June 13, 2025, KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech has announced the winners of its 2025 IDEAfest, a university-wide showcase of research, innovation, and creativity. The winning Klamath Falls student projects included a serotonin sensor for diagnosing serotonin syndrome, a dynamic speed controller for brushless motors, a transmission line redesign project with PacifiCorp, and the development of artificial muscles using HASEL actuators.
IDEAfest is an annual event where students present their junior, senior, or capstone project posters and demonstrations. Oregon Tech students are known for creating interesting, innovative projects. This year, many students chose to work with businesses in the community to solve real-world problems.
The first-place project from Oregon Tech’s Klamath Falls campus was research on a serotonin electrochemical sensor. Dulce Hernandez (Applied Psychology) and Aiden Swope (Electrical Engineering) presented an electrochemical sensor designed to detect serotonin syndrome, a rare but life-threatening condition, by measuring serotonin levels in the blood using a low-cost, LED-indicating device.
The winning student projects were:
- First Place – Paper-Based Approach to Serotonin Syndrome by Dulce Hernandez (Applied Psychology) and Aiden Swope (Electrical Engineering)
- Second Place – NueBoard ESC Speed Controller by Brandon Moehlmann (Embedded Systems Engineering Technology)
- Second Place – HASEL Artificial Muscles by Dana Glasser (Electrical Engineering) and Erick Amador Gonzalez (Mechanical Engineering)
- Third Place – 5L1 Neutral Line Extension by Patrick Barry (Electrical Engineering), Maggie Buckholz (Electrical Engineering/Renewable Energy Engineering), Braden Byrd (Electrical Engineering), Nick Costley (Electrical Engineering), Chris Lupercio (Electrical Engineering), and Cody Stephenson (Electrical Engineering)
- Graduate Project – Emotional Regulation in Early Development by Jomayra Bermúdez Otero (Marriage and Family Therapy)
The winning faculty and staff projects were:
Oral Presentations
- College of Health, Arts, and Sciences – Franny Howes, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair of Communication, with a case study of the rhetoric of professional wrestling
- College of Engineering, Technology, and Management – Stefan Andrei, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair of Computer Systems Engineering Technology, and Ganghee Jang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Computer Systems Engineering Technology, with an investigation of protective covers for solar panels
Poster Presentations
- First Place – David Grossnickle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences, with “Did the extinction of dinosaurs trigger the ecological diversification of mammals?”
- Second Place – Malini Nagasundaram, Visiting Instructor of Management, with “MoodSync: An AI-Powered Mental Health Companion for Mood Detection and Well-Being Enhancement”
IDEAfest 2025 was made possible through the support of Cypress Creek Renewables, Darrel and Diana Samuels, the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce, and the Oregon Tech Foundation. Oregon Tech also thanks the IDEAfest judges—Camden Bocchi, Cec Amuchastegui, Darrel Samuels, George Hines, Jim Hackett, Jon Moritz ’98, Jonathan Teichert, Kelley Minty, Stacy Drury ’02, Taylor Hampton ’23, Randy Cox, and Julie Matthews—for their time and evaluation of this year’s projects.
For more information about IDEAfest, visit www.oit.edu/ideafest.