Mohammad Towhidul Islam Rimon, a mechanical engineering master’s student in the , recently won first place in the best student paper competition at the .

The international conference and competition exhibited research relevant to current and future power generation issues, applications and emerging technologies. Following Rimon, second and third place winners were named from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Cambridge, respectively.

Rimon’s paper focused on a new generation of power technologies known as supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) power generation. Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the project aims to address the technical challenges at the subcomponent level of sCO₂ power cycles and contribute to the goal of greenhouse gas pollution reduction.

“Working with cutting-edge technology, delving deep into these subjects and receiving recognition for my efforts has been incredibly inspiring,” Rimon said. “It was a privilege to present this paper at a prestigious event where experts from the power industry were gathered.”

Rimon said mentorship from his advisor, Sevki Cesmeci, Ph.D., assistant professor of in the AEPCEC and the principal investigator of the project, was an integral part of his success.

“I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work in the exact field I’ve always wanted under the guidance of Dr. Cesmeci,” Rimon said. “He invested a significant amount of effort in my training and consistently encouraged me, even before the presentation. Winning the award feels like a way to honor his dedication and showcase our findings on an international stage, reaffirming their significance.”

Cesmeci was proud not only to see his student succeed but also to see the University recognized at an international level.

“I have never seen a student who was so dedicated to putting every effort that they can for a flawless presentation, including answering challenging questions from the experts in their field,” Cesmeci said. “Considering this is an international conference and it was open to all levels of students, including Ph.D. students, I am immensely proud of Rimon’s success.”

Stephanie Broxton has always been focused. In high school, her love of math and science led her to 91ÁÔÆæ as a dual enrollment student, which allowed her to earn high school and college credits simultaneously. Now, after three years on the Statesboro Campus, she is graduating at age 20 with a degree in .

“Math always came easy to me, and science was always fascinating,” Broxton said. “I love problem-solving and using innovation to enhance my life and the lives of others. Mechanical engineering is a broad field, which means that I have a plethora of possibilities at my fingertips.”

Testing her options, Broxton applied for a job at the massive Hyundai EV plant that is under construction near Savannah. She landed the position and is slated to start as an assistant mechanical engineer on June 19. She said she’s honored to be a part of such a significant project and can’t wait to see how it goes for her after graduation.

“I will be documenting the progress of the HVAC and piping systems that are installed on-site,” Broxton said. “This may require me to be on-site for some days and in the office for the rest. I’ll definitely have my work cut out for me.”

Growing up in Rincon, Georgia, Broxton’s parents encouraged her to pursue higher education and excel academically. She credits them for setting high expectations and guiding her throughout her undergraduate journey.

“They always wanted to make sure that I could provide for myself,” explained Broxton, a first-generation student. “There were times when I felt like it wasn’t going to happen, and times when I felt like I needed to be prepared for my engineering aspirations to fall through. Nevertheless, I pushed through and am graduating with my Bachelor of Science.”

Despite the tough coursework and hefty assignments, Broxton thrived in her major. While she found calculus to be “fun,” she did not expect to have so many math classes.

“Out of all of my major-specific courses, I believe only four of them had just conceptual-based content,” she said. “All of my other courses have essentially been nothing but math, and most of my exams consisted of only open-ended math problems.” 

What did the aspiring engineer with a 3.67 GPA find most rewarding about her major?

“I enjoyed the hands-on experience the most,” Broxton said. “My machining classes were a fun challenge. Each machining class taught me how to use the equipment available to engineers, and it reminded me of working with my dad on our DIY projects. As a bonus, I was allowed to keep my project at the end of each semester.”

As an undergraduate in the Broxton was involved in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), various engineering honor societies and the American Foundry Society. She was able to expand her networking experience and hone practical skills that will serve her well throughout her career.

“Making more connections with others is vital for engineers and continued learning,” Broxton noted. “One of my favorite volunteer opportunities is my participation in Girls Engineer It Day. I actually participated in the event as a student a long time ago, but thanks to my involvement in SWE, I had the chance to give back as a volunteer. It was fulfilling to make memories with the students and help fuel their interest in STEM.”

As she prepares to leave Georgia Southern, Broxton is grateful for the impact the University has had on her life. She has made lasting friendships and looks forward to carrying them with her as she moves on to the next chapter in her life. She credits her professors for challenging her to be the best version of herself academically and personally. 

“I rarely, if ever, had an instructor who did not express a genuine desire to help their students and provide a meaningful learning experience,” she said. “I am set up for a bright future, and Georgia Southern is the university that helped prepare me for it.”

With graduation day approaching, her parents couldn’t be more excited to see Broxton receive her diploma at Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro on Thursday, May 11 at 10 a.m.

“I know my parents are proud of me, and they remind me of that often,” Broxton said. “I can already imagine the tears that will flow on my graduation day, especially from my mom. As a 2020 high school graduate, I missed out on a significant rite-of-passage when my ceremony was reduced to a PowerPoint presentation and the wrong diploma was shipped to my door. But now, my mom and dad are excited and I am too. I can almost hear them saying ‘That’s my baby girl’ as I walk across the stage.”

The hard work and dedication of the aspiring engineer have paid off, and she is stoked about the prospects of her promising future.

An 840-mile drive down the coast of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico might sound like a great way to enjoy some sightseeing, but for 13 Georgia Southern students, that drive will be dangerous, grueling and the opportunity of a lifetime. The students are part of the University’s Eagle Motorsports Baja 1000 team, and are traveling to Mexico to compete in the second-largest off-road race in the world: the Baja 1000. While there, the student-based team will make history by becoming the first collegiate team to compete in the utility terrain vehicle-specific class, and the first collegiate team to compete in the race in more than three decades. “It’s not a sustainable activity for us to go out and baby step into the field,” said Spencer Harp, team advisor and laboratory supervisor for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “You get noticed for the splash that you make, so we’re just jumping in and doing something else that no one else has done.” The team, one of three racing teams within Eagle Motorsports, was challenged with rebuilding a brand new utility terrain vehicle (UTV), a two-seat machine with a roll cage, from the ground up to meet SCORE-International requirements. SCORE-International is the governing organization of the off-road race. In addition, the team worked with Hisun Motors to secure a corporate sponsorship, plus numerous other sponsors, to help with the cost of materials and travels to Mexico. They also had to prepare mentally and physically for the 840-mile course, which must be completed within 40 hours of crossing the start line. “You’re not just riding down a dirt road, this is just a rough cut path through the middle of the woods,” Harp said. “Some of these paths haven’t been touched by man, period. You can go from riding down a smooth beach or smooth dirt road to going through mountainous rocky, terrain, crossing old riverbeds full of silt and sand. It’s an endurance race.” Kara Dees, co-captain of the team and one of two female students traveling to Mexico, and Robert Branch, project lead, are two of the students that’ll be driving and co-driving the car. Both students said they have taken up various forms of exercise to prepare, but also are relying heavily on their faith and support system made up of friends and family, to prepare mentally for the challenge. “The biggest thing is: to finish first, first you must finish. You have to beat the terrain first,” Branch said. “The co-driver has a duty and obligation of not only being your ears and eyes because you also have to watch out who’s behind you, but they are also normally your mechanic. Most of the time for professional and ameteur racers, the co-drivers are the first person to step out of the car. If the driver is hurt or any changes need to be made communicatively, it is the co-driver’s responsibility.” In addition to the driver and co-driver, there is a chase team that follows the course to support if anything goes wrong. For Eagle Motorsports, an additional support team on the East Coast will watch a live broadcast of the race and track the car with GPS to communicate with the chase team in Mexico. “There are some areas of the course that are in a valley where our radio communications won’t work, our satellite phones won’t work and at times, you might be 100 miles from anyone who can help you. So there is a fear factor associated with it,” said Harp. The team also faces another challenge–criticism from veteran racers, some who invest millions of dollars to participate in this race. “Most teams spend a minimum of two years building a platform to go race, and we started a year ago with the idea, and spent six months trying to secure a corporate sponsorship, then building, designing and figuring out the logistics,” Harp said. “That’s a third of the time anyone else would normally attempt to do it. We’ve been told by several seasoned professionals that this was an absurd idea and we’re really reaching. “But what they don’t understand is where they may have a team of two or three people, we’ve got 20-plus, well-educated engineering students making an effort to ensure everything is accounted for,” he continued. Branch added, “We’ve had plenty of people ask ‘Why not start with something smaller?’ But a lot of people start to realize that time is a factor in everything they do. If someone came to you and handed you a once in a lifetime experience, and you knew that you’d have to work every single day to even come close to success, would you still take it? That’s what I was left with and I chose yes.” And while Harp admits the team might be “in the dark a bit,” having accomplished so much in so little time is what is driving the team’s motivation. “Being able to see our hard work come to fruition is the sweetest reward. This year long project has had many ups and downs along the way,” Dees said. “I am excited to make history by showing up as the first collegiate team to ever race in this [class of] competition.” The Baja 1000 team departs for Mexico Nov. 9, and the race begins Nov. 20. Television coverage is available on CBS Sports Network and ESPN, and a live stream of the race will be available at .