NDSU College of Engineering

🚨 Are the computer chips inside our devices secretly compromised before they even leave the factory?

Researchers at NDSU have discovered a dangerous new class of hidden "hardware Trojans." These malicious components can silently steal sensitive data—like encryption keys—while completely evading traditional security checks. They are a massive threat to high-stakes tech used in aerospace, automotive, and military systems.

The good news? The team didn’t just find the flaw; they built the shield. 🛡️

Led by faculty member Kushal Ponugoti and grad student Chukwunalu Asuai, the team developed a groundbreaking mathematical verification technique that detects these hidden threats at the design stage with 100% accuracy, stopping bad actors before the chips are ever manufactured.

🔬 Read more about this win for hardware security: https://www.ndsu.edu/news/2026-05-29-ndsu-researchers-discover-hidden-chip-threats-and-way-stop-them

Not even the sky is the limit for Turner Person. 🤘🦬🎉

Person, a senior at NDSU, majoring in mechanical engineering and physics, with a minor in aerospace engineering, is one of 79 students to earn a prestigious Astronaut Scholarship in 2026.

Minnesota native earns prestigious Astronaut Scholar award A senior at North Dakota State University, Turner Person is double majoring in mechanical engineering and physics, with a minor in aerospace engineering.

The NDSU Combat Robotics team recently traveled to the University of Illinois to face off in Robobrawl XI, one of the largest combat robotics competitions in North America! 💥

After months of late nights, intense manufacturing, and brilliant engineering, NDSU entered five student-built robots into the arena. The hard work paid off in a big way, with two robots charging all the way to the quarterfinals!

A huge thank you to faculty advisors Dr. Inbae Jeong and Dr. Majura Selekwa, and Senior Test Engineer Rob Sailer for their invaluable guidance in the machine shop. The team is already planning next year's bots to bring that championship trophy back to Fargo! 🤘🦬🤖

The NDSU Farm Robotics Challenge student team was selected as one of the Top Five Finalists in the International Farm Robotics Challenge!

Their robot, SoilXplorer, is an autonomous soil sampling robot. Guided by GPS-based grid maps from commercial soil sampling software, the robot collects cores and seals each one in a QR-coded bag that embeds location and depth metadata.

Congratulations to the outstanding student team members for their hard work, dedication, and commitment. And thank you to our industry partner, Michael Anderson, and farmer collaborator, Noreen Thomas, for their invaluable support, practical insights, and contributions.

Congratulations to Muhammad Ashfaq, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He received a 2026 NDSU Inspiring Colleague Award from the NDSU Office of Teaching and Learning.

Nominators consistently praised Ashfaq for his humility, inclusivity, kindness, generosity, and respect for all students. One nominator said Ashfaq deserves the award for “his tireless willingness to help, his combination of academic and personal mentorship, and his deep commitment to humanity.” Another nominator wrote, “many of us credit him with helping us avoid early mistakes and gain the confidence to participate fully in our programs.”

The Inspiring Colleague Award is presented annually by the Office of Teaching and Learning to celebrate educational innovation and collegiality.

First-year orientation is an important step in becoming a Bison. During orientation, you will:⠀

• Connect with other incoming students⠀
• Register for your first semester of classes⠀
• Learn about available resources⠀
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Sign up for your orientation date at: ndsu.edu/orientation/firstyear_preregistration
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Congratulations to Ali Amiri, Associate Professor of Practice of Mechanical Engineering, on receiving the 2025-26 Excellence in Mentoring Award.

Established with the NDSU Foundation, the award recognizes faculty who have engaged in exceptional mentoring activities involving undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and others, as reflected in the impact on those they mentor.

Amiri will be honored at the Celebration of Excellence ceremony on Sept. 15.