Toby Ezekwenna of Waldorf presented his groundbreaking research at the 2015 Summer Institute on Flooding in College Station, Texas, in August.

The institute was hosted by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station’s Center for Emergency Informatics.

Ezekwenna’s research uses robots and computers to gather and process information about disaster scenarios.

The technology saves time for responders.

The real-­time information gathering and data analysis allows leaders to make informed decisions about disaster response.

In a disaster situation, Ezekwenna’s research has the potential to save money, time and countless lives.

“Rescue and recovery of people and livestock come first,” Ezekwenna said. “Next the recovery and restoration of property, my research supports that level of effort.”

Ezekwenna, a student at University of Maryland Baltimore County who attended Thomas Stone High School, participated in a collaborative research experience for undergraduates program hosted by the department of computer science and engineering at Texas A&M.

The program is funded by the National Science Foundation through a Computing for Disasters grant.

Ezekwenna was one of 10 students selected from over 300 applicants.

Students came from across the country to explore research and graduate school with Texas A&M faculty.

Ezekwenna worked with Robin Murphy and the Center for Emergency Informatics.

As the director of the center, Murphy works to make information more manageable for responders.

“They are already comfortable with social media, smart phones, and robots,” Murphy said. “The problem is, they are drowning in data. That’s where the Center for Emergency Informatics can help.”

The Summer Institute on Flooding brought together researchers and professionals from 12 government agencies, 15 universities and five companies to discuss flooding disaster response.

The three-­day institute was held at Texas A&M’s Riverside campus.

At the institute, Ezekwenna learned from experts and presented his research to assist with future disasters.

While the students in attendance were there to learn, everyone had something to gain.

“The take-home message for researchers and students was that the emergency response community needs advances in organizing and visualizing data,” Murphy said.