Our News & Events

Spring 2026 Engineering Technology Annual Awards Ceremony:

April 20th, 2026 in the LSC Orange Ballroom from 4:30-6:00 p.m. 

The Hard Hat Ceremony for Spring 2026 Construction Management graduates will be held on April 23rd at 5:00pm in the Evans Auditorium. Please contact Engineering Technology (engrtech@shsu.edu) with questions or concerns.

SHSU Computer Science student Yagizhan Durak presented his research titled AgriPestDatabase-v1.0: A Structured Insect Dataset for Training Agricultural Large Language Model at the Artificial Super Intelligence Conference and received the Best Track Paper Award for his work.

The research was authored by Yagizhan Bilal Durak, Ahsan Ul Islam, Shahidul Islam, Ashley Morgan-Olvera, Iftekhar Ibne Basith, and Syed Hasib Akhter Faruqui, and focuses on developing a structured insect dataset designed to support the training of agricultural large language models.

This work was conducted through the Stochastic Simulation Lab at Sam Houston State University under the mentorship of Dr. Syed Hasib Akhter Faruqui.

This recognition highlights the impactful research being conducted by our students and faculty in advancing artificial intelligence applications for agriculture. Congratulations to Yagizhan and the entire research team on this outstanding accomplishment!

You can find their research linked here. 

Students Ismail Budak and Yagizhan Durak from the Department of Computer Science at Sam Houston State University have advanced to the final round of the Data Challenge competition hosted by the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) through its Data Analytics and Information Systems Division. After successfully completing the initial phase of the competition, Budak and Durak were selected as one of the top four finalist teams.

Budak and Durak conduct research in the Stochastic Simulation Lab at Sam Houston State University, where they work under the guidance of Syed Hasib Akhter Faruqui, applying data analytics and simulation methods to problems in industrial systems engineering.

The Data Challenge is part of the highly regarded IISE Annual Conference, one of the leading conferences in the field of industrial and systems engineering. The competition challenges student teams to analyze complex datasets and develop data-driven solutions to real-world problems. Final Rankings and awards will be announced during this years annual conference following the finalists' presentations. 

Congratulations from the Department of Engineering Technology!

We are excited to officially announce that Sam Houston State University is now a recognized Student Chapter of the Design-Build Institute of America-Southwest Region (DBIA-SW)! This new DBIA Student Chapter will operate jointly with our Sam Houston Construction Association, strengthening collaboration between student leadership and expanding professional engagement opportunities.

We sincerely thank DBIA Southwest Region for welcoming us as its newest student chapter. This milestone creates incredible opportunities for our students to engage with industry professionals, gain exposure to the design-build delivery method, and develop leadership and networking skills that will serve them throughout their careers.

We look forward to building strong partnerships with industry leaders and empowering the next generation of design-build professionals.

Read the full article here: DBIA-SW Welcomes New Student Chapter

During their visit with the SHSU Engineering Department, Conroe ISD students Blake Lantagne, Evan McCoy, and Elliot Swiney explored real-world engineering by testing lunar regolith–based concrete designed to support future construction on the moon. Their project focused on reducing materials needed from Earth by experimenting with regolith mixtures that incorporated powdered plastic, xanthan gum, and corn starch as fillers. Using our ADMET machine, the students evaluated the maximum load their samples could withstand, discovering that one brick supported more than 5,800 pounds, far exceeding what they were able to test using previous classroom methods. The experience challenged them to refine their construction process, particularly finding the right balance of water to ensure strength and durability, and required collaboration, research, and guidance from professors and mentors. Working with professional-grade equipment gave the students a new perspective on engineering, helping them see themselves as problem-solvers and innovators. Inspired by the hands-on experience, the team plans to continue exploring engineering and encourages other students to pursue their ideas, emphasizing that creativity and persistence are key to success in the field. When asked what advice they would give to other students their age, they responded, “Don’t give up on a project before you have even started. You will find solutions along the way that will keep you going-much like a real engineer. Don’t wait until the “right time’, because the right time may never come if you don’t make it happen.”

Keep up the good work, future engineers!

A special thank you to our lab coordinator, Kevin VonRosenberg, for assisting these students with their testing!