Conference Session

BME Curriculum Development

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aura Gimm, Duke University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

modules (“NanoLabs”) implemented to guide students through specificaspects of nanotechnology and existing tools. In a final project, students worked in teams toaddress specific design issues surrounding a number of areas including nanomedicine andbiosensors. The course was offered twice with limited enrollments in fall 2007 (12 students) and2008 (11 students). A number of changes were made in response to student comments after thefirst offering and this paper will discuss the course structure during the second offering.Course StructureThe course combined lectures, student-led presentations on journal articles, “Nanolab” modulesand their write-ups or reports, and a major team project that lead to final presentations andreports. The course schedule

Conference Session

The Best of Design in Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Younker; Ann McKenna

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

applying disciplinary knowledge in the process of design. Specifically, ourresearch seeks to explore the role that computational and analytical abilities play in innovation inthe context of engineering design education. We apply the learning framework of adaptiveexpertise to focus our work and guide the research. Using the adaptive expertise framework,with a specific focus on computational/analytical knowledge, we document the type of evidencestudents do (or do not) use when selecting possible design alternatives, appropriate models ormethods of analysis, and when interpreting the results to justify their decisions.We analyzed student design project reports from different academic years, and from differentengineering disciplines. Specifically, our

Conference Session

Gender and Minority Issues in K-12 Engineering

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tirupalavanam Ganesh, Arizona State University; John Thieken, Arizona State University; Monica Elser, Arizona State University; Stephen Krause, Arizona State University; Dale Baker, Arizona State University; Chell Roberts, Arizona State University; Sharon Kurpius-Robinson, Arizona State University; James Middleton, Arizona State University; Jay Golden, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

John Thieken, MEd, is a PhD student in the Mathematics Education concentration in Curriculum and Instruction at Arizona State University. He has a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering and currently works as a high school mathematics teacher in Arizona.Monica Elser, Arizona State University Monica Elser, M.S., M.Ed., is the education manager for ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS). She has expertise in ecology and sustainability education, and administering after-school science clubs. She developed and administers the award-winning Ecology Explorers program and Service at Salado project. At GIOS, she directs the sustainability education programs for the National Science

Conference Session

Robot Mania in Precollegiate Engineering Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Elisabeth McGrath, Stevens Institute of Technology; Susan Lowes, Teachers College, Columbia University; Peiyi Lin, Teachers College, Columbia University; Jason Sayres, Stevens Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

AC 2009-492: ANALYSIS OF MIDDLE- AND HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS’LEARNING OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING CONCEPTSTHROUGH A LEGO UNDERWATER ROBOTICS DESIGN CHALLENGEElisabeth McGrath, Stevens Institute of TechnologySusan Lowes, Teachers College, Columbia UniversityPeiyi Lin, Teachers College, Columbia UniversityJason Sayres, Stevens Institute of Technology Page 14.215.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Analysis of Middle and High School Student Learning of Science, Mathematics and Engineering Concepts Through a LEGO Underwater Robotics Design ChallengeAbstractThe Build IT project is a university-school collaboration to

Conference Session

Curriculum in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology: Part II

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Li Tan, Purdue University, North Central; Jean Jiang, DeVry University, Decatur, GA

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

our teaching methods, which include real-time signalprocessing laboratories using low-cost DSP processors, and hands-on projects. We will alsopresent a course assessment and outcome, which will include how the students apply their gainedDSP knowledge to their capstone senior projects. Finally, we will address the possibleimprovement of the course content and associated laboratories.I. IntroductionDigital signal processing (DSP) technology and its advancements have continuously impactedthe disciplines of electrical, computer, and biomedical engineering technology programs. This isdue to the fact that DSP technology plays a key role in many current applications of electronics,which include digital telephones, cellular phones, digital satellites

Conference Session

Engineering Professional Development for K-12 Teachers

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bruce Gehrig, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Lyndon Abrams, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Deborah Bosley, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; James Conrad, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Stephen Kuyath, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

and counseling.The TECT workshop, a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded proof-of-concept project,incorporates the well-established STEM model of hands-on problem-based learning to improvestudent learning and comprehension. To reinforce this approach, the TECT workshop makes useof existing engineering related student summer camps to conduct concurrent teacher andcounselor in-service education and promote best practices that reach across the diversity ofstudent learning styles and interests. In the TECT workshops, the teachers and counselorsinteract with students in the summer camps, learn new engineering and pedagogical content, andparticipate in teaching selected summer camp activities.To date, three TECT workshops have been held that

Conference Session

Frontiers in Engineering Economy

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Lundquist, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Economy

investment by small businesses.Taxation of Corporate IncomeIn order to do economic analysis of a project using after-tax cash flows one must firstdetermine the before-tax cash flows and the amount of tax paid each year. This caninclude both State and Federal Taxes on income of the corporation. The use of tax tablesis relatively straightforward; it is finding the portion of income that is taxable in any yearthat makes this a complex subject. While it might seem that the calculation should beginwith the before-tax cash flow, not all of that amount, on either the revenue or expenditureside, is treated the same way for tax purposes. Cash flows resulting from the purchase orsale of capital assets must be excluded from the before-tax cash flows to find

Conference Session

Experiments in Remote-access Laboratories

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bill Diong, Texas Christian University; Jamie Smith, Lockheed-Martin Aeronautics; Edward Kolesar, Texas Christian University; Rene Cote, Texas Christian University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

AC 2009-1053: REMOTE EXPERIMENTATION WITH MEMS DEVICESBill Diong, Texas Christian UniversityJamie Smith, Lockheed-Martin AeronauticsEdward Kolesar, Texas Christian UniversityRene Cote, Texas Christian University Page 14.1019.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Remote Experimentation with MEMS DevicesI. IntroductionA project was recently initiated with the main goal of enabling those students enrolling in ourDepartment’s undergraduate Materials Science course – a required course – to conduct aparticular experiment via the Internet on a Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) device thatis located in an on-campus research laboratory. Broader and longer

Conference Session

Engineering Collaboration: Faculty and Student Involvement in K-12 Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robin Autenrieth, Texas A&M University; Karen Butler-Purry, Texas A&M University; Cheryl Page, Texas A&M University; L. Diane Hurtado, Texas A&M University; Jennifer Welch, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

used to continuously improvethe program experience and impact. It should be noted that this is not a research project, and assuch, there are neither research questions nor a research design. However, the E3 program hasgoals and anticipated outcomes, and has used qualitative questions to measure these outcomes.The program has become more refined and impact is being felt through the state. Teachers arerecruited from targeted schools, but the application is open to all teachers. Selection is rigorousand competition for available positions has intensified. Selected secondary (grade 8-12) science,technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers work in teams of 2 with engineering facultyin his/her laboratory during a 4-week summer residential

Conference Session

Aerospace Workspace: Current and Future 2

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michele Dischino, Central Connecticut State University; Nidal Al-Masoud, Central Connecticut State University; Peter Baumann, Central Connecticut State University; Zdzislaw Kremens, Central Connecticut State University; Viatcheslav Naoumov, Central Connecticut State University

Tagged Divisions

Aerospace

tendon injuries through engineering. As a graduate student, Dr. Dischino became heavily involved in educational outreach work with inner-city public school students in Philadelphia. It was through this work that she realized her passion for teaching technology and engineering concepts at all levels and encouraging students to achieve their full potential in these fields. She is currently a member of the American Society of Engineering Education, the International Technology Education Association and the Association for Science Teacher Education, as well as a Champion Board Member of the Connecticut branch of the National Girls Collaborative Project and Board Member of the CT Pre

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Chappell, University of Alabama; Keith Woodbury, University of Alabama; Robert Taylor, University of Alabama

AC 2009-2297: EXCEL IN ME: PACKAGING ADD-INS AND PROVIDINGON-LINE HELPJoseph Chappell, University of AlabamaKeith Woodbury, University of AlabamaRobert Taylor, University of Alabama Page 14.601.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Excel in ME: Packaging Add-ins and Providing Online HelpAbstractMicrosoft Excel is a ubiquitous software tool that provides an excellent electronic format forengineering computation and organization of information. This paper reports on the second yearof an NSF CCLI Phase I project to implement a sequence of Excel modules for use in theThermal Mechanical Engineering Curriculum.Several modules were developed in the first year of

Conference Session

Global Engineering Education: Intercultural Awareness and International Experience

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Aparajita Mazumder, Formerly Director of International Relations

Tagged Divisions

International

degree programs,global simulation projects, international internships and team projects, study abroad and globalcourses provide valuable information on different educational models currently in place ininstitutions.International leadership whether it be in academia, industry or government calls for motivationof a workforce coming from diverse academic, linguistic and cultural backgrounds. “Making of aglobal engineer,” is a valuable tool for the global technical enterprise. It explores the twinquestions of “why?” cross-cultural education is vital for the global engineer and shows “how?”to attain this education through an educational process. It tries to provide a direction to follow.IntroductionThe interfacing of culture and technology

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Pramod Rajan, Auburn University; P.K. Raju, Auburn University; Chetan Sankar, Auburn University

AC 2009-960: EDUCATING ENGINEERS ON GLOBAL ISSUES THROUGHU.S.-INDIA RESEARCH EXPERIENCE PROGRAM CASE STUDIESPramod Rajan, Auburn UniversityP.K. Raju, Auburn UniversityChetan Sankar, Auburn University Page 14.508.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Educating Engineers on Global Issues through US- India Research Experience Program Case StudiesAbstractEngineering students can understand global issues better in their curriculum ifthey are able to see examples of real-world issues happening in the industry. Thispaper describes the experiences in conducting a collaborative non-destructiveevaluation (NDE) project between students and faculty members of

Conference Session

Distance and Web-Based Learning in ET: Remote and Virtual Laboratories

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ismail Fidan, Tennessee Tech University; Faruk Yildiz, Sam Houston State University; Emre Bahadir, Murray State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology of Murray State University. His teaching and research interests are in the field of design and manufacturing. Page 14.1020.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 Remote Laboratory CollaborationAbstractThis current NSF DUE Project titled --The development of a Remotely Accessible RapidPrototyping Laboratory-- is promoting an awareness of rapid prototyping technology through thedevelopment of a remotely accessible rapid prototyping laboratory. This project is: (a)introducing cutting-edge rapid prototyping technology to four-year engineering

Conference Session

Recruitment and Retention in Engineering Technology Programs

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Donald Richter, Eastern Washington University; William Loendorf, Eastern Washington University; Jason Durfee, Eastern Washington University; Terence Geyer, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2009-969: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FORMAL RESEARCH STUDY ONCORRELATING STUDENT ATTENDANCE WITH STUDENT SUCCESSDonald Richter, Eastern Washington University DONALD C. RICHTER obtained his B. Sc. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from The Ohio State University, M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Arkansas. He holds a Professional Engineer license and worked as an Engineer and Engineering Manger in industry for 20 years before teaching. His interests include project management, robotics /automation ,parametric modeling and rapid prototyping.William Loendorf, Eastern Washington University William R. Loendorf is currently an Associate Professor of Engineering & Design at

Conference Session

Integrating Design into the BME Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Blair Rowley, Wright State University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

communication and final designdocumentation. There are numerous instruments involved with each step toassure that the final design has been optimized, meets the client’s needs, and iswell documented. At the end of the first quarter small teams are formed and aproject is assigned to each team. These projects are all different and by the end ofthe third quarter a product is produced.During the first quarter the class also forms teams of four or more and each teamundertakes the same design project. They then use the methods being taught ontheir design. It has been observed that while the students learned the principles,they were frustrated with the experience. Usually one or two on a team wouldtake the lead and the others coasted. A major problem was

Conference Session

Novel Measurement Experiments

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amit Nimunkar, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Silas Bernardoni, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Tyler Lark, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Andrew Watchorn, National Instruments; John Webster, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

Industry–Student Partnerships in Development and Sharing of Educational Content Involving LabVIEWAbstractThe biomedical engineering (BME) students at our university often need hardware and softwarefor data acquisition, automation and data analysis for their instrumentation laboratory classes andopen-ended design projects every semester. We have teamed with the Education Division atNational Instruments to form a collaborative partnership for the necessary resources and to createteaching material to facilitate students with their design projects. National Instruments havedonated NI ELVIS system instrumentation equipment during the 2007–2008 academic year aswell as continuous support to help students with their learning objectives

Conference Session

First-Year Advising and Transition

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maria Sanchez, California State University, Fresno; Ira Sorensen, California State University, Fresno; Walter Mizuno, California State University, Fresno; Satya Mahanty, California State University, Fresno

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

Deviation 2008 Participants Deviation Participants The type of project was 4.4 0.9 4.4 0.9 appropriate for the class Level of difficulty was 4.1 0.9 3.8 1.1 appropriate for the class Amount of given time was 3.9 1.2 3.5 1.1 adequate Project encouraged to 3.6 1.1 3.9 1.0 continue as ME major Percentage of the grade corresponds to work put 3.6 1.2 3.5 1.1 into it Project

Conference Session

Best Practices in IE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alister McLeod, Purdue University; April Savoy, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Industrial Engineering

Presentation demonstrates the different delivery styles used in the course topresent information pertaining to lean manufacturing principles. In IT 214, a variety of deliverystyles are used such as lecture, lab, plant tours, and case studies. The variety helps to keep theinteraction between the instructor and learners interesting. Problem Solving explains how thelearners engage the phase of learning that requires an application of the skills learned. In thisphase, teamwork is used to solve lab-based problems, which usually involve software forproblem resolution. In addition, students partake in independent study, which provides studentsthe experience of role assignment and research. Lastly, the Evaluation component containsexams and a final project

Conference Session

Design Communications

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Keelin Leahy, University of Limerick; William Gaughran, University of Limerick

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

Dr Bill Gaughran is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Manufacturing and Operations Engineering at the University of Limerick. He leads a number of research groups, including one in sustainable design and engineering, which includes sustainability strategies for SMEs, waste minimisation in manufacturing, and sustainability in schools and colleges. He is a research partner with the EU INTERREG IIIC/DQE project (Towards a Sustainable Region), and contributes to developing strategies, which inform environmental sustainability policy in EU states. He has developed educational intervention modules for SMEs as well as for engineering and design undergraduates for Interregional EU

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching Physics or Engineering Physics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Franck, California Institute of Technology; Ted Yu, California Institute of Technology; Juan Pedro Ochoa-Ricoux, California Institute of Technology; James Maloney, California Institute of Technology; Angela Capece, California Institute of Technology; Luz Rivas, California Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

underrepresented minority students in science and engineering whohave demonstrated excellent academic records in math and science. This paper describes thescience and engineering course offered by the program including its objectives, teachingphilosophies, and its mentoring process for design and research projects. Assessment isperformed using the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and shows excellent student gains whencompared with other college-level physics courses. Student surveys and feedback on theprogram, the course, and general science and engineering attitudes are also discussed, andrecommendations for future courses are provided.IntroductionPre-college science and engineering programs offer students an opportunity to explore careers inscience and

Conference Session

Teaching Dynamics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Hildebrand, Lake Superior State University; Wael Mokhtar, Grand Valley State University; Steve Bryan, Continental Automotive Systems

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

energyproduction, incorportating energy-related examples throughout fundamental MechanicalEngineering courses, to complement those in the focused technical electives. The idea ofimplementing a pedagogical concept throughout the curriculum, what is referred to asduration here, is documented elsewhere as well; for instance, Mokhtar et.al 3 describe thisprinciple in terms of open-ended student projects, which are implemented right from first-year courses all the way through to graduation. Yim et.al.4, in designing a new program,emphasize exposure to engineering as early as the freshman year, when students areotherwise typically in math and science courses, as a tool to retain students in engineering.The concept of making common use of electives between

Conference Session

Modeling Student Data

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mark Urban-Lurain, Michigan State University; Jon Sticklen, Michigan State University; Daina Briedis, Michigan State University; Neeraj Buch, Michigan State University; Thomas Wolff, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

institution. The project is titled Engaging Early Engineering Students to ExpandNumbers of Degree Recipients (EEES).The major research challenge in this project is to understand the interactions among the variouscomponents of the project. Our engineering curricula are not lock-step, so students may elect toparticipate in various programs and the interactions among the interventions may vary by studentand the choices they make. These challenges make traditional statistical techniques difficult touse.Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is a multivariate procedure that supports hypothesis-testingof causal models in observational studies without the need for random assignment of participantsto treatment and control groups. This paper outlines our project

Conference Session

Laboratory Development in ECE Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Prakash Ranganathan, University of North Dakota; Richard Schultz, University of North Dakota

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

richard.schultz@mail.und.eduAbstract - This paper focuses on a new approach to teach electrical engineeringprinciples and how to promote student learning through different innovative projects thatcan be developed with the use of the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT kit powered by acustomized National Instruments LabView program. Even though, the use of LEGONXT brick has been in practice and prevails in today’s K-12 classrooms, this paper willprimarily focus on how the use of NXT can be expanded to students in colleges anduniversities at freshmen and Sophomore levels using simple DAQ board and prototypeinterface unit. Originally, NXT was intended for use by children at home or in theclassroom, but the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT system has been acquired by tens ofthousands of

Conference Session

Integrating Computer-based Technology in the Civil Engineering Classroom

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chad Caldwell, United States Military Academy; Joseph Hanus, United States Military Academy; Adam Chalmers, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

program initiated the use of a new softwareprogram in several courses. The software is PowerCivil, provided by Bentley Systems Inc.. Thestand-alone program is a comprehensive design solution for site modeling, land development,and planning. It is a multidiscipline tool that provides integrated capabilities for survey,graphical coordinate geometry, digital terrain modeling, site grading and design, street design,water and sewer design, and storm water drainage design. The toolset supports plans preparation, Page 14.775.4plan sheet generation, and volume/material quantity calculation for a wide range of projects,such as commercial and residential

Conference Session

Think Outside the Box! K-12 Engineering Curriculum

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Milo Koretsky, Oregon State University; Debra Gilbuena, Oregon State University; Adam Kirsch, Crescent Valley High School

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

permanently integrate new understanding, particularly associated with math and science, within their cognitive framework. In his eight years as a high school teacher, Mr. Kirsch has often utilized the context of engineering and its focus upon problem solving to engage students in community-based projects. Page 14.539.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009Engaging High School Students in Engineering, Science and Technology using Virtual LaboratoriesAbstractThe Virtual Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Laboratory was originally developed forcapstone projects in experimental design to be

Conference Session

Workplace Concerns, Realities, and Intangibles

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig Gunn, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

, Economic Analysis, Recommendation for Action Tools: EES.Powerpoint ME 391 – Mechanical Engineering Analysis ME 412 – Heat Transfer Reading, thinking, and teamwork Design Project Documentation: Tools: Matlab Formal Report (1 @ 10 pp. + App., Individual) Memo Reports ( X @ 2 - 5 pages App., Individual) Tools: MS Word

Conference Session

Exploring Retention

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian DeJong, Central Michigan University; Kumar Yelamarthi, Central Michigan University

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

. That is, students in EGR120 are not seen again in the engineering programuntil their second year.The ET department lies within the College of Science and Technology, yet EGR120 drawsstudents from around the university who are interested in engineering, technology, or just afun design project. The course is offered both semesters and has no prerequisites, although itrecommends Intermediate Algebra or higher. The syllabus covers introductory material suchas the engineering profession, problem solving, measurement and units, ethics, economics,and basic mechanical and electrical concepts. Traditionally, the course includes one largegroup design project of either a cardboard boat race in the fall semester or a robot King-of-the-Hill competition in

Conference Session

Innovations in ECE Education III

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Buket Barkana, University of Bridgeport; Navarun Gupta, University of Bridgeport; Lawrence Hmurcik, University of Bridgeport

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

AC 2009-687: IMPROVING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF TEACHINGGRADUATE ENGINEERING COURSES BASED ON STUDENTS’ LEARNINGSTYLES AND MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCESBuket Barkana, University of Bridgeport Buket D. Barkana received the B.S. degree from Anatolia University, in 1994, and the M.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees from Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey, in 1997 and 2005, respectively. She is now Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Bridgeport, CT. Dr. Barkana’s current research projects include: voice/audio signal processing, speech disorders, and innovations in engineering education.Navarun Gupta, University of Bridgeport Dr. Navarun Gupta is an Assistant Professor of Electrical

Conference Session

Robots in Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ryan Meuth, Missouri University of Science and Technology; Paul Robinette, Missouri University of Science and Technology; Donald Wunsch, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

AC 2009-162: INTRODUCING ROBOTSRyan Meuth, Missouri University of Science and Technology Ryan Meuth received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Computer Engineering from the University of Missouri –Rolla in 2005 and 2007 respectively. He is currently a Computer Engineering PhD student at Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri – Rolla). He works as a research assistant in the Applied Computational Intelligence Laboratory, contributing to research projects on optimizing the behavior of robot swarms, large scale optimization problems such as computer Go, and high performance computing methods utilizing video game consoles and graphics processing units. His