Oguna Finishes Third in Student Paper Contest

Angela Oguna, a junior in electrical engineering, placed third in the student paper contest at the IEEE Region 5 Annual Business Meeting and Student Contests, held April 16-18 in Grapevine, Texas. She won $200 and received an all-expense-paid trip to Grapevine for the competition.

Oguna was part of a team of researchers, led by EECS Professor Gary Minden, that tested sensors as part of the Transportation Security SensorNet (TSSN) project. The sensors monitored cargo transported by rail cars. Before TSSN, information vacuums occurred en route. The theft detection system provides stakeholders with greater visibility, security and accountability of their goods. EECS researchers also analyzed the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) signal coverage along a railroad track in Kansas City, Mo. Oguna’s paper, “Transportation Security Sensor Network: Sensor Selection and Signal Strength Analysis,” describes their testing and results.

The Region Student Papers Competition encourages the development of technical communication skills. The competition includes an oral presentation and written paper related to aspects of subjects relevant to the IEEE. Competitions occur at the local, area and regional levels. Region 5 is made up of universities from 12 states.