Multiple Cooper Union students and alumni recently presented research at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME) 2021 Virtual International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE). These included junior mechanical engineering student Andrew Kim ChE’23, graduate student Christopher Mignano ME’21 ME’22, and Cooper Union alumnus Jaywon Woo ME’21.

IMECE is ASME's largest research and development conference focused primarily on mechanical engineering but encompasses perspectives from many engineering disciplines. IMECE is a place for students to present their technical research and expertise, while learning from and connecting with thousands of peer researchers at a global level. This year’s theme was “Where Engineering Disciplines Intersect and Innovation Begins” and featured robust conversations on technical content with all participants.

Andrew Kim ME’23 presented their research on “Problem-Based Learning: A Case Study Demonstrating the Benefits of a Post-Freshman Summer Invention Program on Thermal Fluid Sciences Engagement and Professional Development” and Jaywon Woo ME’21 presented their research on “Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of the Efficacy of Hvac Adjustments on Mitigating Airborne Transmission of Sars-Cov-2.”

In addition, Chris Mignano ME’21 ME’22 presented his research on “Cascade Utilization of Geothermal Waste Heat for Enhanced Outdoor Crop Production.” His research was supported by co-authors Enea Dushaj ME’21; Runar Unnthorsson, Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Computer Science from the University of Iceland; and Adjunct Professor Robert Dell, Director of Special Project on Select Patent Monetization & Director of the Laboratory for Energy Reclamation and Innovation at the Cooper Union. Professor Dell has recently been elected to be an ASME Fellow in the Metropolitan section by the ASME Committee of Past Presidents.

“Participating in the online IMECE conference, while untraditional, was an enriching experience that I learned a lot from," says Mignano. "I am happy I was able to publish and present our work despite all that COVID prevented us from doing. I'm looking forward to participating in more conferences in the future, and I am very grateful for everyone who helped make my participation a reality!”