Jerry Stamos

Jerry Stamos is a mechatronics engineering major from St. Charles, IL

Hometown: St. Charles, IL

High School: Compass Academy and St. Charles North

Year: Expected graduation: Spring 2028

What scholarships did you receive and why did you receive them? How has the financial support impacted your experience at NIU?
I am an honors ambassador for the 2024-2025 school year. In addition, I received the Melvin J. Ihrke Scholarship and Lee and Lydia Robertson Scholarship from First United Methodist Church in Elgin for my community involvement and academic achievement. I have also received an NIU Merit Scholarship for my 4.0 GPA. This financial support has enabled me to dedicate more time to my academics and extracurriculars, including my officer positions with NIU Robotics Club and Proxima Centauri Alpha.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
Growing up, I wanted to be a game developer. The idea of writing code to make something that brought people joy really appealed to me. As I got older, my interests shifted some and I started to like the idea of a more general software engineering career, before ultimately deciding that while I enjoy programming, I don't want that to be the only thing I do.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
Mechatronics engineering was a natural choice given my interest in robotics. This emerging major (which is only offered at a few select universities around the country) combines programming, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering to enable me to solve unique and interesting problems. I have decided to minor in electrical engineering because it gives me an opportunity to learn more about how systems communicate. I am also considering a minor in biomedical engineering, because I enjoy dealing with human factors and prosthetics interest me.

Have you conducted your own research through Research Rookies, Honors capstones or theses or any other faculty-guided research opportunity?
Yes

Tell us about the research you are doing and why it interests you.
This semester, I have started doing research with the Vespa Mode project at 71 North, which is run by the NIU Office of Innovation. My project is to develop a system for providing more natural and realistic control methods for the virtual reality Vespa simulation being developed. This allows me to build on my existing skills and knowledge of sensors and actuators and provides me with great opportunities to collaborate with people who have diverse skill sets. Last semester, I worked on research as part of Proxima Centauri Alpha, a student-driven organization dedicated to fostering innovation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Our first-ever project, Project Ascension, involved launching a high-altitude weather balloon (HAB) to the edge of space, collecting data and video. This year, we will be developing a new and improved HAB, along with an autonomous drone.

How has conducting research strengthened your education and experience at NIU?
While I am new to the Vespa Mode project, I expect it to be an enjoyable experience that will let me use and develop a variety of relevant skills as I collaborate with several teams to accomplish our various goals. My experiences with Proxima have been highly engaging, and I've found a great sense of community. I am developing my leadership abilities while gaining hands-on engineering, design and integration experience.

How will your research experience help you in the future?
These research experiences will help me gain practical experience in my areas of interest, helping prepare me for a career in engineering and making me stand out to potential employers.

Who at NIU has been important to your success doing research and why?
Many people here at NIU have helped me with truly wonderful opportunities. These include:

• 71 North and Federico Basseti, who have graciously provided Proxima with space, guidance and professional development opportunities, and given me the opportunity to work on Vespa Mode
• The physics department, which provided Proxima with lab access, funding and guidance
• University Honors Program, which has provided me with many opportunities and connections, without which Proxima may have never gotten off the ground, and I wouldn't have had anywhere near the same experience I've had in my first year here at NIU

What advice would you give to an incoming student as it relates to research at NIU?
Find something that interests you. There are many ways to get involved in undergraduate research here, and there's almost certainly something that you'll enjoy. If you're interested in mechatronics, Dr. Peter Lin has a research group open to anyone who wants to contribute, and you have a lot of choice in what that contribution looks like.

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
One thing I hadn't expected when I came to NIU is just how many different ways there are to get involved on campus. There are literally hundreds of student organizations here, so whether you're interested in game development, robotics, philosophy, art or anything else, odds are it exists here. And if it doesn't, that's a great opportunity to find others interested in that thing and start it. That doesn't just benefit you, it benefits the whole campus community!

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
Honors events have been a great way to meet new friends, and I still work and hang out with many of the people I met at those events. Joining clubs that interest you is also a great way to meet people, and you'll often find that they're taking the same classes you are. I know that many of the friendships I have made in my time here will last well beyond the time we all graduate.

Are you involved in any student organizations, mentoring programs or extra-curricular activities? If so, which ones? How have they added to your experience as a Huskie?
I am involved in several extracurriculars here at NIU. In Robotics Club, I have gotten to work on combat robotics, and this year we're expanding into multiple new areas, likely including sumobot (robots autonomously attempt to push each other out of the ring), micromouse (autonomous maze-solving robot competitions) and drones. I am also a member of Huskie Hackers, where we work on coding projects to complete tasks. One of my favorites from last year was a project to use a webcam to allow drawing using your finger. It was a lot of fun working out the math to make it possible. I am the webmaster for NIU Robotics, which means I'm in charge of marketing and outreach, and I also take opportunities to work on other aspects when I see a need (for instance, I'm the de facto head of programming). I am also the vice president for Proxima Centauri Alpha, which means I help coordinate the organization's activities and act as an advisor to our president.

What NIU offices, departments or resources have helped you feel safe, supported and successful? And how?
I am so glad to have gotten involved with 71 North. Between Huskie Hackers, Vespa Mode, Proxima and all of the great events they run, I spend easily a quarter of my time there. Regardless of major, STEM or non-STEM, 71 North is a great department to get in touch with if you're looking for a chance to expand your horizons. There is always something going on, and I've learned a lot there. The Honors Program has also been a great opportunity for me to find out about events I might be interested in, make connections, and excel academically. If it weren't for the honors event listing, I probably never would have known 71 North existed, made many of the friends I have or been able to participate in the Honors Seminar I'm currently taking, which focuses on contributing to open-source software.

What Honors Program opportunities or support have helped you get closer to your academic or career goals so far?
The Honors Program has been a great help in finding where I fit at NIU, in regard to making friends, academics and extracurriculars. Honors Engaged pushes you to be well-rounded while finding ways to explore your areas of interest in depth.

What do you enjoy the most about the Honors Program?
My favorite part of the Honors Program is probably the community. There are so many wonderful people in honors, and events like honors community nights are a great way to meet them.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
One of my favorite professors has been Dr. Xueying Lu, because she really tried to make sure every student understood, despite the complexity of the subject matter. She also has a great sense of humor: "I'm Dr. Xueying Lu, and I hope the hardest part of this class is pronouncing my name."

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
Attending class regularly is really important. When you attend class regularly, you have more opportunities to recognize and fix gaps in your knowledge.

Where is your favorite spot on campus or in the community? Why are you drawn to it?
It's hard to pick a single favorite, but I really like the Science on a Sphere display in Founders Memorial Library. The display is a giant sphere with four projectors that display content on its surface. It's a great place to study or relax because of the seating, and the data and media shown are always really interesting.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
The biggest factor in college fit and success is often community. Try to talk to existing students and get a feel for whether you can see yourself finding people you click with.

Why is a college education important to you?
A college education is a requirement for a career in engineering. NlU is providing me with the skills, knowledge and experience I need to be successful in the real world.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
I use task lists and calendar events to keep track of what I need to do and when. It also helps to be good at staying on task and take advantage of opportunities to get a little work done. Sometimes I find 10 or 15 minutes between things, and that helps keep my workload manageable.

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
There are so many resources that can help you find out about events available on campus, but the ones I use most are the "Weekly Scroll of Things to Know" (a newsletter sent out on Mondays), the Northern Star (our student paper) and keeping an eye out for information around campus, such as bulletin boards, posters and sidewalk chalk.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
One thing I do to recharge is to read books, especially science fiction or fantasy, but I enjoy all genres. The library has an amazing selection. In fact, it's so large that it can make choosing a book difficult! One thing that helps is the "Popular Reading" section, where you can find books recommended by fellow students.

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
I am not currently employed. Most of my hobbies are represented in the extracurriculars I've already written about, but I also have an interest in media. I enjoy photography, recording video and graphic design. I recently got a drone, and I've been enjoying flying it and recording videos from the air.