Fall 2025 UAS Prototyping (Drone) Short Course Wrap-Up

Written By Max Kazemzadeh

The Fall 2025 MIX Unmanned Aerial Systems Prototyping (Drone) Short Course, taught by GMU Robotics PhD candidate Aniket Anand Datar under the guidance of Dr. Xuesu Xiao, concluded with an exciting final showcase of student innovation.

Twenty students, organized into five teams, spent the semester designing real-world applications for drone technology—culminating in final presentations judged by three industry professionals: Warren Brown (Heven Aerotech), Michael Plocinik (Aura Flight Sciences), and Jordan Higgins (MITRE).

Two standout teams rose to the top:

  • Second Place – Team Saro: James Wenthold, Josh Peterson, Fabi Rosales, and Bethanya Mulugeta

  • First Place – Team FAV3: Faywaz Ansari, Alex Abetria, and Hoa Van Nguyen

Congratulations to all participants for their creativity, technical skill, and commitment to pushing the boundaries of unmanned aerial systems at Mason!

Max Kazemzadeh
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