Category: Awards

Awards, Conference, Lab Updates, Networking Event

BID4R Lab Members Awarded the “Brian Mar Best Student Paper” at the 2025 INCOSE IS conference!

eraubid4rlab

The BID4R Lab had the opportunity to present at the 2025 International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) International Symposium (IS) in Ottawa, Canada. Ph.D. students Rogelio Garcia Otalvaro and James Hand presented their cutting-edge systems engineering research and Dr. Bryan Watson served as a session chair for multiple sessions.

Rogelio presented his work, “Bifurcation Analysis for System Resilience: A Case Study on Power Infrastructure”. This presented a new method for analyzing power grid/system for resilience. His work was highly praised by the attending audience, with some noting the work could directly impact their own research. James presented two papers at the conference: “MilliSwarm: Leveraging Emergence for Energy Efficient Robotic Swarm Movement” and “Faulted Agent Resilience in Multi-Agent Systems: An Exploration of Two Ant Inspired Strategies”. The first, analyzed millipede swarming behaviors to determine group movement efficiency. His second paper, focused on strategies inspired by ant behaviors and their ability to resist infectious/malicious faults in swarm systems. James received the Brian Mar Best Student Paper for this work. Additionally, James passed the INCOSE Knowledge Exam and is now able to apply for his Associate Systems Engineering Professional (ASEP) certification.

Outside of the conference the group was able to explore the wonderful city of Ottawa. They even stopped by a local safari park, Parc Omega, to experience the local wildlife and feed carrots to a few hungry deer.

Awards, Lab Updates

Dr. Bryan Watson on Embracing Mistakes in Education, Named 2025 Outstanding Teacher of the Year

eraubid4rlab

May 23, 2025 – Congratulations to Dr. Bryan Watson on receiving the 2025 Tej Gupta Outstanding Teacher of the Year award. As humans, we all make mistakes. Dr. Watson emphasizes the importance of developing a culture of error that encourages students to make mistakes and learn from them. Hear how Dr. Watson has structured his classroom environment to remove the pressure of perfection.

Awards, Lab Updates

Dr. Watson wins Tej Gupta Teacher of the Year!

eraubid4rlab

April 1, 2025 – We are excited to share that our lab advisor, Dr. Bryan Watson, has been recognized as the 2025 Tej Gupta Teacher of the Year!

Dr. Watson is more than an outstanding teacher. He is a mentor and motivator for all students. His unwavering dedication to his students’ growth, continuous efforts to help students

reach their greatest potential, and commitment to excellence make him an extraordinary educator and role model. His classes are a space where learning is not just an activity but an experience, as he brings energy, curiosity, and purpose to every lesson. Dr. Watson’s passion for learning and relentless pursuit of growth within himself and others is truly contagious, inspiring his students to strive for their best.

We are incredibly grateful for Dr. Watson’s dedication to our success. This well-earned award reflects the incredible influence he has on the lives and careers of his students!

Congratulations, Dr. Watson, and thank you for your commitment to us!

Awards, Lab Updates

Grace Gratton selected as 2025 Goldwater Scholar

eraubid4rlab

March 28, 2025 – We are thrilled to announce that one of our lab members, Grace Gratton, has been named a Goldwater Scholar! Grace is a sophomore studying space physics and is one of two Goldwater Scholars selected from Embry-Riddle this year. The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships, recognizing excellence in STEM research. It is awarded to students who intend to pursue research careers and demonstrate exceptional dedication and passion for their work.

Grace joined the BID4R Lab during her freshman year and has been diligently researching consensus algorithms used in multi-agent systems. Her research focuses on how the synchronous hatching behavior of the South American River Turtle can be applied to consensus algorithms to increase their robustness against faulty agents. She recently presented her findings at the 2025 CSER Conference in Long Beach, California.

This summer, Grace will participate in an internship at the Air Force Research Laboratory. She looks forward to developing her research skills in an industrial setting and hopes this experience will help her achieve her goal of becoming a professor.

We are incredibly proud to see Grace’s hard work and research recognized at such a prestigious level, and we can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next!

Congratulations, Grace!

Two Embry-Riddle Undergraduates Named Goldwater Scholars

Two Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University students have been awarded Goldwater scholarships, marking the first time the university has had multiple scholars in one year. Aerospace Physiology junior Natalie Brattain and Space Physics sophomore Grace Gratton were selected by the scholarship program, which aims to support college sophomores and juniors poised to become the next research leaders …

news.erau.edu

Awards, Lab Updates

Lab members win top poster with a faculty at Cyber Rodeo

eraubid4rlab

February 5, 2025 – Two of our lab members, Jonah Kohlmeyer and James Hand, along with our faculty mentor Dr. Bryan Watson, won top poster with a faculty mentor at Cyber Rodeo! Cyber Rodeo is Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Aviation Cyber Initiative hosted by the Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems. It’s a two-day event focused on enhancing cyber resilience and mitigating cyber threats to aviation. It features technical demonstrations, company recruiting, Capture-The-Flag challenges, and an engaging poster session.

We are honored to have one of our lab’s posters selected as the top poster with a faculty mentor! When asked what the poster highlighted, Jonah Kohlmeyer, who helped create the poster with James Hand and faculty mentor Dr. Bryan Watson, replied:

BID4R’s contribution to this year’s cyber rodeo was an overview of STARS, or the Swarm Test Arena for Resilient Systems. Specifically, it presented a poster on “A Comparison of Biologically Inspired Faulted Agent Resilience Strategy Performance in Computer Simulated Environments Vs. Physical Swarm Test Platform Data.” The poster outlined the current work the BID4R lab is doing with the STARS platform and demonstrated one of our swarm units. – Jonah Kohlmeyer

Congratulations to Jonah, James, and Dr. Watson on a fantastic poster!

Awards, Lab Updates

Dr. Watson’s Paper Recognized as INCOSE Editors Choice!

eraubid4rlab

We are thrilled to announce that our faculty mentor, Dr. Bryan Watson, along with co-authors Isabella Hernandez, Marc Weissburg, and Bert Bras, had their paper selected as an Editor’s Choice by the INCOSE Systems Engineering Journal!

Their paper employed biologically inspired design to outline key steps for enhancing system resilience. By performing functional decomposition of eusocial insect colonies, they developed innovative approaches to strengthen the emergent resilience of multi-agent systems. Their work resulted in two major contributions: the recognition of six generalized functions which can be applied to systems to increase resilience, and a methodology to identify and translate insect behavior into generalized guidelines for designing resilient systems. They supported their work with a case study, by applying their identified functions to an emergency power service system and suggesting methods to improve its resilience. Their paper contributed several insights to the field of systems engineering, and we are proud to have it recognized by INCOSE!

Congratulations Dr. Watson!

For more information or to read the paper: https://lnkd.in/ePQTw5ve

Awards, Lab Updates

Dr. Bryan Watson Awarded the 2023-24 Mentor of the Year

eraubid4rlab

April 10, 2024 – We’re thrilled to announce that our lab advisor, Dr. Bryan Watson, P. E., has been recognized as-24 Mentor of the Year!

Dr. Watson’s dedication to supporting students and fostering excellence in research is truly commendable. His guidance, expertise, and encouragement have been instrumental in shaping every students’ academic and professional journeys. From offering valuable insights to providing hands-on support, Dr. Watson goes above and beyond to ensure that every student thrives.

His passion for research is contagious, inspiring us to push the boundaries of knowledge and pursue innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

Under his mentorship, we’ve not only honed our technical skills but also developed a deep appreciation for collaboration, critical thinking, and perseverance.

We’re incredibly grateful for Dr. Watson’s unwavering commitment to our success. This well-deserved recognition is a testament to his outstanding mentorship and the profound impact he has on the lives and careers of his students.

Congratulations, Dr. Watson, and thank you for everything you do! 

Awards, Lab Updates, Poster Presentation

Exciting News from 2024 Discovery Day

eraubid4rlab

April 10, 2024 – We are thrilled to share some fantastic outcomes from our recent Discovery Day, particularly for BID4R Lab team.

Three of our team members, Jack Capuano, Austen Pallen, and Julia Gorthey, were named Research Scholars for the Graduating Class. This is a remarkable achievement, as it means half of the research scholars selected university-wide are from our lab!

Congratulations to Grace Gratton, Mikayla Dutkiewicz, and Noa Teed, who were awarded SURF grants to support their research projects this summer. Your hard work continues to inspire us, and we can’t wait to see what you will accomplish in the coming months.

A huge THANK YOU to each member of our team. Your dedication and passion for research are what make our lab a leading force. The lab is so grateful for the past two years together and eagerly anticipate future innovations.

Let’s continue to make waves in our fields and support each other’s growth. Here’s to more success and teamwork in the days to come!

Awards, Lab Updates

Rogelio G. Otálvaro Won People’s Choice Award at ERAU’s Graduate Research Symposium

eraubid4rlab

April 4, 2024 – Excited to share some fantastic news from today’s Graduate Research Symposium at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University! A huge round of applause for Rogelio Gracia Otálvaro for his outstanding achievement in the poster competition.

Not only did Rogelio clinch the second place, but he also captivated the audience, winning the People’s Choice Award! His poster, “Bifurcation Analysis for Complex System Resilience,” showcases not just innovative thinking but also the practical application in enhancing system resilience.

Congratulations, Rogelio, on your well-deserved recognition. Your hard work and dedication are truly inspirational!

Awards, Lab Updates

James Hand Awarded 2024 US DoD SMART Scholarship

eraubid4rlab

May 16, 2024 – We are thrilled to announce that James Hand, an exceptional EECS (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) PhD student, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 United States Department of Defense SMART Scholarship.

James is a dedicated member of the Biologically Inspired Design-for-Resilience (BID4R) Lab, where his groundbreaking research focuses on eusocial insect-inspired approaches to addressing faulted agents in multi-agent systems. His innovative work promises to revolutionize the way we understand and implement resilience in complex technological environments.

This accomplishment is a testament to James’s hard work, creativity, and dedication to advancing the frontiers of science and technology. The SMART Scholarship is a highly competitive award that recognizes outstanding students who show great potential to become future innovators and leaders in their fields.

Please join us in congratulating James on this remarkable achievement. We can’t wait to see where his research and leadership will take him next!

Link to ERAU News: https://news.erau.edu/headlines/embry-riddle-scores-big-on-department-of-defense-smart-scholarships