Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shekhar Bhansali, University of South Florida; Ashanti Pyrtle, University of South Florida; Louis Martin-Vega, University of South Florida; Peter Betzer, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

has served as a guest panelist on national forums promoting interdisciplinary research and graduate opportunities for students in STEM disciplines.Ashanti Pyrtle, University of South Florida DR. ASHANTI J. PYRTLE is an Assistant Professor at the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida. She received her B.S. (1993) in Marine Science from Texas A&M University-Galveston and her PhD. (1999) in Oceanography from Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on the utilization of biogeochemical indicators to interpret past events that have impacted the aquatic environment. Dr. Pyrtle also directs several initiatives designed to facilitate research and professional

Conference Session

Professional Development Programs for Teachers

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kelly Bradley, University of Kentucky; Janet Lumpp, University of Kentucky

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

College of Engineering, College of Education, publictelevision station (KET), local industry (SMC, Inc.), naval research laboratory (Crane NSWC),local school district (Fayette County Public Schools), and Appalachian school districts in EasternKentucky, and are connected by in-service teachers at various career stages. The connection ofteachers across disciplines at different career stages has had initial success as recent KEEP PDworkshops trained several teachers from the same school representing math and sciencedepartments. Following Simon’s cycles of learning, our PD format emphasizes the “modeling”phase where each step is demonstrated and repeated. The “scaffolded practice” phase has beenused to help teachers overcome the confidence barrier

Conference Session

Topics in Nuclear and Radiological Engineering Education

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Marshall, North Carolina State University; Mohamed Bourham, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Nuclear and Radiological

Carolina State University in 1987. He is presently the Undergraduate Administrator. As full professor, his research interests include plasma-matter interactions, from interaction with solids to liquids to energetic combustible materials to fabrics and microorganisms. He also is an associate faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering with research focusing on medical imaging. Page 11.965.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 Nuclear Engineering Freshman Student Initiatives: Lessons from North Carolina State University

Conference Session

Mathematics in Transition

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dale Buechler, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Christopher Papadopoulos

Tagged Divisions

Mathematics

2006-1256: INITIAL RESULTS FROM A MATH-CENTERED ENGINEERINGAPPLICATIONS COURSEDale Buechler, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Assistant Professor Electrical Engineering Member ASEE, IEEE, BEMS 2007 ASEE Mathematics Division Chair-Elect 2006 ASEE Mathematics Division Program Chair Director ASEE Mathematics Division(2003 - Present) Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers Outstanding Teaching Award - College of Engineering and Applied Science (2000-2001) 1999 Science and Engineering Education Scholars Program Participant email: buechler@uwm.eduChris Papadopoulos, University of Wisconsin -Milwaukee Assistant Professor Civil Engineering and Mechanics

Conference Session

Graduate Student Experiences

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Rogers, Georgia Institute of Technology; Jeremy Noonan, Purdue University; Jaemeen Baek, Georgia Institute of Technology; Sangil Lee, Georgia Institute of Technology; Ulas Tezel, Georgia Institute of Technology; Grant Michalski, Georgia Institute of Technology; Chia-Hung Hou, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

buildings.The questions in Block D provided the following enlightening insights: • Many students primarily have used their own computers to do their academic work. • Printing appears to be the most frequent activity performed in computer labs/clusters. • A particular computer lab stood out as the most frequently used.Research Preparedness. Both UVA and MVA brought forward crucial findings regardingresearch preparedness (Block E). Some of the more important UVA findings follow: • A significant number of students did not feel prepared to do research when they started the program based on prior experience ratings (E1) and initial skill levels (E3). • The EnvE program has benefited students overall in the development of skills but has not

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Dolan, University of Wyoming; Larry Schmidt, University of Wyoming

navigators to know their longitudinal position on earth.From an engineering perspective, the book had multiple benefits for inclusion in the freshmanprogram. First, it follows product development from initial inception to completion, includingdevelopment of numerous intermediate steps. Second, it can properly be classified as one of theworld’s first design competitions. Third, it is a classical comparison of a scientific solution, inthis case an astronomical method of calculating longitude, and an engineering solution, thechronometer. These themes could be woven into the fabric of the course with both intellectualand visual clarity.Information Literacy and the Freshman Research PaperA critical element in the development of lifelong learning is the

Conference Session

Learning from Entrepreneurship Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nancy Clement, Purdue University; Edward Coyle, Purdue University; Joy Krueger, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Entrepreneurship & Engineering Innovation

2006-679: CREATING AN INNOVATION CONTINUUM IN THE ENGINEERINGCURRICULUM: EPICS AND THE EPICS ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVEEdward Coyle, Purdue University Edward J. Coyle received his BSEE degree from the University of Delaware in 1978, and Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University in 1980 and 1982. Since 1982, he has been with Purdue University, where he is currently Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Co-Director of the Center for Wireless Systems and Applications (CWSA), and Director of the EPICS Entrepreneurship Initiative (EEI). From 2000 through 2004 he served Purdue as Assistant Vice Provost for Research in Computing

Conference Session

International Engineering Education II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mulchand Rathod, Wayne State University; Mary James Legatski, American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Tagged Divisions

International

2006-89: A PERSPECTIVE ON INITIATIVES IN DIVERSITY AND OUTREACHACTIVITIES OF ASME, AN INTERNATIONAL SOCIETYMulchand Rathod, Wayne State University Mulchand S Rathod, PhD, PE, professor of Division of Engineering Technology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan is recognized for a career of dedicated, unselfish service to engineering and technology education, as a leader in education, faculty member, and as a contributor to professional societies. Dr Rathod lead the Division of Engineering Technology as director and chair during 1987-2003. Prior to joining WSU, he worked at State University of New York at Binghamton as coordinator of mechanical engineering technology program and assistant

Conference Session

Ensuring Access to K - 12 Engineering Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benita Comeau, Georgia Institute of Technology; Marion Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology; Donna Llewellyn, Georgia Institute of Technology; Michael Pastirik

Tagged Divisions

K-12 & Pre-College Engineering

2006-1436: THE CONSEQUENCES OF CANCELING PHYSICS: AN INITIALSTUDY IN AN AT RISK URBAN HIGH SCHOOLBenita Comeau, Georgia Institute of Technology Benita M. Comeau is a Ph.D. candidate in the school of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Benita received her B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Benita is a STEP Fellow in the Georgia Tech NSF GK-12 program.Marion Usselman, Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Marion C. Usselman is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Marion received her Ph.D. in

Conference Session

Innovative Curriculum in ET

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joseph Morgan, Texas A&M University; Jay Porter, Texas A&M University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

successfully realize the above vision, the E4 initiative has adopted the following majorobjectives: • Integrate the knowledge and resources of regional and underrepresented academic institutions, local governments and industry to contribute to innovation and entrepreneurial education; • Enable small- and medium-sized businesses to utilize the resources and capabilities of academic institutions as a workforce multiplier; • Create and validate a new model that integrates applied research and education to establish and expand the technological innovation in the local area around the University; and; • Propagate the new model to strengthen capabilities of academic institutions to contribute to the

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

appropriatetopic and develop a stable undergraduate research group that builds and maintains knowledgeover time. Such a research group requires tasks encompassing many skill levels, a steadyfunding source, and an orderly progression of short-term goals for each student. Web basedcommunication and archiving tools can be used to share and pass on data, references andinformation. Selecting the research topic, obtaining funding, and initially training andorganizing the student team are the major start-up tasks. The benefits for the students and thefaculty member are worth these efforts.IntroductionThe role of research at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) is complex. Two decadesago, research was shunned by faculty at these institutions, who viewed

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Andrew Otieno, Northern Illinois University; Clifford Mirman, Northern Illinois University; Abul Azad, Northern Illinois University

2006-1688: EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH SECONDARY SCHOOLS TOPROMOTE MINORITY ENTRY INTO THE ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGYDISCIPLINES – THE INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF PROJECT SMILEAndrew Otieno, Northern Illinois University ANDREW W. OTIENO has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Technology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) since August 2000. He received his Ph.D. from Leeds University, UK in 1994, in mechanical engineering. Dr. Otieno has worked in various capacities at several institutions both in the United States and in Kenya. Before joining NIU, he was a Post-doctoral research fellow at the Intelligent Systems Center, University of Missouri-Rolla. His research interests

Conference Session

Writing and Communication II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Luke Niiler; David Beams, University of Texas-Tyler

Tagged Divisions

Liberal Education

2006-1521: HOW ENGINEERING STUDENTS LEARN TO WRITE: THE SECONDYEAR OF THE ENGINEERING WRITING INITIATIVE AT THE UNIVERSITYOF TEXAS AT TYLERLucas Niiler, University of Texas-Tyler LUKE NIILER is an Associate Professor of English in the Department of Languages and Literature at the University of Texas at Tyler. He received his BA degree from Gettysburg College and his MA and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.David Beams, University of Texas-Tyler DAVID M. BEAMS is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Tyler. He received his BS and MS degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in and the Ph.D. from the University of

Conference Session

Using Teams, Seminars & Research Opportunities for Retention

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

De'Jeune Antoine, Xavier University of Louisiana; Mica Hutchison, Purdue University; Deborah Follman, Purdue University

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

. Qualitative survey data was analyzed using ATLAS.ti, version 5.013, a qualitativemanagement program. Students’ responses to open-ended questions asking why they selectedthe rankings of confidence in summer research program success and degree of current successthat they did were reviewed. Responses that were similar in nature were given an enveloping“code-name.” All student comments were then coded individually by two independentresearchers. Upon completion of independent analysis the two researchers met to perform aninterrater reliability exercise. Initial researcher agreement on factors placed in each categoryranged from 85% to 90%, which is a reasonable level of agreement for this type of research11.Factors not initially agreed upon were discussed

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Alley, Virginia Tech; Jenny Lo, Virginia Tech; Whitney Edmister, Virginia Tech

researchexperiences, such as those offered by Summer Undergraduate Laboratory Initiative, Los AlamosNational Laboratory, Virginia Tech, or other research institutions. Presented in this paper is adescription of the technical course that was tested. Following that are the results of the fivephases of the project: (1) recruiting of undergraduates in the College for the pilot offering of thecourse sequence, (2) the one-credit spring course to prepare students for the summer researchexperience, (3) the summer research experiences, (4) the two-credit fall course that taughtstudents how to communicate those experiences, and (5) the recruitment of students for the nextoffering of the course sequence.Description of Technical Communication Course That Was Tested

Conference Session

International and Sustainability Perspectives and Women in Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mike Murphy; Cecilia Chan, Dublin Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

project proposals have been submitted by the Dublin Institute ofTechnology, one through Science Foundation Ireland and the other at European level,through the Sixth European Framework, this was submitted in conjunction with otherEuropean Partners.In this paper, we will discuss a number of primary obstacles that our research has foundmost of our female encountered in our survey and interviews – how to balance the choiceyou choose. Some initiatives on the proposal based on the statistics survey to supportwomen in engineering will also present and share among the academic community; it ishoped that the measures proposed will be of practical use for other academiccommunities who are affected by the under-representation of women. The overarchingaim is

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chris Ramseyer, University of Oklahoma; Beth Brueggen, University of Oklahoma

Camp Concrete.To further instill a sense of mission and urgency,each day of the first week was pre-planned withgroup meetings and work. The meeting topicsincluded an orientation to the summer's goals,introduction to the research topics and instruction oncompleting literature reviews, creating a test matrix,planning work, keeping records of the research in alab book and writing a research report. The worksessions included initial cleaning and organizationof their work area, rebuilding several pieces ofequipment, removing the old racking system fromthe environmental chamber and replacing it with amore efficient rack system built from raw Figure 2 – New shelves in usematerials and modifying a surplus table to serve asa batching table

Conference Session

Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Melinda Seevers, Boise State University; Pat Pyke, Boise State University; William Knowlton, Boise State University; Cheryl Schrader, Boise State University; John Gardner, Boise State University

response to theseconcerns, a program was initiated in the Boise State University College of Engineering toimprove lower division retention via research and internships. Inclusion of lower divisionstudents in both university research and industry internships is contrary to prevailing perceptionsof student capabilities. However, lower division engineering students generally possessnumerous basic skills that enable them to work in an engineering environment where they cangain experience and confidence. Phase One of the Retention through Research and InternshipsProgram was a pilot program in which seven first year engineering students were placed inresearch laboratories with faculty mentors within the College of Engineering during the 2004-05academic

Conference Session

Graduate Education and Undergraduate Research in ET

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Scott Schneider, University of Dayton

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

An Undergraduate Research Experience in Engineering TechnologyAbstractTo initiate the development of an autonomous vehicle to participate in the Intelligent GroundVehicle Competition, a multidisciplinary undergraduate research course was established duringthe summer of 2005 within the Engineering Technology Department. This was the first time anundergraduate research component has been offered to students within the EngineeringTechnology Department at the University of Dayton. The course was conducted using anindependent study format with several team meetings to monitor individual student progress andto provide collaborative feedback to the students. The participants were expected to performactivities related to

Conference Session

International Engineering Education II

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Greg Mowry, University of St. Thomas-St. Paul

Tagged Divisions

International

implemented, then Moldova would serve as an ideal location fortesting such a system. Research on such a system is underway. Furthermore, since the generalpopulation of Moldova is educated, the wide spread implementation of such systems could bemaintained and given sufficient system design foresight, the isolated wind turbine installationsmight ultimately be connectable into a country-wide rural power grid. Finally, the possibility ofmanufacturing such systems in Moldova might help the local economy and serve as a test-casefor economic development in other countries.Research in MoldovaThe funding for this exploratory research opportunity in Moldova was enabled by an INTREUgrant7, 8. The initial contact and round of exploratory discussions with the

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Angela Bielefeldt, University of Colorado-Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

students who worked on theFiltrón was initially planning to do a full thesis, but due to a combination of funding challenges Page 11.1361.5and a lack of passion for lab work opted for an Independent Study report instead. These graduatestudents include 2 women and 2 underrepresented minorities researching the Filtrón or AST (of 3students total). Students working on other Environmental Engineering research under Dr.Bielefeldt’s mentoring from 2000 to 2005 include 5 women, 1 minority, and 1 internationalstudent (of six total).SurveyA written survey instrument was developed to evaluate the potential benefits of the studentresearch and independent study

Conference Session

Building Communities for Engineering Education Research

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sally Fincher, University of Kent at Canterbury; Josh Tenenberg, University of Washington-Tacoma

Tagged Divisions

Educational Research and Methods

. Page 11.296.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 Building and Assessing Capacity in Engineering Education Research: The Bootstrapping ModelAbstractImprovements in engineering education will depend to a great extent on the availability of soundengineering education research. But how does a researcher, trained in engineering, begin to carryout education research, relying as it does upon non-engineering methodologies “borrowed” fromthe learning sciences? In response to these concerns, there have recently been initiatives indeveloping educational research expertise among engineering educators. In this paper wedescribe a multi-institutional, multi-national model (which we call Bootstrapping) designed

Conference Session

Sustainable Engineering

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Beckman, University of Pittsburgh; Gena Kovalcik, University of Pittsburgh; Mary Besterfield-Sacre, University of Pittsburgh; Robert Ries, University of Pittsburgh; Kim Needy, University of Pittsburgh; Laura Schaefer, University of Pittsburgh; Larry Shuman, University of Pittsburgh

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

2006-737: COMBINING GRADUATE STUDIES, RESEARCH ANDINTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES IN SUSTAINABILITYEric Beckman, University of Pittsburgh Eric J. Beckman received his BS degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980, and his Ph.D. in 1988 from the Polymer Science Department at the University of Massachusetts. In 2000, Dr. Beckman was made the first Bayer Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He served as Associate Dean for Research from 2000-2001, and chairman of chemical engineering from 2001-2005. In 2003 he created the Mascaro Sustainability Initiative at the University of Pittsburgh to foster interdisciplinary research

Conference Session

Topical Public Policy Issues

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Devin Stewart, National Academy of Engineering; Norman Fortenberry, National Academy of Engineering

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) during his January 2006 State of the Union Address. Though the Gathering Storm report has done much to spotlight STEM education issues, ithas brought little interest to education research in particular. The report’s educationrecommendations are mostly in line with the priorities mentioned above; the highest-priorityrecommendation is to address K-12 science and mathematics education, and higher educationrecommendations focus on undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships for STEMstudents, as well as visa reform for international students. While these recommendations arelaudable and their implementation would constitute a great improvement to the United States'science and engineering enterprise, the report

Conference Session

BME Curriculum Development

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ann Saterbak, Rice University; Michele Follen, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Rice University

Tagged Divisions

Biomedical

beginning of this period and present aposter of their project at the end of the summer.Faculty from the University of Texas at Austin, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, the Universityof Texas Health Science Center-Houston, and Rice University have participated in this program.Students from the University of Texas (summers of 2004, 2005) and Rice University (summer of2005) have participated in the program. The program evaluations showed an increase in studentinterest in translational research careers. We believe programs of this kind will create anundergraduate experience that is well suited to develop a new generation of translationalresearchers in medicine and biomedical engineering.MotivationThe NIH Roadmap Initiative identified opportunities in

Conference Session

Practice/Partnership/Program Issues

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Edmond Saliklis, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Architectural

2006-1096: “PUTTING A FENCE AROUND” ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERINGUNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECTSEdmond Saliklis, California Polytechnic State University Page 11.1464.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 “Putting a fence around” architectural engineering undergraduate research projectsBackground and Literature Review: The purpose of this paper is to provide practical suggestions of how to design andmost importantly, how to limit the scope of proposed projects such that that anarchitectural engineering student can successfully participate in undergraduate research.Throughout the paper, the pedagogical benefits of such research

Conference Session

Environmental Engineering Division Poster Session

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lashun King, Tennessee State University; Thomas Byl, U.S. Geological Survey; Roger Painter, Tennessee State University

Tagged Divisions

Environmental Engineering

2006-1662: RESEARCH APPROACH TO TEACHING GROUNDWATERBIODEGRADATION IN KARST AQUIFERSLashun King, Tennessee State University Graduate Research Assistant, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Tennessee State University,Thomas Byl, U.S. Geological Survey Research Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey,640 Grassmere Park, Suite 100,Nashville, TN 37211 (tdbyl@usgs.gov)Roger Painter, Tennessee State University Page 11.1083.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 Research-enhanced Approach to Teaching Groundwater Biodegradation in Karst Aquifers Abstract – TSU

Conference Session

Using Teams, Seminars & Research Opportunities for Retention

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Carolyn Vallas, University of Virginia; Anaïs Miodek, University of Virginia; Larry Richards, University of Virginia

Tagged Divisions

Women in Engineering

. Applicants must have completed their second year of an engineering, pre-engineeringor science-based program, and applicants are especially encouraged from engineering majors, Page 11.111.4applied mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry. In addition, applicants must demonstratethat they are in above average academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.Applicants are required to submit a statement of their research interest, their resume and twoletters of recommendation. Based on these materials, an initial screening of the applications thatmeet all basic requirements is conducted by the CDE. The basic standards of each year areinfluenced

Conference Session

Curriculum Development and Applications

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Eric Wiebe, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Design Graphics

Page 11.1369.6Work by our research group has conducted investigations extending and exploring theheuristics presented above. One line of work has used eye tracking technology toinvestigate the interaction of graphics, text, and narration. Eye tracking is a particularlypowerful tool to quantify how visual attention is distributed over time and space as alearner interacts with instructional material. By recording eye movements, how muchtime is spent on different learning elements and in what order can be recorded andanalyzed.An initial study by Slyhkuis, et al.43, 44 showed that graphics in a PowerPoint slideattracted visual attention regardless as to its relevance to the content presented in the text.While irrelevant graphics garnered

Conference Session

Graduate Education and Undergraduate Research in ET

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Saeed Foroudastan, Middle Tennessee State University; michael anderton, Middle Tennessee State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering Technology

2006-1794: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY ATMIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITYSaeed Foroudastan, Middle Tennessee State University Dr. Saeed D. Foroudastan is the Associate Dean of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences and Professor of Engineering technology at Middle Tennessee State University. He received his B.S. in Civil Engineering (1980), his M.S. in Civil Engineering (1982), and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (1987) from Tennessee Technological University. Professor Foroudastan's employment vitae includes: Assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering for Tennessee Technological University, Senior Engineer, Advanced Development Department, Textron