Robotics Team, Aspiring Teachers Receive Recognition, Awards

A University of Texas at Dallas student team won a third-place award at an international competition for building a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that can collect data on temperature, pressure and chemicals in the ocean.

The students demonstrated their vehicle, named VESPA, in an Olympic-sized pool in Kingsport, Tennessee, in June at the annual MATE ROV Competition, a program of the Marine Technology Society. The 2024 international collegiate competition focused on ocean-based solutions to climate change.

The students also demonstrated how VESPA, which took more than a year to build, could be used to deliver probiotics to underwater locations to help restore and maintain healthy marine ecosystems.

The students won third place in the contest’s Pioneer class, which is for first-time teams. The team also won an award for best technical documentation.

Computer science senior Farhan Jamil said he started the underwater robotics student organization RoboSub in 2022 soon after he enrolled in UTD. A group of students from the organization formed the Hydromeda team that enrolled in the MATE ROV Competition.

The team received support from the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science Student Council and Veolia, an international environmental and water management firm for which Jamil works as a talent coordinator. Dr. Yonas Tadesse, professor of mechanical engineering, is the team’s faculty advisor.

“We are super happy and excited to have brought home not one but two awards as a first-time competing team,” Jamil said. “We hope to continue to innovate and create amazing aquatic robots in the future and provide an opportunity for students to learn real-world skills in an interdisciplinary environment.”

Team members said they enjoyed meeting students from around the world at the competition.

“It was amazing seeing all the different teams work in harmony to address issues efficiently,” said Mohammad Khan, a mathematics senior.

Mechanical engineering senior Ken Shibatani called the event a “fantastic experience.”

“We learned many things from how other teams approached the competition,” Shibatani said.

RoboSub plans to compete again in 2025, when it will advance from Pioneer to the highest level of competition, Explorer.

“As pilot, I was able to learn a lot from other teams by connecting with their members and seeing their ROVs,” computer science junior Colin Wong said. “I’ll admit, the product demonstrations were stressful, but it’s only given me more ideas on how to improve our ROV for next year.”

Undergrads Earn Teaching Scholarships

Eleven University of Texas at Dallas undergraduates studying to become science, math or computer science teachers have received the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers.

The competitive scholarship, which provides each recipient up to $10,000 per year for up to four years, helps to recruit and retain the most talented teachers for Texas public schools.

Last fall, the University’s UTeach Dallas program became a full partner in the Charles Butt Foundation’s Raising Texas Teachers project; teacher candidates in the UTeach Dallas program then became eligible to apply for the scholarship.

All 11 UT Dallas applicants were chosen to receive the scholarship.

“UT Dallas is an amazing place to train to become a math or science teacher,” said Dr. Kate York, a master teacher in science/mathematics education who oversees the Charles Butt Scholars at UT Dallas. “Students have access not only to financial resources, but also to professional support from experienced educators who provide exceptional guidance as students learn to become teachers. Access to the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers is a terrific asset to our program.”

Scholarship recipients must be committed to teaching in a Texas public school that is majority economically disadvantaged or in a shortage subject area, such as math and science. In addition to financial support, the scholarship provides recipients with ongoing professional development opportunities, including connections with experienced mentors and a statewide network of other Charles Butt Scholars and alumni.

Based in the Department of Science/Mathematics Education in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, UTeach Dallas allows college students to combine a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics with a secondary teaching certificate without adding time or cost. In addition to undergraduate and transfer students, the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers is available to Master of Arts in Teaching and fast-track master’s degree students seeking initial teacher certification through UTeach Dallas, as well as students seeking a Bachelor of Science in education and certification to teach fourth- through eighth-grade science and mathematics.

The UT Dallas recipients of the scholarship are:

Accolades is an occasional News Center feature that highlights recent accomplishments of The University of Texas at Dallas faculty, students and staff. To submit items for consideration, contact your school’s communications manager.