Newsletter of the Tagliatela College of Engineering - September 2025

As a new academic year begins with new opportunities and challenges, this newsletter reflects on some of the remarkable achievements of faculty and students during the first half of this year. In fact, the achievements are so numerous that we have split the newsletter into two, with the other half of the news to appear in November.

In this issue we celebrate our leadership role in launching the Connecticut AI Alliance, a visit to the Governor鈥檚 Office by our robotic dog Spot, award of the university鈥檚 very first NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates site program, external and internal faculty recognitions, our first two Ph.D. graduates, outstanding performances by two of our student teams, and a transformative gift.

Despite the challenging environment for institutions of higher education, the University of New Haven is making remarkable strides. President Jens Frederiksen鈥檚 plans to launch an R&D Center near campus and a new campus is Riyadh, Saudi Arabia are bold initiatives creating momentum and excitement.

With warm regards,

Ron Harichandran
Dean, Tagliatela College of Engineering & Vice Provost for Research

Nineteen higher-education institutions throughout the state have come together and are combining their collective strengths to position Connecticut as one of the country鈥檚 premier centers for artificial intelligence development and workforce development.

The statewide coalition, the , was launched by the University of New Haven, with Vahid Behzadan, associate professor of Computer Science and Data Science, Ron Harichandran, dean of the TCoE, and Jen Widness, president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges as the three founders.  The Founders took the lead in recruiting members and setting up the alliance.  In addition to the academic institutions, the University brought in industry corporations, government agencies, and community organizations for their real-world insights and knowledge on what is both feasible and profitable.

The immediate goal of the alliance is to bridge the gap between research and its application to industry 鈥� and to back that up with the skills-based programs needed to equip the workforce with the relevant AI expertise.

An important part of the CAIA鈥檚 mission is establishing a shared computing infrastructure that will give academic institutions and businesses access to computing resources and knowledge transfer. 

By creating an entire AI ecosystem, the alliance will help AI-driven businesses and start-ups thrive, driving economic growth and creating countless career opportunities.

Along with the University of New Haven, the seventeen academic institutions that will collaborate on shared research projects include Albert Magnus College, Central Connecticut State University, Charter Oak State College, Connecticut College, Connecticut State Community College, Fairfield University, Goodwin College, Mitchell College, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University, Southern Connecticut State University, Trinity College, University of Bridgeport, University of Connecticut, University of Hartford, University of Saint Joseph, Wesleyan University, and Yale University.

Organizations lending their support include BioCT, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges,  Connecticut Health AI Collaborative, and The Workplace.

The State of Connecticut is throwing its own financial incentive into the mix.  Through the governor鈥檚 Innovation Clusters Program, some of three finalists will split $100,000,000 to support projects that contribute to the development of Connecticut鈥檚 key innovative industries 鈥� AI being one of them.  The City of Hartford is one of the finalists and CAIA is an integral part of their proposal to create a major AI center there.

Separate from the Innovation Clusters Program, the State of Connecticut has allocated $1.5 million in funding in support of CAIA over the next two fiscal years.

CAIA鈥檚 goal to make Connecticut an AI leader in the U.S. is an ambitious undertaking, all agree.  But with the best minds in the state working on it, there will be no shortage of brain power to keep the mission up and running.

UNewhaven's pedigreed pooch meets Governor Ned Lamont

Spot, the University of New Haven鈥檚 robotic dog, which is being trained for exploration in hazardous environments, went to Hartford on May 22 and charmed Governor Ned Lamont with its abilities. 

That鈥檚 not to say that the state capital is a hazardous environment (although that could be up for debate in some quarters).  Spot鈥檚 role on this day consisted of climbing the Capitol Rotunda steps and roaming the hallways as one of the major high-tech players in the inaugural Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) Day. Spot鈥檚 antics were captured by Fox 61 News ( to see video).

The point of the event was to bring advanced technologies such as robotics, 3d printing, virtual and augmented reality, and automation to the Capitol Rotunda to pique the interest of the governor and legislators and encourage them to pursue the idea of making Connecticut the U. S. epicenter of innovation and technology in manufacturing.

四色AV of New Haven was one of several CCAT technology partners on hand to showcase their high-tech assets 鈥� assets that are already giving Connecticut a reputation as a leader in innovation and technology.

Leading is something Spot already understands, thanks to the training (read: programming) that he鈥檚 getting from Shayok Mukhopadhyay, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

That makes him very much an alpha dog as well as a robotic one.

Reihaneh Samsami and Goli Nossoni

A hard-to-win National Science Foundation grant 鈥� one that typically goes to top research universities 鈥� has been awarded to the University of New Haven.  The grant, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), will be used to accomplish two goals.  The first is to build an REU site dedicated to climate resiliency.  The second, to engage neurodiverse students 鈥� students who typically have a variety of learning disabilities 鈥� to conduct research. 

Landing the grant adds to the increasing body of evidence that points to the University of New Haven as an emerging research institution.

The official name of the project is 鈥淏uilding a Greener Future:  Sustainable Construction Research for Empowering Students with Learning Disabilities,鈥� and it鈥檚 that last part that probably was the deciding factor for the NSF.   In fact, a passion for the topic suffused the grant application, which was led by Goli Nossoni, associate professor of Civil Engineering. 

In Nossoni鈥檚 words:  鈥淎ll engineering problems call for diverse ways of thinking, especially in areas like sustainability, where creative, out-of-the-box solutions are essential.  Neurodiverse students bring exactly that kind of innovation to the table.鈥�

She added:  鈥淭his project offers a powerful opportunity to support those dealing with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences by creating a space in STEM fields where they can see themselves as researchers, leaders, and change-makers.鈥�

Nossoni鈥檚 other passion, of course, is building a greener, more sustainable future. With Nossoni and co-Principal Investigator Reihaneh Samsami orchestrating the project and with two other civil engineering faculty also serving as mentors, the students will be directly involved in the hands-on research that will become the content for the REU site:  rapid construction of NetZero shelters 鈥� structures that produce as much energy as they consume 鈥� using 3D concrete printing; fast construction using Building Information Modeling (BIM); combustion of solid waste; and attaining NetZero with rain garden watersheds. These shelters are intended for locations where conventional infrastructure with electricity and potable water is unavailable.  Such structures could be rapidly deployed in the aftermath of natural or human-caused disasters.

Of the eight students selected each summer for the project over a three-year period, up to three will come from the University of New Haven, while the remaining ones will be recruited from across the country.  Since the research will rely on interdisciplinary thinking, their backgrounds will include civil, environmental, chemical, and mechanical engineering; chemistry; construction management; and the geosciences.

Nossoni offered a final piece of advice for these and all neurodiverse students who may doubt themselves:  鈥淵ou absolutely belong in STEM.  Your contributions are essential to building a greener future 鈥� one that is stronger because of the different minds behind it."

With an unbroken succession of National Science Foundation grants since 2014 and a recent appointment as chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Dr. Ganesh Balasubramanian鈥檚 star continues to rise and shine. Recently it has burned even brighter, thanks to his recent election as a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). 

The ASME cited his outstanding contributions to the domain of computational science and engineering for advanced materials and processing relating to energy and structural applications. The Society pointed to his numerous research and teaching awards as well, which have earned him an international reputation as an educator, scholar, and mentor of the next generation of engineers.

Representing TCoE were (left to right): Nathan Seifert, Shue Wang, Huan Gu, Liberty Page, and Kagya Amoako.

TCoE faculty talent was again on bold display at the recent University-wide Faculty Excellence Awards ceremony, both in the number of nominees and in awards won.

In six of the eight award categories 鈥� across the University鈥檚 five colleges and schools 鈥� TCoE faculty received multiple nominations.  In four of those six categories, they took home the award.  And the winners are:

One of the eagerly anticipated features of the annual event is always the Last Lecture, a hypothetical 鈥渇inal talk鈥� about something of deep meaning to a faculty member chosen by the provost.  Here again, the TCoE was tapped.  Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Kagya Amoako did the honors, fascinating the audience with the research that he and his students are performing on reducing blood clotting.

Bibek Upadhayay and Nancirose Piazza

Nancirose Piazza and Bibek Upadhayay were the excited recipients of a Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science, with a concentration in Data Science, last May. Advised by Vahid Behzadan, Associate Professor of Data Science and Computer Science, they were the first two to receive the degree after completing the three-year, inter-disciplinary program, which prepares students for research careers that call for an ability to think and work beyond the boundaries of traditional disciplines.

Piazza鈥檚 work focused on deception and deception mitigation in multi-agent systems, specifically in multi-agent reinforcement learning.  Her research described deception and deceptive behavior modeling as well as defense modeling in the presence of deception.  That鈥檚 right, AI has learned to lie.   She currently is employed full-time as an AI Cyber Engineer at MITRE.

Upadhayay鈥檚 research was in Large Language Models (LLMs).  LLMs are deep-learning algorithms that employ an enormous number of parameters and massive amounts of training data to both understand and predict text.  They are artificial intelligence-based models that go beyond simple text generation, being fully capable of translating and revising content.  That ability also means LLMs can induce false beliefs; their safety, reliability, and security vulnerabilities comprised a significant part of Upadhayay鈥檚 work.

The hottest one in the group? UNewhaven's Mars Rover.

It was more than a facelift.  Beyond just a tinkering, tightening, or trimming.  Having once again advanced to the finals of the international University Rover Challenge, the University of New Haven鈥檚 Robotics Team looked at their respectable ranking in last year鈥檚 competition, said, 鈥淣ot good enough,鈥� and set to work to make this year鈥檚 Mars Rover a breakthrough in design and functionality.

They looked hard at key subsystems.  The arm, for example.  They made it lighter and more compact, while eliminating the needs for belts and all the complications that go with them.  They laser-focused on the drivetrain, and though opting to keep their trademark tank tread system over wheels, incorporated a suspension system that enables their Rover to traverse rough terrain, with a bottom tread that conforms to the shape of obstacles beneath it.  The vehicle鈥檚 chassis also got an overhaul 鈥� metamorphosing from an open-top to a fully enclosed, aluminum-sheet-metal hardtop, which gives it a more professional, tank-like aesthetic while avoiding extra pounds.

Were the judges impressed?  You bet.  Our team鈥檚 Rover came in 颅颅13th out of 38 that qualified for the finals at the competition at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, surpassing heavyweights like Oregon State, Georgia Tech., Cornell, and UC San Diego among others. A total of 114 teams from countries around the world initially applied to participate in the competition.

The team went into the competition with a bit of wind beneath their wings:  a second place win at the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers CT Section Capstone Competition on April 19 and a second place win at the Tagliatela College of Engineering鈥檚 Capstone Design Expo poster presentations held on May 6.

Congratulations to the Robotics Team: Erik Parker; Aidan Stoner; Joseph Marcello; Erin Mae Cardino; Shaunessy Reynolds; Marc Santacapita, and Aidan Stehlik.  And, of course, their extremely proud advisor and mentor, Professor Shayok Mukhopadhyay.

We express deep appreciation to the donors who funded the team: individuals Anil Shah (MS 麓86), Robert Alvine, Mike Ambrose (BS 麓84), and Bill Welsh, and companies Protospace MFG, BTX Global Logistics, ODrive, and Rokland.鈥娾��

Left to right: Tristyn Barnes, Bisher Lpizra, Dyllan Bryans, and Nya Long

Designing and building a car that starts up, travels, and stops by means of chemical energy is enough of a challenge.  Competing against big names like Yale and Northeastern seems like an uphill climb, too.

Nevertheless, the University of New Haven鈥檚 Chem-E -Car beat them both, coming in fifth in last April鈥檚 Northeast Regional Chem-E-Car Competition, an annual event for chemical engineering majors.

What made the placement even sweeter is that the University of New Haven was the only primarily undergraduate institution in an entire line-up of well-funded, top-tier research institutions.

All of the cars had to travel a specific distance with extreme precision.  四色AV鈥檚 40 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm model was unique among the other Lilliputian-size vehicles in how it was able to make the run.  It used a common ingredient straight out of the kitchen pantry:  gelatin.   The team found that it was the perfect medium for stable and long-lasting electron transport between electrodes for their battery design.

Other schools had tried to use gelatin, but their efforts had completely stalled out.

Left to right: Lauren, Louis, Mary, Stephen, and Patricia Tagliatela

There鈥檚 a suspected but unexplored goldmine of engineering talent in New Haven County, and a recent gift from the Tagliatela family aims to bring it to the surface. 

Stephen Tagliatela 鈥�13 Hon., together with sister Patricia and brother Louis, have pledged the gift for the express purpose of expanding access to an engineering education for those who otherwise couldn鈥檛 afford it or never had engineering on their radar.

The Tagliatela Family High-Impact Scholarship at the University will focus particularly on first-generation students as well as help to address the reluctance among women to pursue a career in the field.  That dovetails nicely with the University鈥檚 Women in Engineering Program, which was launched in 2022 and has reached hundreds of female high school students throughout Connecticut, opening minds and career paths at the same time.

Uncovering hidden potential is part of the University鈥檚 broader strategy to help make Connecticut a talent powerhouse and an economic boom state.   Enlarging and strengthening the talent pipeline will help achieve that goal.

To University President Jens Frederiksen, the scholarship and the planned R&D Center point to one of the University鈥檚 most important strengths.  鈥淭he intersection of engineering, technology, and workforce development is where the University of New Haven excels,鈥� he declared. The R&D Center he referred to is the 130,000-square-foot commercial space across the street from the main campus, where the University will develop a state-of-the-art research and development center.

四色AV also excels in another way:  attracting visionaries whose generosity can make it all happen.  The Tagliatelas 鈥� the gift-givers who keep on giving 鈥� are three of the most generous.

Your gift empowers tomorrow鈥檚 pioneers, change agents, and disruptors helping the next generation discover their purpose and instilling the confidence and knowledge they need to change their chosen fields, the communities they are part of, and the world. Consider the impact your financial support, at any level, could have on our students, faculty, and programs when combined with a matching gift from your employer.

Make sure to keep your information updated with the Office of Alumni Engagement to receive the latest event invitations, newsletters, and more! Submit a simple address change or exciting news about your career. Update your information or submit a class note online and follow  on social media.

Buckman Hall
300 Boston Post Road
West Haven, CT 06516

www.newhaven.edu/engineering