2023-02-25: Brian Hanson, Jr. (Computer Science Ph.D. Student Intro!)

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"Hello! Welcome to my introductory blog!"

My name is Brian Hanson, Jr., and I enrolled as a doctoral student at Old Dominion University in the Spring of 2022 as a G-RISE Scholar under the direct co-supervision of Drs. Gymama Slaughter and Sampath Jayarathna.

I am excited to undertake the study of biomedical research using machine learning and data analytics for the enhancement of wearable medical devices! My research interests include blood glucose prediction, machine learning, physiological models, and assistive technology for healthcare.

Summer 2015 Meyerhoff Scholars 27th Cohort Summer Bridge Closing Ceremony

My undergraduate background is interdisciplinary, with exposure primarily to Information Systems but as well Computer Engineering. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), I enrolled as a Meyerhoff Scholar of the 27th cohort in the Fall of 2015 with ambitions of obtaining the highest degree possible in academia, a Doctor of Philosophy. Thankfully in honor of the UMBC Meyerhoff Scholars Program, I established the belief to envision my own path to make obtaining my Ph.D. a reality.

I received my bachelor of science in Information Systems in the Fall of 2021 after strategically switching from Computer Engineering in the Spring of 2019.


I learned that my passion for learning and applying my knowledge to research would thrive more in a discipline where I connect my knowledge & skills to helping human beings better receive assistance through their interaction with technology.


I am a scholar, community leader, and advocate for academia, which led to my induction into the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program at UMBC in the Spring of 2017.



Spring 2017 Induction Ceremony of REM 26th Cohort

 

The UMBC McNair Scholars Program truly defined my development and training toward becoming a scholar.

This program provided graduate school visits, Saturday academic community gatherings, professional/graduate workshops, and more to prepare students like myself for a successful transition into graduate education.

I refined my ability to conduct research, mentor younger students, and ability to demonstrate strong academic potential.


I have completed six diverse internship programs from the Summer of 2016 till the Summer of 2021. Amongst these professional experiences, I have studied intelligent tutoring systems for team tutoring by designing virtuality scenarios, replicated primary research studies of data log analysis via data-mined IDE usage smells,  proposed the development of a wearable temperature sensing system for patients with CIPA, revised glucose biofuel cell fabrication methodology for efficient energy harvesting, and more.

Summer 2016 SPIRE-EIT REU at Iowa State University
Summer 2017 Science of Software REU at North Carolina State University

Summer 2019 Bioelectrics Summer Institute at ODU

Notably, my research from the Summer of 2018 for the temperature sensing system proposal was the catalyst for actualizing my impact on biomedical research with the supervision of Dr. Gymama Slaughter!

I presented this work in its preliminary stages at the McNair Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (SAEOPP) conference in the Summer of 2018, where I won 1st place in the Oral Presentation competition.

Presented preliminary results of Temperature Sensing System Proposal at the 2018 SAEOPP McNair/SSS Scholars Research Conference

Awarded 1st Place Cash Prize in the "Physical Science" division of the 2018 SAEOPP Oral Presentation competition

Recognized with my McNair family after receiving the 1st Place award

Upon completing the 2018 SAEOPP McNair/SSS Scholars Research Conference, I continued working towards finishing this project and enumerated my research findings into a research report to complete my summer internship with UMBC McNair Scholars Summer Research Institute. 

Thankfully, with the support of Dr. Slaughter, my report was accepted as a conference paper submission for the 14th Annual IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered & Molecular Systems (NEMS), where I was nominated as a finalist for their best student paper award (see Page 69).

Acceptance of Nonimee for IEEE 14th International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems (NEMS) Best Student Paper Award in Bangkok, Thailand

Sightseeing after the IEEE NEMS Conference at the Thonburi Pagoda of Wat Arun

I am proud to say that:
"I stand on the shoulders of giants," 
who truly have done so much to help me develop into an academic professional.

I have so much gratitude to my mentors, fellow scholars, parents, and partner for believing in me to support my progression toward building academic success.


My mentor Dr. Slaughter & I, after the G-RISE "G1" Induction Ceremony



My academic success ultimately became realized when my dream of earning my Ph.D. came to fruition by formally being inducted as a member of the 1st cohort for ODU's Graduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (G-RISE) Scholars Program. 

The journey was not swift, but I never gave up on my dream to pursue and acquire my Ph.D., which will be in Computer Science.

Presented preliminary results of my biosensor research at the 2022 CBE Research Retreat  

My NIRDS Lab, after the demo of our research at ODU's Admitted Student Day 


At ODU's Center for Bioelectronics (CBE) (, led by executive director Dr. Slaughter, I work in collaboration with the Department of Computer Science's Neurological Information Retrieval and Data Science (NIRDS) Lab, spearheaded by Dr. Sampath, to usher real-world biomedical applications with the use of intelligent wearable technology by creating methods of robust sensing data analysis leveraging machine learning!


The integration of biomedical engineering with computer science, I believe, will yield promising results to make sensor data actionable and assist practitioners in decision support for predicting the blood glucose levels of diabetic patients before adverse glycemic conditions occur. Currently, I have pivoted towards the study and implementation of machine learning algorithms for blood glucose prediction, where I am learning how to collect, pre-process, and produce accurate computational models.


The NIRDS Lab has been an amazing environment to work and build relationships with colleagues in data science. Check out my tweet below from a live demonstration we did for high school students from Hampton City Schools!

Thank you for taking the time to learn about my legacy until now! I am excited to continue sharing future updates in my research and the progression of my Ph.D. here at ODU!

-- Brian D. Hanson, Jr. 

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