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Alfred Students Put Their Learning to Work at the State Fair

Posted By Alfred University

Sep 11, 2026 | Engineering General Blogs Pre-College

Brady Wright ’26 arrived at the Great New York State Fair over Labor Day weekend with a project that put his electrical engineering education on display.

Wright, who is set to earn his B.S. in electrical engineering in this fall, was one of seven Alfred University students who traveled to Syracuse Sept. 5-6 to showcase projects at the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York booth.

His demonstration featured a battery assembly device that uses computer vision—an artificial intelligence technique that enables computers to monitor for defects or errors during battery manufacturing.

But one of the most memorable moments came from a conversation the project sparked.

After Wright explained his design to a visitor who works at Honeywell, the visitor expressed interest in helping him pursue employment opportunities with the company. The interaction showed how an academic project can become an opportunity to demonstrate skills, connect with industry professionals and explore what comes next.

Wright’s senior capstone project is directly related to Alfred University’s Battery AI workforce training project. He is advised by Dr. Xingwu Wang, professor of electrical engineering and a co-principal investigator for the project.

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Taking Research Beyond the Lab

Tinashe Mberesi, a senior double majoring in electrical engineering and mathematics, also brought his research to the State Fair.

Mberesi presented a battery intelligence platform he developed during Alfred University’s 2026 undergraduate summer research program under the guidance of Dr. Kun Wang, associate professor of materials science and engineering. The experience gave him an opportunity to take a student-developed battery technology application from summer research to a public audience.

Other Alfred students participating included Cody Orzeszek and Zachary R. Conklin, seniors in mechanical engineering; Ashraful Ally, a sophomore in materials science and engineering; and Dilafruz Chamanova, a sophomore in computer science.

Exploring How Energy Systems Work

Visitors also explored a microgrid simulator presented by Dr. Chandan Kumar, assistant professor of computer science, and Jannatun Naiem, a master’s student in electrical engineering.

Using hardware-in-the-loop technology, the system connects physical equipment with a computer simulation, allowing energy systems to be studied and tested under controlled conditions. The demonstration showed how energy generation, storage and control interact.

Kumar was one of two faculty members who joined the seven Alfred students at the State Fair. He and Dr. Kun Wang led the nine-member team.

Building Skills for What Comes Next

Alfred University’s Battery AI training initiative introduces students to battery testing, data analysis and machine learning, connecting emerging technology with practical needs in the battery and energy storage industry.

The initiative builds on a $160,644 National Science Foundation award announced in 2025 through the NSF Energy Storage Engine’s Generating Regional Opportunities in Workforce (GROW) program.

That work is now expanding. Alfred will participate in a Greater Rochester regional workforce training project led by Rochester Institute of Technology and receive $270,000 for 2026-29. Through the larger Energy Storage Engine Scholars Initiative, students will have opportunities for training, capstone projects and paid internships designed to prepare them for careers in energy storage.

For Alfred students, experiences like the State Fair create opportunities to apply what they are learning, share their work and build connections beyond campus.

And, as Wright discovered, a student project can do more than demonstrate what you know. It can start a conversation—and potentially open a door to what comes next.

Photo: Brady Wright (right), who is set to earn a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering this fall, presents a computer vision battery assembly demonstration to a visitor at Alfred University’s exhibit at the New York State Fair.

(Adapted from the news story published September 9, 2026.)

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