NORTH CAROLINA A&T – STEPS4GROWTH – The Harold L. Martin Sr. Engineering Research and Innovation Complex was filled with energy as engineering students packed the space, eager to present the innovative projects they had been developing for months. From self-driving cars to electric vehicles, the showcase highlighted the creativity and technical skills of A&T’s brightest minds.
Each student had just five minutes to present their work to a panel of judges, who evaluated how well they could articulate their understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, and scientific visualization. The best presentation would walk away with a certificate—and a cash prize.
Out of the dozens of participants, eight students were part of the STEPS4GROWTH program, a workforce development initiative aimed at preparing students for clean energy careers. Among them was Hiba Darwish, who presented her project, HVAC Intelligence: Energy Conservation Based on Occupancy.
“I developed a smart system that controls HVAC functions based on room occupancy,” Darwish explained. “I used an infrared camera to detect the number of people in the room. Based on this flowchart, if no one is present, the HVAC motor only operates at 10% of its total capacity.”
Darwish spent six months to a year developing her project. Fellow STEPS4GROWTH student Kourtney Tucker invested just as much time into her project: Indoor Autonomous Vehicles, which she worked on closely with Dr. Balakrishna Gokaraju, the lead principal investigator for the program. “When learning how to work with autonomous vehicles, the main focus is safety,” Tucker said. “Our goal was to make sure the robot could navigate real-world situations. The last thing you want is someone getting hurt because the robot couldn’t react properly.”
Both Tucker and Darwish expressed deep appreciation for the STEPS4GROWTH program, crediting it with providing the mentorship and resources they needed to bring their ideas to life.
“I’ll say the mentorship has been extremely helpful,” Tucker shared. “I came in with a background in computer engineering, and others in the program came from different disciplines. Dr. Gokaraju helped us merge our strengths and work together toward one goal.”
As the competition wrapped up, the students reflected on what a win would mean—not just for their projects, but for their confidence.
“It would just let me know that I’m actually meant to be here,” Tucker said. “As students, we sometimes wonder if we’re cut out for what we’re doing. Winning would confirm that I am.”
Darwish added, “If I win, I’ll definitely share what I’ve learned—especially with undergraduate students—and teach them how to take control of their ideas.
