ECE graduate student selected as CAVS lead for EcoCar EV challenge
September 16, 2022
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate student Fahmida Islam has been selected CAVS Lead for Mississippi State University’s EcoCAR EV Challenge team. To highlight this achievement, she took some time to answer some questions about her participation with EcoCAR, ECE, and Mississippi State University.
Describe your position with EcoCAR EV Challenge.
I will be working as the graduate lead of the connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) team. The CAVs team usually works on developing a sensor fusion system for advanced driving. My key responsibility is to develop the vehicle’s perception and predictive systems.
What are you most excited about with the position?
I am most excited about working in a team environment having people from diverse backgrounds and learning new things. Also, I believe there will be a lot of possibilities for me to grow in my position, increase my knowledge in the autonomy sector, and advance in my career.
What interested you in working with EcoCAR?
I am interested in this position because I have always had an interest in autonomous vehicle systems, signals, and sensors. I have taken several courses like sensor processing for autonomous vehicles, digital signal processing, intro to radar, and artificial intelligence. Also, I have been working on autonomous vehicles for my research. Here in this position, I will be able to use this knowledge. I hope I will be a valuable member of the team.
What skills are you hoping to gain?
EcoCAR offers a great opportunity to experience real-world industry dynamics. I hope to learn many hardware and software skills, along with some interpersonal qualities like communication, problem-solving, and team management.
Describe how you will overcome any challenges.
One of my big challenges will be adjusting to a new working environment, collaborating with multi-disciplinary people, preparing for the competition, and meeting the deadlines successfully. As I will lead one of the sub-teams of the EcoCAR, maintaining good communication with the team members and providing proper guidance will also be challenging.
Share how your journey in ECE at Mississippi State is helping you achieve your academic goals.
The ECE department provides extensive knowledge of advanced technology with hands-on experience, which helps students to prepare for their careers. I am very grateful to my advisor Dr. John Ball for believing in my abilities and for his tremendous support and encouragement in my Ph.D. journey. I learned a lot from his courses, advice, and supervision.
To learn more about the EcoCAR EV Challenge, visit the announcement about MSU’s selection and an article on ECE’s involvement.
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University consists of 27 faculty members (including 6 endowed professors), 7 professional staff, and over 700 undergraduate and graduate students with approximately 100 being at the Ph.D. level. With research expenditure of the department in excess of $11.94 million, the department houses the largest High Voltage Laboratory among North American universities.