Two graduate students took first and second place for research in mechanical engineering during the 2021 Paul E. Torgersen Graduate Student Research Excellence Awards.

Max Barreiss,  a mechanical engineering master's student advised by Professor Warren Hardy, won first place among master's oral presentations. Bariess's presentation covered automotive driver assistance systems to prevent crashes, featuring work from the Center for Injury Biomechanics.

Vanshaj Khattar, a electrical and computer engineering master's student working in the mechanical engineering Autonomous and Intelligent Machines laboratory, won second place among master's oral presentations. Khattar's presentation addressed threat assessment and proactive decision-making for crash avoidance in autonomous vehicles.

The 2021 Paul E. Torgersen Graduate Student Research Excellence Awards are an annual event highlighting top research by graduating Masters and Doctoral students.

This year, a total of 33 applicants entered the showcase. Of that, three master's students and three doctoral students advanced to the oral presentation finals, while five master's and five doctoral students advanced to the final poster presentation.

This year, the awards were hosted virtually.