An interdisciplinary team of Boeing Scholars at WSU Everett is taking innovation to new heights with Project AVIA—Artificial Bird Family & Simulated Projectiles Development. Sponsored by Boeing and mentored by Mohammed Kabir and Alan Byar, the project aims to create a standardized artificial bird prototype for testing aircraft resilience against bird strikes.
The team includes students from a range of academic disciplines: James Kaku and Luis Carlos Nariño (Mechanical Engineering), Kendyl Bourland (Communication), Rachel Wong (Business), and Scott Sensiba (Data Analytics). Together, they combined technical expertise, strategic thinking, and storytelling to address a real-world challenge in aviation safety.
In addition to presenting their work through the Boeing Scholars Program, the team advanced their concept at the WSU Business Plan Competition, showcasing how cross-disciplinary collaboration can lead to innovative, industry-ready solutions.
Project AVIA exemplifies the spirit of the Boeing Scholars Program—where students don’t just study the future of aerospace, they help build it.