Meeting my cohort was very exciting being a part of the new SHURE-GRID fellowship. My team consists of four people coming from various disciplines of which include computer science, business, and engineering. Their names are Daley Frasier, Bell Hsia, and Kimberly Chen. What I am most interested about learning more about is the new methodology for critical systems in the energy grid, which is cyber-informed engineering. As technology advances, cyber attacks become more prominent so securing the energy grid is becoming more and more important, which is why this new methodology should be implemented.
The program consists of eight members, as there are two cohorts with four members each. My cohort’s project is to analyze the trade-offs of Cyber-Informed Engineering. More specifically, we are looking into the strategies that companies use when mitigating cyber attacks and the trade-offs that come with those decisions as well as justifying them. On the other hand, the other cohort is looking into justifying the use of Cyber-Informed Engineering. They are more looking into the difference between current strategies and how CIE can be used and why it would be better due to cost, time, or effort. We are using the Lean Innovation Process to complete our projects, as we continue to interview our target audience and gain more insight on their problems and needs.
I haven’t had much interaction with the Brackenridge fellowship students as our programs are completely different, but I do get some chances to talk to then during our weekly Tuesday meetings. I’ve learned about a few of their projects, ranging from researching about the difference of STEM cells of people from different ethnicities to researching about the public opinion of brain scans.
However, what I am enjoying most about working with my cohort is our various disciplines. Having a group with different viewpoints makes me really think as there are always multiple angles at which our conclusions can be looked at. I’ve learned that research isn’t linear, as learning one thing always lead to multiple branches. Overall, I am excited to learn more with the remaining weeks we have left!
