Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Elif Kongar; Tarek Sobh

A Preemptive Goal Programming Model for the Sustainability of Growth in Engineering Colleges Elif Kongar*Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Technology Management. University of Bridgeport Tarek Sobh University of Bridgeport AbstractToday, ever-decreasing budgets and dynamic variations in the number of both faculty and student bodiesare two major challenges that most U.S. universities deal with. In addition to the effort to solve theseproblems, every higher education institution also concentrates on ensuring its sustainability in

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

David I. Schwartz

7game changes discretely or continuously by approximation within a unit of time. In either case, a scoringfunction can measure the temporal game state.Although game theory and the study of algorithmic game complexity offer similar “in-roads” to gamesand engineering mathematics theory, they do not easily handle realistic games a student might wish tobuild and/or study. Reducing a game’s representation into the proposed two-dimensional functional formaddresses both practicality and theory. As shown in this paper, a variety of educational concepts wouldbenefit from application and study of scoring functions: • Describing the relations between points, scores, and measures of game state can demonstrate applications of discrete and

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Dean M. Aslam; Zongliang Cao; Cyrous Rostamzadeh

on a restructuring of schoolscience around real-world problems [1], inquiry based studies [2][3][4][5] including Design-Based Science(DBS) [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] and Learning By Design (LBD) [16][17][18], augmented reality(AR) [19][20][21][22][23][24][25], and Technology Assisted Science, Engineering and Mathematics (TASEM)[26][27][28]. A unique feature of the TASEM program is that it, encompassing a number of inquiry-basedhands-on ideas, focuses on current and future technologies and it is capable of dealing with a variety of learningconcepts and environments studied by other researchers [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. BecauseTASEM is based on technology, it can address (a) technological learning issues in a

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Roy T.R. McGrann

courseMechanical Engineering Design (ME 392) and, in the senior year, by the two-semester capstone designsequence (ME 493/ME 494).Departmental Course Review Process and ABET AccreditationABET requires that accredited engineering programs show that their graduates attain certain abilities,understandings, knowledge and recognitions. These characteristics are listed in the document Criteriafor Accrediting Engineering Programs 4 and are commonly referred to as “3(a-k).” As stated in thecriteria: “Engineering programs must demonstrate that their students attain: (a) an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering (b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data (c) an ability to

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Aaron S. Bradshaw; Gary N. McCloskey; Franklin Miguel

is centered on the concept of reflective action to foster development of “soft” engineering skillsthrough guided reflection about action at various stages in the design process on the relation of theoriesand practices to the specific context for which a design is being developed. According to Killion andTodnem (1991) “Through reflection, we develop context-specific theories that further our own 1understanding of our work and generate knowledge to inform future practice.” In this approach,reflection on the context-specific design also becomes a means for ongoing development of a repertoire ofapproaches that interconnect the technical and “soft” engineering

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Philip L. Brach; Ahmet Zeytinci

youngsters have an inquisitive mindand when nurtured have the potential for some engineering or related technical career. As we venture intothe future it is imperative that we (engineering faculty) reach out to the youngsters of every gender andethnic identity exposing them to the essence of engineering, exciting them to consider joining our ranksfor the future well-being of humankind.PHILIP L. BRACH, PH.D., P.E., F-NSPEDistinguished Professor (Emeritus), former Dean, Past President, DCSPE, current DCSPE Representative to theNSPE House of Delegates. Currently teaching and doing research in the Civil Engineering and STEM programs atUDC. He is the Past State Coordinator for DC MATHCOUNTS and has over 45 years of teaching, engineeringpractice and

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Hudson V. Jackson; Evelyn A. Ellis

aligned with the realworld needs of business and industry. Several programs such as STEM summer programs and internshipshave been developed to address these issues, but to a large extent, such programs are short-term based.Additionally, they mostly target high school students; are only applicable in one grade level; or are onetime project-based events. What would be the impact of systematically exposing PK through high schoolstudents to engineering concepts, applications, and career opportunities on a long-term, continuous basisat each grade level? If students are constantly reminded that engineering is part of their daily lives, thiscould generate a lifetime interest in the engineering profession and engage them in benefiting humanity.The

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Elif Kongar; Paul Kontogiorgis; Nancy L. Russo; Tarek Sobh

and manufacturing as the leading contributor to gross domesticproduct in the world today. As the global economy has become more integrated, and the demand for aworkforce required to run service-focused organizations in an efficient manner grows, the level andvariety of skills needed in this new service economy have also changed and grown. In particular, thegrowth rate of technology-driven service industries is significantly outpacing the growth in other service-oriented sectors. It has been argued that women in general possess many characteristics that make themoptimal candidates to fulfill this workforce gap. However, the percentage of women enrolled inengineering, technology and related programs have been dropping. This paper attempts to

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Interactive Web Based Animation Software: An Efficient Way to Increase the Engineering Student’s Fundamental Understanding of Particle Kinematics and KineticsAbstractAnimation software for an introductory Dynamics course has been developed, which may be asupplement to the proposed text: Riley, Sturges, Stanley “Dynamics”, 3rd Edition (Wiley andSons, Inc. New York). This interactive software is unique because each animation is directlylinked to a homework problem and no programming is required of the user. The animations areweb-based (hard-coded in Adobe Flash Action Script), so no external computer programs areneeded.The software was piloted in two sections of Dynamics during the fall term of 2007, where it

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

R. Radharamanan; Ha Van Vo

CAD/CAM and Robotics Applications in Laboratory-Learning Environment R. Radharamanan and Ha Van Vo School of Engineering, Mercer University, Macon, GA 31207-0001, USAAbstractIn this paper, how the design/automation hardware and software and manufacturing laboratory facilitiesare effectively integrated to teach Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing(CAM), CAD/CAM integration, and robotics with appropriate hands-on experiences in the Biomedical,Mechanical, and Industrial Engineering Programs are presented and discussed. A typical CAD moduledeveloped and taught in Biomedical Engineering includes the use of patient-specific 2D

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Christopher W. Swan; Julia Carroll

engineeringeducation has been similar to that of three to four decades ago. One of the more recent, substantial changes in engineering education was theimplementation of what is commonly referred to as “ABET 2000”, which moved ABET from a“bean counting” mentality in what constitutes a good engineering program, to a structure whereprograms must demonstrate, via appropriate assessment, that desired program objectives andoutcomes are being achieved.3 Specifically, ABET program outcomes include the development of student’s value ofprofessionalism and ethics and the ability to effectively communicate. ABET does not stipulatethe methods for achieving these or other outcomes, rather it requires a demonstration that theyare being achieved, normally via

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Eileen M. Kowalski; Joe D. Manous

, while they described their rationale and methodology to members of theChemistry and Environmental Engineering faculty. Each student was provided the same selection ofproblems. Outcomes of these interviews are presented as trends in recall of basic facts (e.g., students know thatbrackets indicate concentration in molarity), concept recognition (e.g., students identify conservation ofenergy in a heat transfer problem), or general problem solving skills (drawing sketches, identifyingknown and unknown variables). The strength or weakness in conceptual understanding will be comparedto the students’ exposure to these concepts in the college curriculum. The discussion also includes ananalysis of fundamentals (e.g., mathematics) related to the

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

) is one of the nation’s four federalservice academies. CGA focuses on the academic, military and physical development ofyoung men and women as leaders in service to our nation. CGA provides the U. S. CoastGuard (USCG) with approximately 190 new Coast Guard officers each year. Upongraduation, each graduate receives a commission as an Ensign in the Coast Guard and aBachelors of Science degree in one of eight fields. The Civil Engineering program, one offour engineering majors at CGA, averages 30 graduates per year. The CGA Civilprogram has taken advantage of the small class size in its development of the capstonedesign course. Students work in teams on several projects each year with clients in theCoast Guard or the local community.In the late

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Ali Setoodehnia; Kamal Shahrabi; Anthony Manno

How to Improve Student’s Retention Rate in Science and Technology Dr. Ali Setoodehnia Chair, School of Electronics and Computers ITT-TECH, Woburn MA asetoodehnia@itt-tech.edu Dr. Kamal Shahrabi Dean, School of Engineering Technologies Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY kamal.shahrabi@farmingdale.edu Anthony Manno Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department Kean University, Union, NJ

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Arthur Heinricher; Brian Savilonis; David Spanagel; Robert Traver; Kristin Wobbe

Great Problems Seminars: A New First-Year Foundation at WPI Arthur Heinricher1, Brian Savilonis2, David Spanagel3, Robert Traver4, Kristin Wobbe5AbstractThe Great Problems Seminars are a new program designed to engage Worcester PolytechnicInstitute’s first-year students with current events, societal problems, and human needs. Eachseminar starts with an important global problem and helps students to find a place where they canmake real progress, no matter how small, in solving the problem.Four WPI faculty representing Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and Humanities developedand delivered two Great Problems Seminars in 2007. Feed the World

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Richard B. Mindek

control, and remote I/O.Today, PLC’s are used in all facets of industry, provide a broad range of functions, can be programmedusing a desktop personal computer, and can be purchased for as little as several hundred dollars. Withsuch broad use in industry, wide-ranging application in engineering related fields and availability to usersat all levels, it is imperative that engineering educators provide young engineers with a fundamentalunderstanding of the operation and capabilities of PLCs. This task has recently been undertaken withinthe Mechanical Engineering Program at Western New England College, through the building of a PLCplatform and development of a PLC laboratory. This laboratory is unique in that it is designed to allowstudents to self

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Harry Knickle; Don Gray

ABET 1There are five objectives of the data acquisition and control part of the senior laboratory..Each of these are related to the ABET outcomes indicated by the letter following eachoutcome.The student will learn1. to develop the laboratory skills needed for data acquisition and control. (b)2. to integrate data acquisition and control with the use of the microcomputer. (b),(k)3. to reinforce the concepts in the chemical engineering control course. (e)4. to be able to report experimental results in an engineering format. (g)5. to be able to work in teams. (d)The ABET program outcomes related to the above objectives are:Engineering programs must

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

John Adams; Charles Kochakian

were a number of other gains from the process of adopting RFID, including theestablishment of a working relationship with the college’s business school, obtaining significantequipment donations from a wide range of industry partners, and creating co-op, internship,research, and job opportunities. Going forward, the department plans to use its experience withRFID to serve as a template for including future “disruptive technologies” in the curriculum, asRFID will eventually become more of a commodity rather than the emerging technology it isnow.References[1] CRITERIA FOR ACCREDITING ENGINEERING PROGRAMS Effective for Evaluations During the2007-2008 Accreditation Cycle, ABET, Baltimore, MD.[2]Yu and Peters: “Bottom Up Program Assessment using

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Saikat Ray

no-stipend policy. Thus,they may have weaker background than the post-bachelor’s Ph.D. students. Usually, post-bachelor’s Ph.D.students (for completing their Master’s level requirements) and M.S. students take the same classes. This 1poses no problem in schools with thriving Ph.D. programs and correspondingly large number of Ph.D.students with a stronger background because then the difficulty level of the classes can be set by the Ph.D.students. In fact, a “notch higher” difficulty level of the classes may benefit and motivate the M.S.students.Not all universities with a graduate program, however, are research-oriented or have a strong Ph.D.program, A number of engineering schools in the

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Abdelrahman Elleithy; Alaa Abuzaghleh; Abdelshakour Abuzneid

received special training in the fabrication technologies of micro-electro-mechanical systems in theNew Jersey Institute of Technology in summers of 2006 and 2007.Ala’a Abuzaghleh is a MS student in the department of Computer Science and Engineering at theUniversity of Bridgeport. He has research interests in object oriented programming and web applications.Abdelshakour Abuzneid has received his BS degree in Computer Engineering and Control fromYarmouk University and MS degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Bridgeport in May2007. Currently he is pursuing his PhD in Computer Science & Engineering from the University ofBridgeport. His research interest is in Data / computer / wireless / mobile communications. He haspublished few

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

M. Ali Montazer

regardless of size, budget and product mix.More recently, as a decision support tool, simulation modeling has also become aneffective and easy-to-use tool in implementing Lean / Six sigma programs. West Point, NY - ASEE Zone I 2008 ConferenceLean / Six Sigma ConceptsThe concepts of Lean / Six Sigma trace their origins in Industrial Engineering whereunderstanding the basics of production systems for planning, scheduling, and controllingproduction amounts and timing are fundamental to the discipline. In its simplestmeaning, Lean refers to efforts to eliminate waste in a system or a process, maintainingcontinuous improvement, and bringing greater efficiencies to the production operation.The paperback book by Womack et al (1991

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

M.G. Guvench

-around times do not allow the graduatingclass to have a chance to test and verify their design, and get the satisfaction and the real world experience oftesting. By using MOSIS fabricated designs of previous generations, this missing link was completed.1. Introduction and BackgroundThe paper describes how MOSIS fabricated CMOS Operational Amplifiers are used as a real worlddesign experience in a senior level Analog Integrated Circuit Course in Electrical Engineering at theUniversity of Southern Maine.Design is an ABET requirement that every engineering student should experience before graduation.Although this experience can be left to the capstone project most engineering programs require,considering the diversity of electrical engineering

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Abdelrahman M. Rabie; Rahman Haleem

resurgence in bilingualcurricula and programs. Globalization have attributed to this resurgence, where there is an ever-increasingdemand for ‘mobile’ workforce capable of communicating, both socially and professionally, withcoworkers of different mother languages.The paper describes and assesses three models for multilingual curricula. The models are assessed basedon satisfying the cultural and professional aspects of the language. A bilingual English/Arabic model wasdeveloped and implemented at Zayed University. The model is designed to keep away from theshortcomings in currently used models.IntroductionAccording to a recent survey study1 by the Modern Language Association of America(MLA) “Language study at American colleges and universities has

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

David Evanko; Arend Dorsett; Chiu Choi

A Ball-on-Beam System with an Embedded Controller David Evanko, Arend Dorsett, Chiu Choi, Ph.D., P.E. Department of Electrical Engineering University of North FloridaAbstract --This paper describes the design and construction of a ball-on-beam balance system driven byan embedded controller. This embedded control system is intended for linear controls education. Theadvantages of this system are as follows: first, it can be used for demonstrating proportional, PI, PD, PID,and velocity feedback controllers in action. Among these controllers, the velocity feedback wasimplemented into the embedded controller for controlling the position of