Conference Session

Industrial Technology/Industrial Engineering Technology Forum

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Stier, Illinois State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

-established disciplines, but others are not. Quite often courses thatare not reflective of well-established disciplines are considered essential for the engineeringmanagement programs. Thompson8 argues that supply chain management falls into that categoryof courses.There is widespread agreement on the part of universities and schools that supply chainmanagement coursework is needed in engineering and technology programs. It is also needed inorganizations to help insure their success. What is not clear is what a supply chain course, orprogram, should include. In the meantime universities are responding to business needs andstudent interest in what is thought to be a field of growing importance and student numbers.Today several Masters Degrees in

Conference Session

Learning to Communicate with Engineers and Non-Engineers

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mieke Schuurman, Pennsylvania State University; Michael Alley, Pennsylvania State University; Melissa Marshall, Pennsylvania State University; Christopher Johnstone, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

AC 2008-270: THE EFFECT OF A TARGETED SPEECH COMMUNICATIONCOURSE ON THE PUBLIC SPEAKING SELF-EFFICACY OF ENGINEERINGUNDERGRADUATESMieke Schuurman, Pennsylvania State University Mieke Schuurman is an engineering education research associate with the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. She received her Masters and PhD in Social & Organizational Psychology from the University of Groningen (The Netherlands). Her work focuses on the enhancement of engineering education. She is a member of ASEE and WEPAN, and actively involved in ASEE's Cooperative Education Division as their Research Chair. She has presented

Conference Session

The Best of Design in Engineering Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Zemke, Gonzaga University; Diane Zemke, Gonzaga University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

rules to optimize their designs. In contrast to Session 8 and 11 where optimization meant finding “the best” solution by a numeric value, the rules allowed the students to find a “better” design out of a field of competing good designs.Assessment criteria are a natural part of problem solving. Not only do they allow students toidentify a good solution, but they also provide a means for the students to explain why thesolution is good. This basic level of understanding is necessary for learning that is more thansuperficial.The accessibility of the assessment criteria is also important. The students must be able to applythe criteria to shape their solution. In each of the high-engagement sessions the criteria wereeasily mastered by the

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stacy Gleixner, San Jose State University; Elliot Douglas, University of Florida; Olivia Graeve, University of Nevada-Reno

inconstruction time and cost. Materials engineers are researching ways to improve the cost,strength-to-weight ratio, and long term reliability of FRP composites used in civilinfrastructures.14 In order to successfully understand FRP applications, students must master thefundamentals of both polymers and composites including the structure, processing, andmechanical properties of these materials. Details of this module, including class by classlearning objectives have been published previously.11Microelectronics Module: Emerging Devices for Non-volatile MemoryStudents explore emerging devices for non-volatile memory storage in the microelectronicsmodule. Traditional non-volatile memory including magnetic hard drives, floppy discs, and Zipdiscs are not

Conference Session

Teams and Teamwork in Design II / Design for Special Services

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Conry, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Design in Engineering Education

and the ways in which each fosters accomplishment of the learningobjectives that are articulated in concert with the process-oriented aspects of the tacticsassociated with the pedagogical framework. To ensure that our curriculum provides acomprehensive treatment of the topics and skills an emerging software engineer should master,the department has adopted a set of core learning objectives for each required course in theprogram of study. The core learning objectives for the software engineering culminating designexperience are:1. Students will participate in the process of carrying a significant software development effort from a conceptual idea through integration and testing of the complete product.2. Students will be thoroughly familiar

Conference Session

Project-Based Education in Energy Conversion

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Margaret Bailey, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Energy Conversion and Conservation

4, the course includes a unique project which strengthens the student’s overallexperience within Advanced Thermodynamics. This project involves creating a team-basedpresentation based on topics learned in the thermodynamics course sequence. The presentationmust be suitable for a non-technical target audience and is the focus of later sections within thispaper.After successfully completing Advanced Thermodynamics, students can choose to continue thestudy of classical thermodynamics by selecting a capstone design experience which incorporatesadvanced thermodynamics principles as discussed in George et al, 2006 [3]. A select group ofstudents also conduct thermodynamic related research in their pursuit of a Masters of Sciencedegree [4, 5, and 6

Conference Session

Innovations in Teaching and Learning

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Collura, University of New Haven; Samuel Daniels, University of New Haven; Jean Nocito-Gobel, University of New Haven; W. David Harding, University of New Haven

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

often leads to the “I’m Clueless”syndrome. The slow pace of the typical sophomore-level course is set by need to developstudent problem-solving skills and to overcoming these roadblocks, not by the difficulty of thematerial. Thus students who enter an introductory disciplinary course having well-developedproblem-solving skills are able to master the content at a faster pace. For example, whenstudents at an upper-level in one discipline take introductory courses in another discipline, theyoften are able to do very well.The first semester of the sophomore year includes EAS211, Introduction to Modeling ofEngineering Systems and EAS213, Materials in Engineering Systems. EAS211 is designed todevelop students’ problem-solving skills by introducing

Conference Session

Introducing Active and Inductive Learning and Improving the Learning Curve in ME

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Olga Pierrakos, Virginia Tech; John Charonko, Virginia Tech; Alicia Williams, Virginia Tech; Satyaprakash Karri, Virginia Tech; Kelley Stewart, Virginia Tech; Pavlos Vlachos, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

interests are in bio-fluid mechanics, turbulence, FEA, CFD and composite structures.Kelley Stewart, Virginia Tech Kelley Stewart is currently pursuing her Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her current research interests include left ventricle vortex dynamics under diseased conditions, arterial flows, and engineering education.Pavlos Vlachos, Virginia Tech Dr Vlachos is assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Dept at Virginia Tech. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (1995) and his MS (1998) and PhD (2000) in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech. His research focuses on experimental

Conference Session

Educational Software

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anthony Rynne, University of Limerick; William Gaughran, University of Limerick

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

coaching. He serves on a number of national curriculum course committees and has been instrumental in launching a several technology education high school programs. He holds a PhD in Design and Ergonomics from Brunel University, and has a Masters by research in spatial visualisation development strategies. Page 12.366.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 Cognitive modelling strategies for optimum design intent in Parametric Modelling (PM)AbstractIt is generally agreed that despite today's computers and CAD software having becomeextremely powerful, they are of

Conference Session

TC2K Methods and Models

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gregory Watkins, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Nan Byars, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Deborah Sharer, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

AC 2007-2151: ASSESSMENT METHODS FOR A MECHANICAL ENGINEERINGTECHNOLOGY PROGRAMGregory Watkins, University of North Carolina-Charlotte Gregory Watkins received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University, a Master of Engineering Management from Old Dominion University, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UNC Charlotte. He has taught in the Engineering Technology department at UNC Charlotte for the past 4.5 years. He taught in the Engineering Technologies Division at Central Piedmont Community College for 8 years and has 9 years of industrial work experience.Nan Byars, University of North Carolina-Charlotte Nan Byars received a BS in Mechanical Engineering

Conference Session

Engineering Ethics and Global Issues

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Hoernecke, Iowa State University; Thad Gillispie, Iowa State University; Benjamin Anderson, Iowa State University; Thomas Daniels, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Ethics

learning and the only way to master the skills involved in cyberwarfare is to have hands-on experience. If an organization wishes to stay equal to, or one step ahead of an adversary, proficiency in the art of defensive and offensive cyberwarfare is required.”13Davey and Armstrong go on to compare computer security to any other disaster prevention orrecovery field. They claim that IW attacks should be treated as emergency situation. Because ofthis, they stress that the defense team must be well trained in scenarios involving both attack anddefense tactics.Another institution that teaches both sides of the IA war is the United States Military Academy atWest Point. There, two separate course paths are offered—one for computer

Conference Session

Writing and Communication I: Innovative Models for Curriculum and Assessment

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Marie Paretti, Virginia Tech; Lisa McNair, Virginia Tech; Diana George, Virginia Tech; kelly belanger, Virginia Tech; Lisa Norris, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

classroom is student learning anddevelopment. The desired outcome of an engineering design project in the workplace, in contrast,is a product or process the supports the company’s overall profitability and mission. Thus Page 12.1135.3teachers read student writing not because they need to act on the information a given reportincludes, but because they need to determine whether or not the student has mastered the contentand skills the course attempts to teach. In the workplace, managers, clients, and coworkers readreports or listen to presentations to extract information they need in order to perform their jobs.Data from a workplace test becomes the

Conference Session

Teaching Methods for the 21st Century: Part 1

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Richard Savage, California Polytechnic State University; Linda Vanasupa, California Polytechnic State University; Jonathan Stolk, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Materials

clarity, we view problem-based learning as pertaining to the development ofknowledge based on the fundamental principles of science and mathematics and project-basedlearning to include mastering the engineering skills required to implement a design solution.A key result of all of the PBL activities is to enable students to develop self-directed learningcapabilities. After all, the purpose of education is not to transmit “what to know” but to challengestudents to develop the skills of inquiry or “how to learn.” According to Malcolm Knowles12SDL is a process “in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, indiagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material

Conference Session

New trends in ECE education

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Agnieszka Miguel, Seattle University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

;however, with some effort from the instructor, the course can be structured to provide therequired background. Alternatively, the instructor may choose to evaluate the generalknowledge that the students have mastered by the time they are ready to take the imageprocessing class and structure the course around that knowledge. This enables theundergraduate students to sample the world of engineering applications early on andhopefully excites them to pursue this topic in the future. The author has always been anadvocate for bringing more real world applications into the early years of electricalengineering education to motivate students and increase the retention. Making imageprocessing accessible and appealing to a wide range of students fits well

Conference Session

Integrating Research Into Undergraduate ECE Education

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jan Allebach, Purdue University; Edward Coyle, Purdue University; Joy Krueger, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

) advise the team’s PhD students on their research related to the project’s goals; and (iii) work with the team’s graduate students to supervise undergraduate team members as they develop applications and experiments that utilize or test the team’s research results.‚ The PhD students (1 to 3): (i) pursue fundamental research related to the faculty member’s field of research; and (ii) mentor the Masters students and undergraduates that are assisting with this research.‚ Master’s students (1 to 4): (i) assist the faculty members and the PhD students with their research; and (ii) serve as mentors to the undergraduate students as they explore and develop new applications based on the technology focus of the team.‚ Undergraduates (8 to 15): Earn

Conference Session

What's New in Dynamics?

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Phillip Cornwell, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

all branches of mathematics, the great French mathematician Laplace(known for the Laplace transform) told his students, "Liesez Euler, Liesez Euler, c'est notremaître à tous" ("Read Euler, read Euler, he is our master in everything."12 Euler also had 13children (although only five of them lived to adulthood) and he claimed that some of his greatestdiscoveries were made while holding a baby in his arms with his other children playing aroundhis feet. Based on everything the author read in studying Euler, in addition to being brilliant andextremely hard working, Euler was a gracious and unselfish person, a loving father, a teacher,and a man of deep faith and conviction.Jean Le Rond d’Alembert (1717-1783)D’Alembert was a French mathematician

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joachim Walther, University of Queensland; David Radcliffe, University of Queensland

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

numerousbehavioral elements which have to be mastered by the learner16, 17.The omission of internal states in the behaviorist conception was the main source ofcriticism18 from cognitivist scientists. In response this antagonistic movement developedinternal computer-like models of cognition19 as information processing. Within thisframework of cognitive architectures, learning is understood as the acquisition of fine-tunedroutines20. This concept of expertise solely focuses on cognitive processes and its applicationis mainly limited to the investigation of more complex mental tasks. Occurrences in Bloom’saffective domain, however, remain largely unconsidered.Between those diametrically opposed theories practical disciplines, such as human resourcemanagement

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Jacobson, Iowa State University

offered in thesummer of 2004 and was modified based on feedback and was offered again in 2005.The Computer Security Summer Camp is synergistic with existing instructional activities at IowaState University and fits well into our long history of community outreach. Iowa StateUniversity has been teaching computer security courses since 1995. Iowa State University has arobust program in computer security and offers two graduate degrees in information assurance.A masters of Science in Information Assurance and a 4 course graduate certificate in InformationAssurance. While we do not offer a BS degree in computer security students interested incomputer security can take our graduate courses. In our core graduate class about 30 percent ofthe students

Conference Session

New trends in ECE education

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Jacobson, Iowa State University; Nate Evans, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Electrical and Computer

experts. The first competition was held in thespring of 2005 and in the fall of 2005 the second competition was held. The spring of 2006 aregional competition will be held and student teams from other universities will be invited toparticipate. The competition consists of 12 teams of 3-4 students each. This paper discusses theplanning and operation of the competition and the network environment used to ensure theattackers and students were isolated from the real internet. Feedback from the attackers and thestudents are presented along with lessons learned.IntroductionIowa State University has a robust program in computer security and offers a masters degree ininformation assurance. The university offered its first security course in 1995 and

Conference Session

Innovative Classroom Techniques

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Lee, University of South Florida; Mernet Larson, University of South Florida; Jack Heller, University of South Florida; Douglas Lunsford, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

learning, particularly at an early age19 (Montessori,2002). Such an approach is consistent with Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences thatargues that there are many forms of intelligences that can be mastered by an individual. Itshould be noted that a passive visual-based presentation does not address “multipleintelligences” to the extent that hands-on multisensory active approaches accomplish 20.RecommendationsThe educational experience should incorporate student “reality” experiences as much as possible.Students should see, hear, touch, etc. the actual objects that are the focus of their chosendiscipline. Minimization or complete absence of hands on activities or direct multisensoryexperiences can be very problematic. Reality exposures will

Conference Session

Intersdisciplinary Courses and Environmental Undergraduate Research

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Helene Hilger, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Francis De Los Reyes, North Carolina State University; Warren DiBiase, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Len Holmes, University of North Carolina - Pembroke; Stephanie Luster-Teasley, North Carolina A&T State University; Siva Mandjiny, University of North Carolina - Pembroke; Todd Steck, University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Keith Schimmel, North Carolina A&T State University; Chuang Wang, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

Professor of Educational Research at the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. Dr. Wang teaches educational research and statistics courses. Dr. Wang received a master of applied statistics degree and a PhD degree in educational research from The Ohio State University. Page 12.1083.2© American Society for Engineering Education, 2007 MULTI-CAMPUS DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROBLEM-BASED-LEARNING COURSES IN ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY WITH INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNINGIntroductionThe project described here began with a civil engineering and biology laboratory

Conference Session

Capstone Design and Entrepreneurship

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Ochs, Lehigh University; Gerard Lennon, Lehigh University; Todd Watkins, Lehigh University; Graham Mitchell, Lehigh University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

start up grants to develop their ideas into commercial ventures. Thesewinners will work within the various undergraduate programs to develop their workingprototypes and business plans as an integral part of their capstone courses or as part oftechnical electives in directed study or senior thesis.Entrepreneurship teaching – graduate: Historically, entrepreneurship education atLehigh has focused on the graduate MBA program in the College of Business andEconomics. This program has recently implemented an entrepreneurial track led by anexperienced and successful entrepreneur. The graduate MBA has been augmented by acombined MBA and Engineering Masters program, where students earn dual degrees inbusiness and engineering. Also at the graduate level

Conference Session

Knowing Our Students III

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Guili Zhang, University of Florida; YoungKyoung Min, University of Florida; Matthew Ohland, Clemson University; Timothy Anderson, University of Florida

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

2006-1336: THE ROLE OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ENGINEERINGATTRITIONGuili Zhang, University of Florida Guili Zhang is research assistant professor in College of Engineering, University of Florida. She received a Ph.D. in Research and Evaluation Methodology at the University of Florida. She also received a B.A. in British and American Language and Literature at Shandong University, China, and a Master of Education degree at Georgia Southern University. Previously, she served as a staff development specialist and researcher at Jinan District Education Commission, China, and took part in the writing and revision of the National Unified Text Books and Teacher’s Reference Books. She

Conference Session

Effective & Efficient Teaching Skills

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Hamilton, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

A. Nevin. 1994, Brookes Press: Baltimore.4. Felder, R.M., A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention. IV. Instructional Methods and Student Responses to Them. Journal of Engineering Education, 1995. 84(4): p. 361-367.5. Matthews, R.S., et al., Building Bridges Between Cooperative And Collaborative Learning. Cooperative Learning and College Teaching Newsletter, 1996. 6(1): p. 2-5.6. Wankat, P.C. and F.S. Oreovicz, Teaching Engineering. 1993, New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. 370.7. Ngeow, K., Enhancing Student Thinking through Collaborative Learning. ERIC Digest, 1998.8. Lowman, J., Mastering the Techniques of Teaching. 2nd ed. 1995, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 344.9

Conference Session

Technical Issues in Architectural Engineering I

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jeanne Homer, Oklahoma State University

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

CIVE 5183 MASTERS PROGRAM Page 11.1252.6 This is not an offi cial Degree Requirement Sheet. See separate flow sheet obtainable from

Conference Session

Tricks of the Trade in Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter Schuster, California Polytechnic State University; Charles Birdsong, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

New Engineering Educators

and removed asneeded. It can be used as a mass storage site for data that must be shared across a large andchanging team. If students store all data on the Blackboard site as the master source ofinformation then the site begins to grow and becomes a rich resource of information. Thiseliminates the possibility of data being lost when a student leaves the project and fails to pass offnotebooks or binders. Blackboard is also normally maintained in a secure environment withregular backups so that there is little chance of data being lost even in the event of a catastrophesuch as a lab fire. With remote internet access data can be posted to Blackboard from any lab,university, co-op company, or student’s home. This easy access promotes the habit of

Conference Session

Opportunities for Entrepreneurship Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heidi Neck, Babson College; John Bourne, Olin College; Stephen Schiffman, Olin College

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

. W., Frillman, S. A., Zhang, G., Brawner, C., Miller, T. K., “The Effect of an EntrepreneurshipProgram on GPA and Retention,” Journal of Engineering Education, Vol., 93, No. 4, pp 293-301, 2004.11 Sullivan, J. F., Carlson, L. E., and Carlson, D. W., “Developing Aspiring Engineers into Budding Entrepreneurs:An Invention and Innovation Course,” Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 90, No. 4, pp. 571-576, 2001.12 Kanter, R. M., “Swimming in New Streams: Mastering Innovation Dilemmas,” California Management Review,Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 45-69, 1989.13 Prahalad, C. F., and Hamel, G. Competing for the Future, Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1994

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Curricula

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nicholas Scambilis, Sinclair Community College; Jennifer Wise, Sinclair Community College

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

2006-1661: TAC-ABET ACCREDITATION – A NEW PROCESS, A NEWBEGINNINGNicholas Scambilis, Sinclair Community College Dr. Scambilis, a Professor at Sinclair Community College, is the Chair of the Environmental Engineering Technology, Safety Engineering Technology and Fire Science Technology programs. He has a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Missouri. He retired as a Colonel from the U.S. Air Force where he served as a Civil Engineer. He has been at Sinclair for nine years.Jennifer Wise, Sinclair Community College Jennifer Saygers-Wise earned her Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona and her Masters in Engineering from the University of

Conference Session

Virtual and Distance Experiments

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Imad Jabbour, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Linda Haydamous, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Wissam Kazan, Stanford University; Amine Hayek, Stanford University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

-redirection tool that can be downloaded fromhttp://www.foundstone.com/resources/proddesc/fpipe.htm†† The lab experiments that we put online correspond to those available in the book currently used by the labstudents: “Mastering Networks: An Internet Lab Manual” (Addison-Wesley, 2003), by J. Liebeherr and M. E. Zarki‡‡ The ABET and the Alfred Sloan Foundation organized a colloquy in San Diego, CA on January 6-8, 2002 andagreed on thirteen essential objectives of instructional engineering laboratories Page 11.1078.13

Conference Session

Innovative Laboratories in BME

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Markus Billeter, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Institute for Biomedical; Grace M. Nijm, Northwestern University; Bugrahan Yalvac, Northwestern University; Alan Sahakian, Northwestern University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

2006-1950: A LABORATORY DEMONSTRATION OF SPATIAL ENCODING INMRIMarkus Billeter, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Institute for BiomedicalEngineering MARKUS BILLETER is a MS student in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. He is currently working on his Master Thesis at Northwestern University which is the last step to receive his MS degree.Grace M. Nijm, Northwestern University GRACE M. NIJM earned her B.S. in Computer Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology in 2004 and her B.S. in Computer Science from Benedictine University in the same year. In 2005, she was awarded the NSF Graduate Research