Menekse Adar demonstrates her research in the UTC NeuroTech Lab. Photo by Angela Foster.
In the summer of 2024, Menekse Adar moved to Chattanooga from Türkiye to pursue her graduate studies.
She walked the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga graduation stage on Saturday, May 9, with a master’s degree in engineering management from the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Adar then moved her life to Virginia, where she will soon start a job as a machine learning and artificial intelligence operations engineer.
Amid the excitement—and only a week after commencement—Adar traveled to Arlington, Texas, to present her graduate research at the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) Annual Conference, funded by a competitive grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The project, “Unsupervised EEG-Based Identification of Emotional Engagement States During Canvas Course Interaction,” uses EEG (electroencephalogram) and eye tracking to identify how people interact with the online learning platform.
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Click here to learn more about Menekse Adar’s Canvas research.
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“This award means a lot to me because it supports both my academic journey and my confidence as a student researcher,” Adar said. “It shows that my work is being recognized beyond my university. It also makes it possible for me to attend the IISE annual conference and present my research and connect with people in my field.”
Adar said she was anxious to give a 15-minute presentation to a wide audience.
“It’s going to be a very big conference so I am nervous,” she said before the conference, “but I’m preparing my speech and I’m very excited.”
The IISE Annual Conference is considered one of the most prestigious gatherings in the field of industrial engineering, according to Dr. Serkan Varol, an assistant professor of engineering management and Adar’s faculty advisor.
He said that having a paper accepted at the conference—and receiving support through a competitive NSF travel award—speaks to the quality and novelty of the work Adar produced.
“It also highlights the strong research environment within the Engineering Management department,” Varol said. “Students like Menekse gain valuable hands-on experience by working with real-world data and participating in high-level research activities.”
He said Adar joined the program with no background in the wearable technology used in the research, learning everything from scratch and becoming the first student to work in UTC’s newly established NeuroTech Lab.
“The work we conduct involves real-world applications, which helped her stay focused, motivated and passionate about her research,” Varol said.
Though Adar is moving on from her research, she hopes it will serve as a starting point for the next generation of researchers.
“When I came here, we had the technology, but we didn’t have a foundation,” Adar said. “We didn’t have enough knowledge to even start. In these two years, my professor and I worked on creating that foundation. When I leave, the other students will have these two studies to build on and take to a more advanced level.”
Looking back, she said the experience shaped her in ways that she never expected. Adar arrived in Chattanooga, having never lived outside of Türkiye, and spent her first year adjusting to a new culture before throwing herself fully into her work.
The discipline she developed during that time gave her a deep appreciation for what the research ultimately became.
“I feel like I am being rewarded after all that hard work,” she said. “I’m so happy.”
In her new role, Adar will work on developing secure AI and chatbot tools for use within an aerospace company. The work, she said, will keep her at the forefront of emerging technology and application, a space she’s learned through her research.
Varol said the department is proud of everything Adar has accomplished and is looking forward to seeing what comes next.
“While this is her final semester at UTC and we are sad to see her leave, we are also excited to pursue her career goals and future dreams,” he said.
Menekse Adar graduated from UTC on Saturday, May 9, with a master’s degree in engineering management.
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