Student presents at Maryland STEM conference
Published on April 24, 2025
NORTH EAST, Md: Steven Carlson, a student majoring in Engineering Science at Cecil College, recently had the opportunity to present his work at the 10th Annual Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference, held at Baltimore City Community College on April 12, 2025. The event featured student presentations from universities and community colleges across the state. It served as a platform for students to share their projects, receive feedback, and engage in meaningful conversations with peers and professionals in the STEM field.
Carlson’s presentation was part of a poster session during the lunch break adjacent to the dining area—a prime spot for engagement and discussion. His project, developed in collaboration with Associate Professor of Engineering John Murphy, focuses on introducing first-year students to Linux and scientific modeling through a hands-on laboratory series. The project is intended for the Introduction to Engineering course and includes four one-hour labs designed to help students understand the Linux operating system, the use of terminal commands, and basic programming skills.
The labs are centered around compiling and running simulations using Geant4, a powerful radiation modeling software developed by CERN. Students start with simple simulations, such as observing the interaction between gamma rays and tissue, and progress to more complex tasks like modeling a PET (positron emission tomography) scanner. This scanner uses positron-emitting isotopes that interact with electrons to produce gamma rays, which are then detected by specialized equipment. The final simulation allows students to visualize these interactions and understand their relevance in medical diagnostics, particularly in cancer research, according to Professor Murphy.
Professor Murphy emphasized the importance of giving students real-world applications for the concepts they learn in class. “It’s nice that students get a little bit of real-world application because I think nuclear stuff tends to sound far away or not relevant,” he explained. The overarching goal of the project is to expose students to open-source tools like Linux and Geant4, enabling them to develop coding and problem-solving skills in a practical context.
Carlson, who graduated from Avon Grove High School in Pennsylvania and is completing his degree at Cecil College this fall, spent a significant portion of the semester learning these complex applications. His commitment and effort were evident in his ability to explain in detail the software applications during the conference. Many attendees expressed particular interest in the Linux component of his work, recognizing the growing relevance of open-source software and technical literacy in the field.
Professor Murphy hopes that Steven will continue to build on this experience, potentially contributing to a scholarly publication based on the project. “He’s getting to the point where we can do some beta voltaic modeling and see if we can write a paper,” Murphy said, noting the technical demands of the tools involved.
Professor Murphy would also like to publish the lab series so that others can follow along and learn independently. The first lab, for instance, provides step-by-step instructions for installing Linux in a virtual machine and compiling the Geant4 software.
To make the labs more accessible, Professor Murphy proposed creating a GitHub repository specifically for the Cecil College Engineering Department. This would provide a platform for hosting instructional materials and virtual images and allow Carlson to showcase his contributions publicly. As Professor Murphy pointed out, having a GitHub account and a portfolio of work is increasingly important in today’s job market. “My goal is to get the information out there and help Steven be able to get recognition for it,” he said.
Steven’s experience at the Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference marks a significant step in his academic and professional journey. It offered him both exposure and encouragement to pursue further work in engineering education and research.
Learn more about Engineering programs at Cecil College by visiting cecil.edu/engineering.