Carter Lamb, Ian Fenn and Conrad Miller worked with their advisor, Venkat Maruthamuthu, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, to design a lost cost bi-axial stretcher – a device that allows researchers to study the effects of stretching on cell function.

By Sherry DiBari

For the past two semesters, a group of undergraduate students at Old Dominion 91¶ÌÊÓƵ have been working on helmet sensors that detect and alert coaches when an athlete has taken a hit indicative of a concussion.

Another group of students at the graduate level used the gene-editing technique CRISPR and high-resolution microscopy to study Vinculin, a protein essential for embryonic development.

Those research projects and dozens more will be presented during ESPEX, the Batten College of Engineering and Technology's student project expo, April 26 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The in-person event will be held at the Ted Constant Center's Chartway Arena and the Big Blue Room.

This year, for the first time, cash awards will be made to student teams for their projects displayed at ESPEX. Gifts from Stihl, Inc. and ODU alumni William G. Sykes, a patent attorney, have made these awards possible.

The Engineering Student Projects Expo was established in 2018 as a way to showcase the Batten College of Engineering and Technology's innovative student research.

"We are looking forwarding to seeing the presentations from our talented undergraduate and graduate and students," said Khan Iftekharuddin, interim dean of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology. "These student projects represent the myriad of research possibilities that we offer at the College of Engineering."

The event is free and open to the public.

For information, visit