ALERT Research Opportunity Comes Early
Lyda Sallaway, BS, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering 2015—In the summer following her freshman year, Sallaway got a job conducting experiments on backscatter X-ray imaging technology, which is used to perform full-body scans at airports throughout the country.
She secured the position through her role in Northeastern’s Investing in Tomorrow’s Engineering Leaders (ITEL) program, which provides scholarships and mentoring to engineering students.
Subsequently, Sallaway was one of seven students to participate in the Center for Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats (ALERT) Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. ALERT is a multi-university Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence based at Northeastern that focuses on research aimed at eliminating the explosives-related threats facing the country and the world.
In her research role – under the direction of Moore, who is funded by theALERT Center – Sallaway scanned mannequins positioned on a rotating table to develop a deeper understanding of what scanned objects looked like in the backscatter machine.
“I want to work in a field that will let me find solutions that help people out, whether it makes people safer through security work or healthier through cancer research,” Sallaway said.