East Texas A&M Team Named Finalist in U.S. Air Force Software Competition

A team of electrical engineering students from East Texas A&M University has earned national recognition as a top finalist in the prestigious 2025 Software Defined Radio (SDR) University Challenge, hosted by the Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) in partnership with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

The challenge, held April 23–25 in Dayton, Ohio, welcomed 20 university teams from across the nation to compete in developing cutting-edge applications using SDR technology. East Texas A&M's team—composed of Cameron Weston, Brian Palacios, Casey Novelo and Ernesto Mateo—was one of only eight teams selected to present at the Final Showcase, placing them among top-tier institutions such as Rutgers, Brigham Young and the University of Texas at Arlington.

This marks the fourth consecutive year East Texas A&M has been selected as a finalist at the SDR University Challenge, an unmatched accomplishment that underscores the strength of the university's engineering program and faculty mentorship. Dr. Nizar Tayem, associate professor of engineering and advisor for the team, said the students developed a real-time tracking system for unmanned ground vehicles—a technology with potential applications in 5G networks, surveillance, navigation and more.

The WBI competition is designed to foster innovation, attract emerging talent and prepare the next generation of engineers for real-world defense and communication challenges. Students were tasked with designing and prototyping innovative solutions using SDR kits supplied by National Instruments (part of Emerson). Finalist teams presented their projects before a panel of expert judges, with up to $10,000 in prizes awarded. Ultimately, the University of Dayton team claimed the top prize of $5,000.

For more information on the engineering opportunities at East Texas A&M, check out the Department of Engineering and Technology.