Current Scholars

Fiona Mesfin
Fiona Mesfin is a second-year student from Bethesda, Maryland but was born and raised in Eritrea. She is now pursuing a major in Biomedical Engineering with a possibility of doing a minor in computer science. She hopes to use Engineering to enhance the technology used in the medical field. At GW Fiona is interested in joining George Hacks, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Association (ESSA) and hoping to get more involved this year. Additionally, Fiona is thrilled to study abroad next semester in Sydney the upcoming semester and is thinking to continue her current research internship for the upcoming summer.

Susan Farlow
Susan Farlow is a sophomore from Fishers, IN. They are pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science and plan to focus on cybersecurity. They are also a member and fall 2024 risk management chair of Alpha Omega Epsilon and member and volunteer for Women in Cybersecurity. They are enthusiastic about defensive programming and thoughtful computer architecture.

Elizabeth Krutchen
Elizabeth Krutchen is a second-year student from Southern Indiana. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. At GW, she is an alum of the Women’s Leadership Program and is currently involved in Engineers Without Borders and GW Trails. This academic year, she is a research assistant at the Milken Institute, working on a project concerning environmental occupational health. Elizabeth looks forward to exploring more of D.C. in the fall and then studying abroad in the spring.

Sara Saleh
Sara Saleh is a 2nd year computer science major at George Washington University. She has lived most of her life in Amman, Jordan until she moved to DC for college. She enjoys spending time with family, playing sports, and exploring new places and activities. She is part of GW’s SWE as E-council rep, robotics as VP, and revtech as a sophomore rep all which help her engage in hands-on experiences relevant to computer science and other engineering fields. In addition, she is on the board of the GW international student association at which she helps plan and host exciting events for international students.

Niyati Shah
Niyati Shah is a first year student from New Jersey. She is pursuing a degree in computer science and plans to focus on cyber security. She is also a member of the University Honors Program. Niyati is a part of Women in Cyber Security, Society of Women Engineers, and GW Aviators. She is interested in joining more organizations like Engineers without Borders. During the summer of 2024, Niyati was a Data Analysis Intern with Calvin Klein in Bangalore, India. She is excited to learn more about study abroad, internship, and research opportunities at GW and continue to engage with the DC community.

Yasmein Asfour
Yasmein Asfour is a Junior from Chicago, Illinois pursuing a major in Computer Engineering. She currently leads the avionics team for GW ROCKET, is involved in outreach for IEEE, and serves on the Clark philanthropy committee. Yasmein gained valuable experience through a Python internship at Sitech in the summer of 2023 and further honed her skills during a data analytics and AI internship with Zain Group in the summer of 2024. Recently, Yasmein spent a semester abroad in Ireland, enriching her global perspective and commitment to making a positive impact in her field.

James Ashby
James Ashby is a junior from Fredericksburg, VA. He is pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with a concentration in robotics and is a member of the University Honors Program. At GW, James is a research intern for the ILASMS project, creating machine-learning models to predict UAV flight paths. Recently, James has taken a leadership role as the CAD team-lead for GWU's Design-Build-Fly club. In the future, James is excited to gain experience through internships and to continue his participation in the GW community.

Ilinca Hirtopanu
Ilinca Hirtopanu is a junior from Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Math. At GW, she has a radio show where she live-dj's with her roommate and started a club called RevTech for CS majors. She's planning on going abroad to Australia in the spring. The Clark program allowed her to be a part of several internships, but she's still trying to find somewhere to apply CS to helping the community. She volunteers at Miriam's Kitchen in her free time.

Nathan Janssen
Nathan Janssen is an undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Robotics at George Washington University. Hailing from Newport, Rhode Island, his life by the water inspired a deep-seated passion for marine technology. His recent internship with the Navy's Undersea Warfare Division further fueled his interest in developing underwater equipment. At GWU, Nathan is an active member of the Design Build Fly club and an undergraduate research assistant. Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, he enjoys cooking, working out, playing basketball, and hanging out with friends.

Faris Jiwad
 

Sarah Levine
Sarah Levine is a Junior from Long Island, NY at George Washington University pursuing a BS in mechanical engineering with an aerospace concentration degree with a minor in art. She has joined the AIAA and Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (OSTEM) to better understand others and hopes to design new innovations by combining art and engineering.

Olivia Landriscina
Olivia Landriscina is a Junior from Catonsville, MD, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Last spring she had the opportunity to study abroad in Dublin, Ireland at UCD where she continued her classes and traveled to 7 different countries. At GW, Olivia is an e-board member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and a part of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Over the summer she completed an internship at Northrop Grumman where she worked alongside magnetics and power electronics engineers, and she hopes to return to the same company the following summer.

Sofia Khugaeva
Sofiia Khugaeva is a junior from Moscow, Russia, living in Philly. She is pursuing a degree in Biomedical Engineering. At GW, Sofiia is on the executive board for George Hacks and an active member of GW Boxing Club and the Society of Women Engineers. Sofiia is currently conducting HIV research at Children’s National Hospital under Dr. Rakhmanina and anti-racism research at GW SMHS CORE Health Lab under Dr. Ward. This year, Sofiia is excited to further her involvement in the SEAS community and keep exploring DC

Omar Moharram
Omar Moharram is a junior from Springfield, VA, studying biomedical engineering with a potential minor in electrical engineering. Since this summer, he has been conducting research with Dr. Mark Reeves on the Aerosol Project, investigating ways to mitigate airborne diseases. He is an active board member of the Muslim Student Association and hopes to continue volunteering with the GW/Ron and Joy Paul Kidney Center and Miriam's Kitchen. Omar aims to use internships and research opportunities to enhance the quality and accessibility of healthcare in his community and beyond.

Luca Caruso
Luca Caruso is a senior from Haddonfield, NJ. He is pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering with a minor in mechanical engineering. Luca enjoys undergraduate research and has participated in two summer programs at the University of Louisville and the University of Missouri. His research included designing and fabricating a shark skin surface in a cleanroom and mechanical testing on a temperature-dependent adhesive for wearable medical devices. At GW, Luca plans to get involved with research and likely continue in graduate school. Last fall, Luca studied abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Luca is a member of various clubs and organizations at GW, including club boxing and the professional engineering fraternity Theta Tau. Currently, Luca works as a lab technician in the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design's woodshop. In the past, he has been a learning assistant for the biology department and a peer mentor in SEASSPAN. Luca is excited to bring his research experience and knowledge to the medical device industry after graduation.

Isabella D'ambrosio
Isabella D'Ambrosio is a senior from Downingtown, PA pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. At GW, Isabella is on the leadership team of GW Baja, where students design, build, and compete in a single-seat off-road vehicle. This past summer she interned at SpaceX on the Launch Pad Engineering team in Cape Canaveral, FL. Isabella is excited to continue to take advantage of the opportunities Clark has to offer as she explores full-time opportunities while preparing to graduate in the spring.

Mustafa Farooq
Mustafa Farooq is a Senior from Herndon, VA. He is pursuing a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. In Spring 2023, he was blessed with the opportunity to study abroad at The American University of Sharjah in the UAE and experience the rich culture that surrounds it. During the summer of 2022, he conducted two internships: working as a Technical Analyst Intern at CYDEO and a Neural Networks intern under the guidance of Professor Ahmadi. As for the Summers of 2023 and 2024, he worked at Dell Technologies as an Electrical Engineering Intern debugging a GPU performance error and designing an option module PCB for desktop systems, respectively. Currently he is completing a full time co-op as a NASA Pathways Electrical Engineering intern at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX as a part of the Propulsion and Power Division.

Gillian Fuhrmeister
Gillian Fuhrmeister is a senior from Mount Juliet, TN. She is pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering with a minor in Sustainability and is interested in sustainable design and water resources management. Gillian is an active member of Theta Tau, GW's Professional Engineering Fraternity, where she recently served as the organization's Vice Regent for the 2023-2024 academic year. In the spring of 2023, Gillian had the opportunity to study abroad at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. She has previously interned with Grunley Construction as a field engineer on a historical preservation project in Downtown DC, and with Teradata as an ESG project manager. Most recently, she completed an internship with Clark Water on the Milestone Reservoir and Pump Station project in Loudoun County, VA.

Rashed Hayajneh 
Rashed Hayajneh is a senior from West Hartford, CT. He is studying mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace. Throughout his senior year he is looking forward to his continued involvement with the GW Rocket aeronautics team as well as DBF, being a part of the capstone team. He will also continue expanding on his talents in art and design at the Art and Soul club. Over the 2023 summer, he worked as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Megan Leftwich's lab relating to fluid mechanics. In the fall of 2024, he studied abroad in Sydney, Australia at UNSW. As this is his last year at GWU, Rashed is looking forward to his post graduate opportunities in and outside of DC.

Sylmira Kailey
Sylmira Kailey is a senior from Downingtown, PA, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a Minor in Marketing at The George Washington University. Her main concentration is Human-Computer Interaction. Sylmira currently serves as Vice-Chair of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In the summer of 2024, she served as an Application Development Intern at Vanguard. The prior summer, she was a Course Development Assistant in the Computer Science Department. In addition to her internships, Sylmira works as an Assistant Information Technology Specialist at GW. Sylmira is passionate about blending her technical skills with creative pursuits, as demonstrated by her development of song selector websites that have reached thousands of users. She is excited to further integrate into the GW community and continue exploring the opportunities that Washington, DC has to offer.

Dominic Savarino
Dominic Savarino is a senior from Mechanicsburg, PA. He is pursuing a major in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace engineering and a minor in mathematics. Dominic is currently a researcher in the Intelligent Aerospace Systems Lab and is interested in aircraft autonomy and reinforcement learning. He has previously worked for Space Telescope Science Institute, working on wavelength calibration for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, as well as intern for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. At GW, Dominic works in advising for the Office for Study Abroad and is a member of SEASSPAN and GW Rocket. He studied abroad at UNSW in Sydney, Australia during the spring of 2023.

Emilia Schmidt
Emma Schmidt is a Senior from Austin, TX. She is studying civil engineering with a minor in classical and ancient near eastern studies. She is currently on the board of the Engineers' Council, Alpha Omega Epsilon, and the American Society of Civil Engineers! She loves all the unique experiences and opportunities presented by DC, GW, and the Clark program, and has completed three summer internships and a semester abroad in Dublin with the support of the Clark Scholars Program. In her career, she hopes to help create sustainable cities and is especially passionate about transportation design.