Conference Session

The Challenges of Tech Transfer

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carmo D'Cruz, Florida Tech; Dr. Shoaib Shaikh, Nothrup Grumman Corporation

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

in strategy, team dynamics, and finance areintegrated into these courses focusing on Engineering Entrepreneurship. It appears thatEngineering Entrepreneurship has emerged as a Killer App for Systems Engineering.IntroductionThe emerging facts from successful organizations, including universities, indicate that the realsource of power in a knowledge economy is in combining technical prowess withentrepreneurship.1 A survey of business executives and managers indicated that highly successfulengineers are not only academically astute, but also possess entrepreneurial skills.2 TheEngineers of 2020 will need to be educated as innovators, with more direct exposure to cross-disciplinary topics and the workings of an entrepreneurial economy.3 However

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Constituents Tech Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve Walter, Indiana University Purdue University, Fort Wayne (Eng)

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

,formulate subcontracting strategies, measure project progress, control cost and manage cashflow. These needs led to the redesign of the engineering “economics” course.Offering this course at a senior or graduate level allows integration of the accounting, financeand economic topics with the student’s understanding of engineering and product development.Table 1 lists a variety of engineering assignments and some of the key knowledge areas Page 13.122.2Table 1. Financial Knowledge Areas Required for Engineering Work Assignments Engineering Assignment Knowledge Areas • Scope Assessment

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Programs and Curricula

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

James Nemes, Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

Page 14.1199.3in the program as practical in order to spread the developmental tasks widely and avoidoverwhelming one or two faculty members. In addition, faculty buy-in is essential forsuccessful implementation of an online program, as described by the Sloan study1. Thus,faculty involvement from the earliest planning stages is essential. The final curriculumselection, as selected by program faculty, is shown in Table 1.Online learning can be either synchronous or asynchronous or some combination of the two.In asynchronous delivery students are separated by time and location, whereas insynchronous delivery students are separated only by location. Midkiff and DaSilva4 havedetailed the differences between these two formats from their experiences

Conference Session

Systems Engineering Programs and Curricula

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joanna DeFranco, Pennsylvania State University; Colin Neill, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

,solution planning, and system design tasks during collaboration. The model was initiallydeveloped to improve the effectiveness of engineers performing such tasks in teams and thisstudy posits that the model will be equally effective on student learning.A detailed statistical experiment to study the effect of this model on subjects collaborativelysolving an analysis and design problem was designed and executed. Randomly assigned teams ofstudents were presented with one of four design problems. Half the teams were then exposed tothe CCM while the remaining half was not. The effect on student learning was then measuredusing assessment of team deliverables.1. IntroductionIn a brief survey of the graduate engineering and technology courses offered at

Conference Session

Capstone Courses I

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Leiffer, LeTourneau University; Roger Gonzalez, LeTourneau University; Thomas Hellmuth, LeTourneau University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

with concentrations inElectrical, Mechanical, Computer, Biomedical, and Materials Joining, it is our goal to involve asmany students as possible in an interdisciplinary design experience involving two or moreconcentrations. As we offer projects each year, we define more clearly the purposes andguidelines for the senior design experience, important lessons in interdisciplinary design, and thefactors for project success.Student involvement in interdisciplinary teams is not only an expectation of industry but also hasbecome a required outcome of the ABET engineering criteria. EC2000 criteria now includeoutcome 3d which states that “engineering programs must demonstrate that their graduateshave…an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams.”1

Conference Session

Capstone Courses II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bradley Rogers, Arizona State University; Dale Palmgren, Arizona State University; Albert McHenry, Arizona State University; Scott Danielson, Arizona State University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

effective security measures involves the methodical solution of a complexsystems engineering problem. The Sandia Methodology guides the effective design, analysis andimplementation of security systems, are very robust, and forms a foundation that can be appliedto the development of all security systems3. At ASU, this methodology formed the frameworkof the Master of Science degree in Security Engineering Technology.The Sandia methodology is the articulation of a general security systems engineering techniqueinvolving a thorough and rational set of procedures guiding the conception, design,implementation and analysis of security systems. The following chart summarizes the Sandiaapproach. Figure 1 – The Sandia Methodology for Security

Conference Session

Capstone Courses I

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Sanders, Kettering University; Mark Thompson, Kettering University; Mohamed El-Sayed, Kettering University; Lucy King, Kettering University; Michael Lindquist, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

informed that the design of the mechanical mechanisms and the manufacturingprocesses for the robot play a critical role. Design is subject to realistic, competitive constraintssuch as a limited development budget and short development time.Functional SpecificationsStudents were presented with expected functional specifications and were asked to realize themduring the design process. Students were also notified that these specifications may be modifiedover the course of the term as the project evolves. These functional specifications aresummarized in Table 1.AssessmentAn important part of the integration project is the assessment. The effectiveness of the project ismeasured by students’ as well as professors’ and guests’ evaluations and comments

Conference Session

Capstone Courses II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Fernandez, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

(%) 100.0 85.2 68.2 32.3 Design reviews (%) 100.0 100.0 77.3 77.4 Code reviews (%) 95.8 74.1 81.8 71.0 Table 1. Projects (%) of Various Worldwide Companies Using Designated PracticesBy reviewing the data in Table 1, it seems reasonable to see why U.S. companies may feel comfortablewith outsourcing of software development to other countries. Outsourcing research appears to indicatethat computer science and information technology curricula lack sufficient experience and education inthe area of software design9. Programmers graduating from off shore universities which appear toemphasize this experience and education are an

Conference Session

Capstone Courses I

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

William Smith, University of Kentucky-Lexington; Jamey Jacob, University of Kentucky; Suzanne Smith, University of Kentucky; James Lumpp, University of Kentucky

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

-altitude experiment developed, designed, built, conducted and evaluatedprimarily by undergraduate students. BIG BLUE (Baseline Inflatable-wing Glider, Balloon-Launched Unmanned Experiment) was first proposed in 2002 to NASA’s WorkforceDevelopment program with the objective to involve talented engineering students in a state-of-the-art aerospace project, with opportunities to do complex multidisciplinary research anddevelopment and to interact as peers with researchers at NASA centers and in the aerospaceindustry. BIG BLUE was first conceived as a demonstration of unique inflatable-wingtechnologies with potential application for extraterrestrial exploration.1-3 Currently, technologiesare developed for BIG BLUE with additional consideration of other

Conference Session

Capstone Courses II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Susan Donohue, University of Virginia; Garrick Louis, University of Virginia; William Scherer, University of Virginia; Michael C. Smith, University of Virginia; K. Preston White, Jr., Jr., University of Virginia; Peter Beling, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

information on individual projects. Articles whose main purpose is thediscussion of Capstone project administration and management are, for the greatest part, focusedon the administration and management of individual projects; see 1, 2, 3, 4 for example. Articlessuch as 5, 6 which address program-level administration of Capstone are scarce. To address thispaucity of information, we share details of the program-level administrative model used tomanage the undergraduate Capstone Program in the Department of Systems and InformationEngineering at University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), amodel that supports a vibrant program popular with students, faculty, and clients alike, in thispaper.We adopted our current program

Conference Session

Capstone Courses I

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Grant Martin, U.S. Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

, scienceor engineering major. Those cadets take a three-course engineering sequence in thedepartment, the goal of which is to “enhance[e] their quantitative problem-solving skillsand … provid[e] introductory engineering design experiences.”1 The sequenceculminates with a capstone course in which the cadets work with a real client to solve aproblem for him or her. That course is SE450, Project Management and System Design.This paper focuses strictly on that course, which has been successful in achieving bothdepartment and Academy goals by aligning the course assignments to a decision makingprocess and incorporating a real-world client into the course.This paper will begin by comparing the findings of some of the relevant literatureregarding capstone

Conference Session

A Systems Thinking Approach to Solving Problems

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joanna DeFranco, Pennsylvania State University; Fadi Deek, New Jersey Institute of Technology; Raghvinder Sangwan, Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

trend include cheaper labor, the need for specialized skills and expertise, andcorporate mergers. For example, the outsourcing of various functions or activities of the softwarebusiness has become increasingly prevalent leading to “capability sourcing”1 particularly whencompanies’ expertise falls short in some technical areas. In addition, some companies alreadyhave offices that span the world creating a globally distributed technical asset, although they maystill outsource software development for strategic reasons.Globalization can, however, bring on big challenges. It is well known, for instance, that effectivecommunication plays a key role in the performance of product development teams 2,3,4,5.Researchers have shown that well-coordinated

Conference Session

Developing Systems Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Timothy Trainor, United States Military Academy; Daniel McCarthy, United States Military Academy; Michael Kwinn, United States Military Academy

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

the enemy upon anything like Equal Terms.’ The Officers are to be instructed in moral,mechanical, geometrical and physical rules.”1 Over the years the curriculum has changeddramatically however our mission of educating officers for the US Army has remained thecentral focus of what we do. The current mission of West Point is:"To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissionedleader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career ofprofessional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army."2The totality of the West Point leader development curriculum is considered to be a 47-monthexperience in which students (cadets) must adequately

Conference Session

A Systems Thinking Approach to Solving Problems

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Renee Stepler, Pennsylvania State University; Steve Garguilo, Johnson & Johnson Inc.; Khanjan Mehta, Pennsylvania State University; Sven Bilen, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

envisioned atthe outset of the projects. To addresses these shortcomings, at The Pennsylvania State Universitywe are applying three key tenets of systems thinking to our humanitarian engineering and socialentrepreneurial ventures: 1) employing regulation via feedback to ensure that the system isactually working; 2) defining systems by their interactions and their parts; and 3) understandingthat systems exhibit multi-finality. The concept of multi-finality refers to (designing) a systemwhere the individual actors (inputs), the subsystems, and their interactions, all meet their owngoals while the system as a whole also meets its goals. In this paper, we lay the framework forthe application of specific systems thinking concepts to increase the

Conference Session

Developing Systems Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wolter Fabrycky, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

definition of Systems Engineering. However, Systems Engineering is anamorphous, slippery subject that does not lend itself to such formal, didactic treatment. Onedoes much better with a broader, more loose-jointed approach. Some writers have, in fact,sidestepped the issue by saying that Systems Engineering is what systems engineers do.” 2Systems Engineering Defined. The definition of Systems Engineering and the systems approachis usually based on the background and experience of the individual or performing organization.The variations are evident from the following published definitions, with sources noted:1. International Council on Systems Engineering: “An interdisciplinary approach and means to enable the realization of successful systems.” 32

Conference Session

Developing Systems Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Satinderpaul Devgan, Tennessee State University; Sachin Shetty, Tennessee State University; Saleh Zein-Sabatto, Tennessee State University

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

 DISCIPLINES Abstract Systems Engineering is a life cycle engineering approach that is being used for development of large systems. It has been implemented by DoD, NASA, and most all major corporations such as Lockheed  Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, etc. There are over 120 programs  in systems engineering that are currently being offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels [1]. A  large  percentage  of  these  are  graduate  programs  or  certificate  programs  in  Systems Engineering and are mostly housed in industrial and systems engineering departments. Yet there are  only  a  handful  of  undergraduate  programs  offered  by  universities  that  integrate  systems engineering  in  main  stream  engineering  disciplines  such  as

Conference Session

A Systems Thinking Approach to Solving Problems

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Cochran, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

Functional Requirements thata system must effectively meet to satisfy internal and external customer needs.The first challenge is listening to and understanding customer needs. Functional Requirement(s)formally state the need(s) of the customer as the condition(s) of system success. In the spirit ofthe Toyota Production System DNA 1 , the students learn to define Physical Solutions to achievethe Functional Requirements of success for the system in which they work. Each PhysicalSolution is stressed and treated as a hypothesis to achieving each system FunctionalRequirement. 2The students learn that to reduce cost the system design itself must first be put in place. Theunderlying hypothesis is that sustainable and profitable enterprises must meet

Conference Session

Developing Systems Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steve Walter, Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne; David Walden, Sysnovation, LLC

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

discipline. Some of the most widelyearned certifications recognize knowledge, skill and experience in fields such as projectmanagement, information technology, construction, education and various medical specialties. Insome of these fields, certification is necessary to obtain gainful employment.Most certifications are valid for some pre-determined length of time, typically 1 to 5 years. Inorder to renew a certification, individuals are often required to document their participation incontinuing education activities or service to the profession.Certifications provide value to the profession, professional organization, certified individuals, theorganizations for which the individuals work, and the public. For a sponsoring professionalorganization

Conference Session

Developing Systems Engineering Curricula

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alice Squires; Robert Cloutier

Tagged Divisions

Systems Engineering Constituent Committee

the sixth annual Sloan Consortium report on online higher education in the UnitedStates, Allen (2008) states: “Online enrollments have continued to grow at rates far inexcess of the total higher education student population, with the most recent datademonstrating no signs of slowing.”1 (p. 1) As a result of these trends, online andragogy(theory of adult learning) has earned a prominent place within engineering educationresearch. The effectiveness of online andragogy in teaching engineering and science,however, is poorly understood. Currently, the perceived effectiveness of online teachingand learning lies on a continuum. At one extreme is the perception that without aphysical setting – that allows one to see and identify with class members