People, papers and presentations

Aydin Babakhani, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been invited by the Institute for Defense Analysis to be one of 10 industry and academic professionals on a new Microsystems Exploratory Council. The council will identify new areas in microsystems research that are of potential interest to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Itohan Idumwonyi, a graduate student in the Department of Religion, received a 2017 Forum for Theological Exploration Fellowship to support her doctoral research on “Religion, Society and Culture: A Study of Gender Dynamics in Benin Religion and Pentecostalism in Benin City, Nigeria.” Idumwonyi’s research is at the intersection of African religions, Pentecostalism, and women and gender studies. Her work is devoted to challenging religion to a rethink without bias and looking beyond the conventional, she said.

Rice undergraduates Amber Lo, Andrew Stefani, Eric Pan and Keanu Mitanga placed second at the Harvard International Consulting Competition held in Cambridge, Mass., April 22. The case competition brought together 24 teams from universities around the globe to showcase their problem-solving skills, meet employers and learn from industry professionals. Contestants were given the opportunity to work in a real-case simulation environment, develop analytical and quantitative skills and present and receive feedback from a panel of judges, including executives from a Fortune 500 company.