUnity: Real-Time Ionospheric Disturbance Detection for Communications Resilience."

This competition attracts student-led innovation from around the world, and our project was recognized with Second Prize among 148 submissions worldwide, representing a significant distinction in a highly competitive international field.

CommUnity strengthens communications resilience by enabling real-time detection of ionospheric disturbances that can degrade or disrupt radio-frequency links and critical communications. The project advances practical monitoring and detection capabilities that support more robust communication systems under variable geospace conditions.

We congratulate the full project team on this outstanding achievement and on representing UW SEAL Lab on the global stage.

IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

October 2025

Maxwell Mamishev, Zheng Liu

In October 2025, Maxwell Mamishev and Zheng Liu published and presented “Nimbusort: Advanced Detection of Ionospheric Disturbances Using EM Signatures” at the IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference, hosted at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference is an internationally renowned venue “for undergraduates and by undergraduates,” staffed by MIT students in collaboration with IEEE, and built around student technical presentations.

The ionosphere plays a decisive role in shaping radio-wave propagation and, by extension, the integrity of RF systems that depend on stable propagation paths. However, detecting transient ionospheric events in real operational environments remains difficult because event signatures can be short-lived, embedded in high-interference backgrounds, and frequently exhibit overlapping time–frequency characteristics across different sources, making reliable differentiation and attribution a persistent technical obstacle.

Our paper introduces Nimbusort, a scalable framework for automatically differentiating ionospheric disturbance events using electromagnetic signatures. The work develops a family of short-time Fourier transform (STFT) spectrogram analysis algorithms and applies them to 24 TB of field data, enabling systematic comparisons of spectral morphology and temporal dynamics across multiple event types, including meteors/meteorites, Falcon rocket launches, and space debris re-entries. By establishing a structured baseline of discriminative features and a comprehensive feature table derived from observed signals, Nimbusort lays the groundwork for automated, data-driven ionospheric transient detection that can support both scientific interpretation and operational anomaly detection at scale.

Grainger Foundation Power Engineering Endowed Scholarship

May 2025

Rhiannon Garnier

Rhiannon Garnier has been awarded the Grainger Foundation Power Engineering Scholarship for her interest and impact in the power engineering industry. She will use this scholarship to fund her studies in electrical engineering and continue to engage in projects that drive positive change in the energy sector.

2025 Florence DiStefano Hudson SWE Scholarship

May 2025

Caitlin DeShazo-Couchot

Caitlin DeShazo-Couchot has been selected by the Society of Women Engineers to receive the Florence DiStefano Hudson scholarship for the 2025 academic year. Caitlin will use this scholarship to further her studies in electrical engineering in the upcoming year with a devotion to uplifting all perspectives, particularly womxn and nonbinary individuals, in research and academia.

2025 Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship

March 2025

Caitlin DeShazo-Couchot

Caitlin DeShazo-Couchot has been offered the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship by the UW Canada Studies Center! They will use this fellowship to advance their knowledge of French and the Canada-U.S. relationship as it pertains to their graduate coursework.

FLAS Fellowships support undergraduate, graduate and professional students in acquiring modern foreign languages and area or international studies competencies. The Canadian Studies Center is particularly interested in areas of study and research that have policy relevance for the Canada-U.S. relationship or that address Canada’s role in the world. These include environmental management, urban planning, issues emerging in the Arctic region, Indigenous self-determination in Canada, civil engineering, human security and capacity, public health, and the promotion of nations within a nation.

SEAL to Host the AEE Student Chapter at UW

January 2025

Max Stafford

The University of Washington’s Sensors Energy Automation Laboratory is proud to announce its role as host for the newly established Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Student Chapter at UW. Led by President Max Stafford, the chapter aims to provide a wealth of opportunities for students interested in energy efficiency and sustainable engineering.

The AEE Student Chapter will offer additional training programs, access to exclusive scholarships, and a platform for engaging seminars featuring industry professionals. Students will also have the chance to work on impactful projects that address real-world challenges in energy efficiency.

“Our mission is to equip students with the skills and resources needed to excel in the energy efficiency field,” said Stafford. “By fostering collaboration and hands-on learning, the chapter will help bridge the gap between academia and industry.”

Open to students from diverse academic backgrounds, the chapter emphasizes preparing the next generation of energy professionals to tackle global energy challenges.

For more information on membership and upcoming events, visit the AEE Chapter on Huskylink at Link.

Runner-Up Awards at IEEE Rising Stars 2025 Conference

January 2025

Zheng Liu, Nicklaus Thompson, Maxwell Mamishev, and Daikun Wu

Congratulations to SEAL Lab Associate Zheng Liu, Nicklaus Thompson, Maxwell Mamishev, and Daikun Wu, who were honored with the Runner-Up Award in the Intermediate category at the IEEE Rising Stars 2025 Conference in Las Vegas, held from January 3–5.

Their project presentation and demonstration, titled “Real-Time Fast Fourier Transform Applications in Ionospheric Detection,” showcased a groundbreaking approach to signal processing that captured the attention of judges and attendees alike. By harnessing the power of real-time FFT algorithms, their research offers significant potential for improving the accuracy and speed of ionospheric measurements—critical for applications in telecommunications, satellite navigation, and atmospheric science.

This recognition highlights the innovative spirit of the SEAL Lab and reflects the team’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge research. We look forward to seeing further developments from their work and extending our congratulations once again on this impressive achievement.

UW Bothell School of Business MBA Scholarship

January 2025

Harris Nakajima

Harris Nakajima has been awarded the UW Bothell School of Business MBA Scholarship for Winter 2025 in recognition of academic excellence and financial need.

The scholarship is awarded to students who have demonstrated strong academic performance, a commitment to professional growth, and a clear vision for their future contributions to business and leadership. Through this support, Harris will continue to develop the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to drive impactful change in business and industry.

IEEE Rising Stars 2025 Conference

January 2025

Zheng Liu, Nicklaus Thompson, Maxwell Mamishev, and Daikun Wu

From January 3–5, SEAL Lab members Zheng Liu, Nicklaus Thompson, Maxwell Mamishev, and Daikun Wu participated in the IEEE Rising Stars 2025 Conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada. This prestigious event brings together young professionals and innovators in engineering and technology. Attendees included IEEE President & CEO Kathleen A. Kramer, former IEEE President Tom Coughlin, IEEE USA President Timothy Lee, and regional directors and industry leaders from across the globe.

At the conference, Zheng Liu, Nicklaus Thompson, Maxwell Mamishev, and Daikun Wu presented their project, “Real-Time Fast Fourier Transform Applications in Ionospheric Detection.” The presentation introduced an innovative approach to real-time modeling of the ionospheric D-region using very low-frequency (VLF) sensing technology. This breakthrough aims to enable a cost-effective method for exploring the ionosphere, a region that remains challenging to study with existing technologies.

The event provided an invaluable platform to exchange ideas, learn from prominent industry leaders, and highlight the cutting-edge research conducted at SEAL Lab.

Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship

December 2024

SEAL LLM Team

Sudoku and Embedded received $1,200 in funding from the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship to compete in the Holloman Health Challenge. Their project, RadGuard, is an offline device equipped with a large language model. It is meant to assist the military and first responders while dealing with radioactive materials and situations involving radiation by giving analysis (threat level, optimal route to get to safety, etc.).



Attached is an image of Steffan Bergens (lead engineer) and a prototype for the tablet that RadGuard will run on.

Presented Paper at Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IECON)

November 2024

Harris Nakajima

Harris Nakajima attended the Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IECON) for the paper "Design and Fabrication of Wearable Sensors for the Measurement of Ammonia Concentration in Air".

In addition to his successful presentation, Harris was awarded the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) Travel Grant, Clean Energy Institute Trainee Travel Grant, and ECE Student DEI Conference Travel Awards, allowing him to travel to Chicago with no cost!

IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Body Sensor Networks (IEEE BSN 2024)

October 2024

Zheng Liu, Xueyicheng Xu, Alexander Mamishev

From October 15th to 17th, 2024, Zheng Liu, Xueyicheng Xu, and Prof. Alexander Mamishev participated as authors in the prestigious IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Body Sensor Networks (IEEE BSN 2024) held in Chicago, Illinois. Recognized as a premier event in digital health sensors and systems, IEEE BSN 2024 provided a cross-disciplinary platform that united experts and leaders from academia, industry, healthcare, and non-profit organizations.


At the conference, Zheng Liu, Xueyicheng Xu, and Prof. Alex Mamishev presented their paper "Sensor Fusion for Non-Intrusive Adaptive Distancing of Visually Impaired Users." This groundbreaking work introduces an innovative motion obstacle avoidance system to assist visually impaired individuals in navigating their environment. By leveraging sensor fusion technology, the system enhances obstacle detection and helps prevent potential injuries more efficiently and conveniently.


The conference featured a highly selective single-track program, highlighting groundbreaking research on devices and sensors, hardware and software systems, predictive models, and data analytics for advancing healthcare and medical technology.

Industrial Training Assessment Center Lead Meeting

September 2024

Maxwell Stafford

On September 23rd and 24th, the University of Washington Industrial Training Assessment Center (UW ITAC) traveled to Nashville Tennessee to attend the ITAC Center Lead Meeting at the Association of Energy Engineer's conference. The UW ITAC representatives were Maxwell Stafford and Nathan Holterhoff, the UW ITAC Center Leads. This event was focused on creating and releasing additional resources for manufacturers to implement energy efficient projects within their own facilities. All of the ITAC Center Leads discussed the similarities and differences between each of the centers and how to optimize their individual program in terms of student opportunities and energy savings for manufacturers.

Image: All of the ITAC Center Leads from across the USA.

IAC Leadership Participates in 2024 IAC Directors Meeting in San Diego

September 2024

Prof. Alexander Mamishev / Prof. Rania Hussein

Many exciting changes to the program were announced. Follow this link to play "Where is Waldo?" game. INTERACTIVE PHOTO.

Admission to Berkeley

June 2024

Cynthia Yu

Congratulations to Cynthia Yu, who got accepted to graduate program at the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley!

Admission to Stanford University

June 2024

Archie Deng

Congratulations to our Alumna Archie Deng, who is going to continue her graduate studies at Stanford University!

ASHRAE Puget Sound Chapter Scholarship Award Winner

May 2024

Maxwell Stafford

Maxwell Stafford, Center Lead of the University of Washington Industrial Assessment Center, has received the 2024 ASHRAE Puget Sound Chapter Scholarship.

The scholarship was awarded to students who exemplified excellence across multiple facets. Their outstanding academic performance demonstrated a strong commitment to learning and a deep understanding of the HVAC&R field. Additionally, their essay responses showcased thoughtful insights, innovative ideas, and a genuine passion for advancing the industry as well as sustainability. Moreover, their active involvement in ASHRAE demonstrated leadership, dedication, and a desire to contribute to the community. Together, these qualities set them apart as deserving recipients of the scholarships, poised to make significant contributions to the field of HVAC&R in the future.

Maxwell Stafford is dedicated to HVAC through his energy-saving recommendations with manufacturers as part of the Industrial Assessment Center. He has also worked to reinstate the University of Washington ASHRAE Student Chapter within the Mechanical Engineering Department.

For more information, Click Here

Husky Sustainability Award Winner

May 2024

Maxwell Stafford

The Husky Sustainability Awards recognize individuals and groups across all University of Washington campuses who lead the way for sustainability at the University of Washington. This is the 15th year awards have been given by the UW Environmental Stewardship Committee.

The Husky Sustainability Awards are given to students, faculty and staff from the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses who show impact, initiative, leadership and dedication around sustainability.

Max Stafford, the Center Lead for the University of Washington Industrial Assessment Center, received the Husky Sustainability Award for 2024. As a lead he has been managing and mentoring a team of 20 undergraduate associates in conducting detailed energy assessments. These assessments yield significant financial and environmental benefits for local industries, while providing research and certificates to students who participate.

For more information, Click Here

Graduate and Professional Student Senate & Clean Energy Institute Travel Grant

March 2024

Harris Nakijima

Harris Nakajima participated in the International Conference on Latest Advancements in Economics, Engineering, and Medical Sciences (EEMS) and International Conference on Renewable Energy and Electrical Systems (ICREES) in March of 2024 to present his papers “Design and Optimization of Wearable Sensors for the Measurement of Ammonia Concentration in Air” and “Gamification of Research Experience in a Large Academic Laboratory”. In order to partake in these travels, Harris was awarded two travel grants from the University of Washington, one from the GPSS and another from the CEI to help cover the costs of travel and registration.

For more information on the award. Click Here

Stemilt Growers Scholarship

March 2024

Nathan Holterhoff

Nathan Holterhoff was awarded the Stemilt Growers Scholarship through the Washington Apple Education (waef.org) to continue his education at the University of Washington. WAEF scholarships are sponsored by the tree fruit industry through fundraisers, memorial scholarships, and annual donations totaling over $1 million. Nathan and his family have a long history in the fruit industry and this scholarship serves as recognition for their work.

For more information on this award click here

Husky Sustainability Awards

May 2023

Alexander Mamishev

The Husky Sustainability Awards recognize individuals and groups across all University of Washington campuses who lead the way for sustainability at the University of Washington. This is the 15th year awards have been given by the UW Environmental Stewardship Committee.

The Husky Sustainability Awards are given to students, faculty and staff from the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses who show impact, initiative, leadership and dedication around sustainability.

For more information Click Here

Husky Sustainability Awards

May 2023

Harris Nakajima

Harris Nakajima was one of the first students to join the newly reestablished UW Industrial Assessment Center (UW IAC) in 2022. As part of the center, he has shown a deep commitment to sustainability. The UW IAC offers energy and waste assessments to manufacturers in Washington state. Nakajima has led more than 20 assessments, identifying energy-saving and waste reduction opportunities. He’s also served as a mentor to new students joining the center, and helped to foster a culture of sustainability within the center and at facilities participating in UW IAC assessments. He’s been a lead writer of the Center's online training program on sustainability, and led outreach efforts to identify eligible facilities for the assessment program.

The Husky Sustainability Awards recognize individuals and groups across all University of Washington campuses who lead the way for sustainability at the University of Washington. This is the 14th year awards have been given by the UW Environmental Stewardship Committee.

The Husky Sustainability Awards are given to students, faculty and staff from the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses who show impact, initiative, leadership and dedication around sustainability.

For more information, Click Here

Mary Gates Research Scholarship

October 2022

Stefhany Alves

The Mary Gates Research Scholarship is a UW scholarship for undergraduate students involved in research in various disciplines, offered twice a year. Stefhany was awarded the scholarship for her project, "Project Stoma," the development of "a medical app for stoma patients to get a precise fit for their wafers and to have better care."

"I applied for the scholarship and wrote an essay about why I think my research related to my field of study and how I intend to continue to work on it throughout the year. When you apply, you must say which quarter you want the scholarship applied to. And you have to commit to presenting at the Research symposium and take at least one credit during Summer Quarter."

For more information on the scholarship, click here.

NWCIT Award for Aspirations in Computing, National Honorable Mention, Regional Affiliate Award Winner

February 2022

Risha Jhangiani

Each year, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) recognizes students and educators for their accomplishments and goals in computing and technology. The Award for Aspirations in Computing "honors 9th-12th grade women, genderqueer, or non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions", granting various prizes, including scholarships and internship opportunities.

For more information about the award, click here. Each year, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) recognizes students and educators for their Each year, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) recognizes students and educators for theirrecognizes students.

OSAP James A. Cottone Award for Excellence in Investigative Research

July 2021

Sep Makhsous

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) is a dental membership association "solely focused on dental infection prevention and patient safety education and training." Sep was awarded the 2021 Dr. James A. Cottone Award for Excellence in Investigative Research for his abstract: "Evaluating Aerosol Persistence During Dental Procedures Using a Real-Time Network of Sensor."

For more information about the award and OSAP, click here.

Vikram Jandhyala and Suja Vaidyanathan Endowed Innovation Award in Electrical Engineering

May 2018

Sep Makhsous

The Vikram Jandhyala and Suja Vaidyanathan Endowed Innovation Award in Electrical Engineering is a UW ECE award that "supports students with an entrepreneurial spirit." Sep was awarded the award for working on his graduate degrees in electrical engineering while completing his MBA and creating DietSkan. This handheld nutritional intake device earned him the invitation to be on SharkTank.

For more information on the award, click here.

International Society of Women Engineers’ Undergraduate Research Poster Competition, 1st Prize

October 2017

Molly Foley

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is "the world’s largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology." Its collegiate poster competition encourages women to showcase their research projects in engineering. Molly was selected as one of ten global finalists in the undergraduate poster competition for her abstract on her SEAL research project. She was ultimately awarded first prize at the international SWE WE17 Conference for her poster.

For more information about SWE and its competitions, click here.