Collection

2008 Spring ASEE Middle Atlantic Section Conference

Authors

Anthony Manno; Kamal Shahrabi

of databases The perspective changes according to the user Very large database environments: Data marts, warehouses, miningProjects:Various ideas for projects have been tried. The least effective have been writing a paperon something that the instructor says. It is just another boring paper to write. Moreinteresting projects are hands-on. These projects have to do with grouping studentstogether to investigate a technological aspect of their major.Another type of project has been where students were split up into different groups andthey have to debate a subject where they need to learn about some technology. Studentsin different sections have also been brought together so that they can interact with eachother on a

Collection

2008 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Anthony Manno; Kamal Shahrabi

of databases The perspective changes according to the user Very large database environments: Data marts, warehouses, miningProjects:Various ideas for projects have been tried. The least effective have been writing a paperon something that the instructor says. It is just another boring paper to write. Moreinteresting projects are hands-on. These projects have to do with grouping studentstogether to investigate a technological aspect of their major.Another type of project has been where students were split up into different groups andthey have to debate a subject where they need to learn about some technology. Studentsin different sections have also been brought together so that they can interact with eachother on a

Collection

2008 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

NADIYE O. ERDIL; KOENRAAD E. GIESKES

required in the course, (3) active andcollaborative learning, and (4) interaction with faculty members.”In this paper, discussion of the learning community section assignments and examples of student work,comparison of the learning community sections with the traditional sections, reports of studentevaluations, and authors’ review of the learning community program are presented to assess the successof the learning community program. The authors were the teaching assistants of the WTSN 111 portion ofthe program.We start with the projects and activities that are specific to the learning community sections. Theseinclude the Wagner Mill assignment, the mini-golf contest, combined office hours/scheduled lunches,social events, and a gala. Then, we move

Conference Session

Distance Learning in ET

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Akram Hossain, Purdue University Calumet; Niaz Latif, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

authored more than 25 refereed journal and conference publications. From 2003 through 2006, he was involved with Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL in developing direct computer control for hydrogen powered automotives. He is also involved in several direct computer control and wireless process control related research projects. His interests are in the area of industrial transducer, industrial process control, wireless controls, statistical process control, computer aided design and fabrication of printed circuit board, programmable logic controllers, programmable logic devices and renewable energy related projects.Niaz Latif, Purdue University Niaz Latif, Purdue University Calumet Dr. Niaz

Conference Session

Innovative Curriculum in Electrical Engineering Technology

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ghassan Ibrahim, Bloomsburg University; Jon Zeisler, Bloomsburg University; Mike Kutch, Bloomsburg University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Operating in a Fluorescent Lighting EnvironmentAbstractRadio Frequency Identification (RFID) has been widely utilized in retail stores andmanufacturing environments, and sometimes without any consideration to environmentalRF interference that can hinder its operation. Fluorescent lights, specifically theelectronic ballast controlled, are found to be a common source of interference. They actas radio frequency (RF) signal reflectors which may introduce undesirable effects on thebackscattered signals from RFID tags.A project was conducted within the electronics engineering technology (EET) program asa partial requirement in the RF Effects and Measurements course. A 915 MHz RFIDsystem was installed and operated, and its performance was investigated and

Conference Session

Engineering in Middle Schools

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew Cathell, Drexel University; Michael Birnkrant, Drexel University; Jean Robinson, Martha Washington Elementary School; Priscilla Blount, Martha Washington Elementary School; Adam Fontecchio, Drexel University; Eli Fromm, Drexel University

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

the A. J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute. Dr. Fontecchio is the recipient of a NASA New Investigator award, the International Liquid Crystal Society Multimedia Prize, and the Drexel ECE Outstanding Research Award. He has authored over 35 peer-review publications on Electro-Optics and Condensed Matter Physics. His current research projects include developing liquid crystal polymer technology for optical film applications including electro-optic virtual focusing optics, reflective displays, flexible displays, power generating MEMS arrays, and photonic crystal structures with tunable defects. Page

Conference Session

FPD6 - First Year Curricula Development

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Laura Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana; Richard Ruhala, University of Southern Indiana; Eric Sprouls, University of Southern Indiana

Tagged Divisions

First-Year Programs

students to a systematic, engineering problem solvingmethod. Problems have been selected to preview many of the engineering courses that thestudents will take as sophomores, including statics and circuits. Additionally students learncomputer applications EXCEL, MATLAB and VISUAL BASIC. Finally, Introduction toDesign, taken during their second semester, has been developed to include two parallel paths.The first path focuses on learning how to solve open-ended design projects while working inteams. These projects vary from semester to semester, but normally consist of a mechanicalfocus, a civil focus, and an electrical engineering focus Î which exposes students to the threeareas of concentration that they must decide upon in their sophomore year

Conference Session

Interdisciplinary Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jay Porter, Texas A&M University; Jorge Alvarado, Texas A&M University; Joseph Morgan, Texas A&M University; John Poston, Texas A&M University; Kenneth Peddicord, Texas A&M University; John Crenshaw, STP Nuclear Operating Company

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

Technology and Industrial Distribution Department in 1989 and has served as the Program Director of the Electronics and Telecommunications Programs and as the Associate Department Head for Operations. He received his BS degree in electrical engineering (1975) from California State University, Sacramento, and his MS (1980) and DE (1983) degrees in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University. His education and research interests include project management, innovation and entrepreneurship, and embedded product/system development.John Poston, Texas A&M UniversityKenneth Peddicord, Texas A&M UniversityJohn Crenshaw, STP Nuclear Operating Company

Conference Session

Mechanical Engineering Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Frassica, University of South Carolina; Jed Lyons, University of South Carolina; Philip Voglewede, Marquette University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

and waste removal to grow tissue for an actual researchexperiment. The introduction of an interdisciplinary laboratory exposed the students to the “bigpicture” of controls systems in a nontraditional setting. The project reinforced what was taughtin lecture regarding PID type controllers and aided in understanding controls as they relate toactual systems. Students indicated that the laboratory improved their understanding of theconcepts covered in class and homework. The primary reported benefit was an increased claritybetween the relationships of the gains of a PID controller and their corresponding physicalresults.IntroductionA control theory course tends to be a less tangible subject in engineering and thus was chosen asan ideal course to

Conference Session

International Division Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Claudio Brito, Council of Researches in Education and Sciences; Melany Ciampi, Organization of Researches in Environment, Health and Safety

Tagged Divisions

International

game of fighting for markets. The world is changing quickly, the distances are smallerand so we have a larger number of people moving around, interacting with different cultures andhabits and at the same time having a kind of influence. Big corporations are looking for newtalents no matter where they are and so more opportunities and the reverse side of the same coinmore competitiveness. The history shows an enormous amount of companies and engineersworking in different places in the world accomplishing huge projects promoting the developmentof countries and societies. Now more then ever engineers should pay attention to what is goingon worldwide to go for international experiences to improve personal skills and get different

Collection

2008 Spring ASEE Middle Atlantic Section Conference

Authors

Neal A. Lewis

. Methods of obtainingbusiness experience are also offered.IntroductionMany university instructors have long careers in academia. Some of these instructors have had contactwith industrial companies in the form of research projects, grants, internships, and various other forms ofwork. All of these can be beneficial to the quality of teaching in the engineering classroom. Manyadjuncts and a few full time faculty members bring significant experience to the classroom. Someuniversities find value in this experience and seek out experienced professionals for their faculty. Manyuniversities find little value in “real world” experience, preferring people who focus almost exclusivelyon academic research. I happen to be one of those people who changed

Collection

2008 ASEE Zone 1 Conference

Authors

Neal A. Lewis

. Methods of obtainingbusiness experience are also offered.IntroductionMany university instructors have long careers in academia. Some of these instructors have had contactwith industrial companies in the form of research projects, grants, internships, and various other forms ofwork. All of these can be beneficial to the quality of teaching in the engineering classroom. Manyadjuncts and a few full time faculty members bring significant experience to the classroom. Someuniversities find value in this experience and seek out experienced professionals for their faculty. Manyuniversities find little value in “real world” experience, preferring people who focus almost exclusivelyon academic research. I happen to be one of those people who changed

Conference Session

Computer Education Management Tools II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dianne Raubenheimer, North Carolina State University; Rebecca Brent, Education Designs Inc.; Jeff Joines, North Carolina State University; Amy Craig, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

Education, 2008 Integration of Computer-Based Problem Solving into Engineering CurriculaAbstractThe primary objectives of this engineering project are (1) to examine how to develop students’problem solving and computational skills early in their program of study and (2) to furtherenhance these skills by building upon critical computing concepts semester after semester. Theproject is a component of NC State University’s quality enhancement plan, which focuses on theuse of technology in enhancing student learning. The project stems from new introductorycomputer-based modeling courses that were created in two engineering departments, and hasexpanded to include other departments. We give an overview of the

Conference Session

Use of Summer Research Programs in Civil Engineering Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chris Ramseyer, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

,high volume testing, encouraging active learning while making the work fun and exciting, andexpanding the student’s horizons beyond the immediate research focus of their team. As thesummer progresses, the students take over day-to-day management of the projects. To ensurethat all the students are engaged in the research and understand its goals and challenges, weeklymeetings are held to discuss progress, difficulties and preliminary results. Helping to make thework fun and exciting, while granting the students control of the research process, encouragesthe students to pursue graduate study.Each of the projects that are used to fund this program addresses an immediate need identified bythe individual project sponsor. The project sponsors are

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Curriculum Innovation

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Ciaraldi, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; David Cyganski, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Michael Gennert, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Michael Demetriou; Fred Looft; William Michalson, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Bradley Miller, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Eben Cobb, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Lance Schachterle, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Kenneth Stafford, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Yiming Rong, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Gretar Tryggvason, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; James Van de Ven, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

high school students. Thus, robotics may well be an important component inattracting more students into engineering. Furthermore, as robotics can have a role in directlyimproving the lives of individuals (robotics will play a major role in assistive technology, forexample) it may help draw more women into engineering. As indicators of the level of interest inrobotics among high school students, we cite the following statistics: • In 2006, over 28,000 high-school students competed in FIRST Robotic Competition and another 6,000 mostly high school students competed in FIRST Vex Challenge1. • FIRST Robotic Competition reached over 30,000 high-school aged students in 20072 and FIRST Vex Challenge projects to reach over 25,000

Conference Session

Assessment

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Olga Pierrakos, James Madison University; Maura Borrego, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Jenny Lo, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

advanceddegrees and clarifying career goals. In spite of such widespread support and belief in the value ofundergraduate research to improve education, the bodies-of-knowledge and learning outcomescomprising of the countless ways in which students benefit and learn from being involved inresearch projects have been insufficient and understudied. Most of the existing literature revealthe predominance of program descriptions and evaluation efforts, rather than studies groundedon research. Moreover, most of these studies on undergraduate research have focused on thesciences, whereas undergraduate research experiences in engineering are limited.One of the most prominent studies on undergraduate research has been the work of ElaineSeymour and her research

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrienne Minerick, Mississippi State University

experience for undergraduate students considering graduate school.Successful sites offer professional development opportunities for the REU participants on many levels. These levelsinclude (but are not limited to) the research project itself, soft and technical skills development, and participantcamaraderie. This work will act as a retrospective after the first three years co-directing a collaborative REU site atMississippi State University entitled, “Chemistry – Chemical Engineering: The Bonds Between Us.” This BondsREU site combined the research strengths of the chemistry and chemical engineering disciplines in a synergisticrelationship. Participants gained experience, techniques, and perspectives from both fields. The program was sosuccessful

Conference Session

NSF Grantees Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ronaldo Luna, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Richard Hall, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Michael Hilgers, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Ghulam Bham, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Richard Elgin, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Charles Morris, Missouri University of Science & Technology; Glenn Morrison, Missouri University of Science & Technology

. Page 13.808.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Introduction of GIS into Civil Engineering CurriculaAbstractThis research project developed a web-based learning system to teach students the use ofGeographic Information Systems (GIS) within the foundational courses of a typical civilengineering program. As opposed to generating a series of GIS courses, the GIS know-how isintroduced within existing courses as a module that will reinforce basic concepts taughtthroughout the curriculum in a comprehensive manner. Evaluation research of a proof-of-concept prototype for geotechnical course supported the efficacy of such an approach. With thisprototype as a guide, modules are developed in the following five areas

Conference Session

Multidisciplinary Teams

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Samantha Jacques; Deepti Suri, Milwaukee School of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Multidisciplinary Engineering

thestudents are expected to know and accomplish at the time of graduation. Of particular interestand pertinent to the current discussion are criterions 3(d): an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams, 3(f): an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility, and 3(g): anability to communicate effectively.In most engineering programs, capstone design courses tend to be the courses where these ABETcriteria are typically addressed. Capstone courses have evolved over the years from professordefined designs to industry-sponsored projects where “real” problems are given4,5. Asconstructivist theories of learning became popular, and the academic community recognized thatthat learning is a social activity6, these capstone project-based

Conference Session

Embedded Computing

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Holden, California Maritime Academy

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

AC 2008-1513: THE UBIQUITOUS MICROCONTROLLER IN MECHANICALENGINEERING: MEASUREMENT SYSTEMSMichael Holden, California Maritime Academy Michael Holden teaches in the department of Mechanical Engineering at the California State University Maritime Academy. Page 13.1275.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 The Ubiquitous Microcontroller in Mechanical Engineering: Measurement SystemsIntroductionThis paper will describe a project aimed at integrating microcontrollers in several classesthroughout the mechanical engineering curriculum at the California State University MaritimeAcademy (CMA). The goal is to give our

Conference Session

Contemporary Instrumentation Poster Session

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mustafa Guvench, University of Southern Maine; Joshua Ward, Fairchild Semiconductor; Robert N. MacKinnon, Yarmouth Water District

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

analytical modeling of semiconductor devices and sensors, and electronic instrumentation and measurement.Joshua Ward, Fairchild Semiconductor Josh Ward was a senior level Electrical Engineering student at the University of Southern Maine and was working as a Thin Films Process Technician at Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, S. Portland while working on this project. He will complete his coursework and graduate from U.S.M. with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering in May 2008. Upon graduation he expects to be promoted to Process Engineer at Fairchild Semiconductor. Josh’s interests are semiconductor device fabrication, CMOS integrated circuit design and automated testing.Robert N

Conference Session

Technology in the Physics or Engineering Physics C

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Baha Jassemnejad, University of Central Oklahoma; Wei Pee, University of Central Oklahoma; Mathew Mounce, University of Central Oklhoma

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Physics & Physics

facilitation of their peer mentors, students built a working scaleddown model that could autonomously navigate, identify, and extract mines. Following thepresentation of their project, these students expressed enthusiasm in pursuing a degree inengineering physics and computer science disciplines.IntroductionThe National science foundation and the International Association for the Evaluation ofEducational Achievement reported that America is below average in science and mathematicseducation when compared to other countries. When comparing U.S. K-12 students to theirinternational counterparts, a trend emerged. While U.S. students in the 4th and 8th grades scorein the top percentile, 12th graders score at the bottom in math and science1. Without a

Conference Session

New Ideas for ChEs I (aka ChE Potpourri)

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tamara Floyd-Smith, Tuskegee University

Tagged Divisions

Chemical Engineering

research careers andreporting their work at conferences and in journal publications. The factors investigated includevarious topics such as how candidates are identified, factors considered most important whenselecting an undergraduate, defining a project for an undergraduate and assessing theundergraduate. Forty eight individuals, the majority of whom where professors (88%) atresearch institutions (56%), responded to the survey. Although there were not any statisticallysignificant conclusions, the results suggest that (1) having a formal application procedure, (2)choosing undergraduates based on conceptual understanding and (3) assessing undergraduatesbased largely on critical thinking lead to more undergraduates attending graduate school

Conference Session

Student Learning Techniques & Practices in Engineering Technology

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

B. Sridhara, Middle Tennessee State University; Joseph Prince, Middle Tennessee State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

absorbers.Introduction The Engineering Technology (ET) program at Middle Tennessee State University hasthree concentrations; computer, electromechanical and mechanical. The mechanical engineeringtechnology (MET) concentration was started in 2004 fall and currently we have approximatelyone hundred majors. Our students are required to take several ET and MET courses includingEngineering Fundamentals and Vibration. Our objective is to introduce hands-on projects in asmany courses as possible so that the students better understand the theory and its applications toengineering systems and components. We feel there is a great need for such projects to alleviatethe fear of mathematics in our students in courses such as Vibration. In this paper, we look atthree

Conference Session

Civil Engineering Teaching Part One

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Reynaldo Pablo, Jr., Indiana University Purdue University, Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Civil Engineering

algorithms thatwill measure the safety reserve in a structure covering the focused uncertainty involved. Theconcept of structural reliability will be used for the assessment of bridges. Bridge reliability willbe measured using the structural reliability index β, which has been used in several recentresearch projects related to bridge safety1, 2, 3, including NCHRP Project 12-33 Development of Page 13.1032.2LRFD Bridge Design Specifications. In that project, the LRFD bridge design code wascalibrated with respect to structural reliability index β. The design load can be examined in thecontext of the load and resistance factor design (LRFD) following

Conference Session

Sustainability and Engineering Programs

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Thorn, Rochester Institute of Technology; Andres Carrano, Rochester Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

area,others by students interested in working in the area of sustainability. Many of the innovationsare curricular in nature while others evolved from the convergence of volunteerism andprofessional development. This paper describes the forces that motivated the development oftwo Master’s level programs in Sustainable Engineering, and the interdisciplinary curriculathat comprises them.2. Early Graduate Student WorkSome of the early sustainability oriented work in the KGCOE was undertaken by graduatestudents in the Mechanical Engineering (ME) and the Industrial and Systems Engineering(ISE) departments working on their MS theses. Typically, these thesis projects involved theapplication of traditional optimization or analysis techniques to

Conference Session

Computer Simulation and Animation I

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Essam Zaneldin, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne; Suleiman Ashur, Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Computers in Education

designed for each project to beused for estimating and control purposes.Ickert and Huston4 developed a spreadsheet that can be used to analyze multiple solutions forengineering problems efficiently and accurately, and to produce graphs that convey the solutionto the end users. Thiriez5 developed several spreadsheets as educational tools for students. Oneexample is to use the drawing capabilities of Excel to represent decision trees and where window Page 13.1356.2switching and macros allow the educator to animate his presentation. Another example presentedby Thiriez5 is the use of Excel in dynamic programming, deterministic or stochastic, where

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer - II

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Christopher, Rice University; Adam Parks, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; Vipul Sharma, Air Force Institute of Technology; Michael Maixner, U.S. Air Force Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH where he works as a developmental engineer. He is in charge of several research projects with an emphasis on aircraft structural integrity.Vipul Sharma, Air Force Institute of Technology Vipul Sharma graduated from the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in 2007 where he majored in Mechanical Engineering and minored in Mandarin. Vipul is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) where his research focus is Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) and their applicability for use in turbine engines. After completing his tour at AFIT

Collection

2008 ASEE Midwest Section Conference

Authors

Peter LoPresti; Theodore W. Manikas; Jeff Kohlbeck

U.S. universities. In fact, the U.S. trails manyother industrialized nations in the percentage of bachelor's degrees in science and engineering1.A contributing factor to this problem is that engineering lacks a formal presence in K-12education. As a result, many qualified students are unaware of career opportunities in scienceand engineering, and thus fail to pursue technical majors in college2.To address the need for the exposure of students to the career of engineering, and particularlyelectrical engineering, we developed an Electrical Engineering Summer Academy program at theUniversity of Tulsa. The objective of our program is to make students aware of engineeringcareer opportunities through hands-on design projects, seminars, and tours of

Conference Session

Collaborative & New Efforts in Engineering Education

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Kornecki, ERAU; Thomas Hilburn, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott; Wojciech Grega, AGH; Jean-Marc Thririet, LAG; Miroslav Sveda, BUT

Tagged Divisions

International

AC 2008-1359: A COMMON US-EUROPE CURRICULUM: AN APPROACH FORREAL-TIME SOFTWARE INTENSIVE SYSTEMSAndrew Kornecki, ERAU MSEE, PhD, Professor; engaged in a variety of research projects sponsored by the FAA, NSF, Florida State, and the industry (~$700K as the PI, ~$2.5M as co-PI); author and co-author of over 80 refereed papers in journals and conference proceedings; construction of real-time and safety critical software, embedded systems, computer simulation and aviation software, control and computer engineering education; teaching in undergraduate and graduate engineering programs on three continents; established ERAU Real-Time Software Laboratory; consulting and providing training for