Ottawa, Kansas Senior Wins Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship

The University of Kansas Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi is pleased to honor Seth Polsley as the winner of its 2014 James Blackiston Memorial Graduate Fellowship and the chapter's nominee for a national Phi Kappa Phi.

Seth received a B. S. in Computer Engineering this Spring 2014 semester, graduating with honors and a 3.97 GPA. For his honors research project, under the direction of Dr. James Rowland, he studied the development and application of an inexpensive electromyographic sensor that can be used as a computer interface controller or device control system.

Seth has maximized his undergraduate learning experiences, such as serving as a mentor for other engineering students, lab research assistant, and supplemental instructor. Although Seth gained experience working in industry through summer internships, he has especially enjoyed teaching his peers and found helping other students learn especially rewarding. Seth also has worked with the Brain-Computer Interface Lab on the application of electroencephalography to computer interfaces with Dr. Jon Brumberg.

Seth has received numerous academic awards and scholarships while at KU, including the Eta Kappa Nu Underclassman Achievement for three years. In addition to induction into Phi Kappa Phi, he was selected for membership in Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi, and Phi Theta Kappa honor societies. Last month, his research earned him an award along with the distinction of being an oral presenter at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Seth plans to attend Texas A & M University and work with its Intelligent Systems research group and study artificial intelligence with a focus on building robotic systems that can act intelligently in real-world environments. Seth believes these smart systems will be applicable to many different technologies to improve people’s lives. This is highly personal for Seth because he wants to design power-assisted orthotics and exoskeletal support systems to help individuals like his sister who was paralyzed in a car accident last year.