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Novel STEM Research Programs Could Minimize Attrition in Undergraduate Engineering

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Conference

2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Tampa, Florida

Publication Date

June 15, 2019

Start Date

June 15, 2019

End Date

June 19, 2019

Conference Session

Student Division Technical Session 5

Tagged Division

Student

Page Count

7

DOI

10.18260/1-2--33136

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/33136

Download Count

315

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Paper Authors

biography

Garrett Thomas Burrows University of Wyoming

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Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering & Astronomy Student.

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biography

Mike Borowczak University of Wyoming Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-9409-8245

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Dr. Mike Borowczak is an Assitant Professor of Computer Science and the Director of the Cybersecurity Education and Research center (CEDAR) at the University of Wyoming. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering (2013) as well as his BS in Computer Engineering (2007) from the University of Cincinnati. His research focused on detection and prevention of information leakage from hardware side channels. His current research interests include investigating the safety, resilience, and security of decentralized components, devices, and system architectures from theoretical modeling, to simulation and practical implementations. He is also involved in K-20 CS/cybersecurity education research and was the 2019 RMS ASEE conference co-chair.

Mike also has over a decade of industry and research experience – mostly revolving around the semiconductor and bioinformatics industries – with specific experience at Texas Instruments, Intel, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. In addition to his industry experience, Mike spent two years, while completing his Ph.D., as a National Science Foundation GK-12 fellow – teaching and bringing real-world STEM applications in two urban high schools. Since then, he has worked with university faculty to promote and extend K20 STEM outreach in Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming.
He has authored peer-reviewed articles and papers, presented at national and international conferences, and taught undergraduate/graduate courses in Computer Security, Data Mining, VLSI and pedagogy in STEM.

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Abstract

Many institutions across the country suffer from a high attrition rate in their engineering programs, especially between the freshman and sophomore levels. A summer-long research and development experience can aid undergraduate mechanical engineering students in gaining and reinforcing skills critical to success in their programs. The research opportunity presented to two first-year mechanical engineering students at the University of Wyoming introduced them to engineering concepts such as coding, and project management as well as reinforcing concepts like physical production. The student-researchers were given firm deadlines to design and produce a wearable badge for a “GenCyber” summer camp sponsored by the NSA. The badge needed to harbor a programmable micro-controller in the form of a Microbit, an exchangeable nametag, and a functioning display system. With these requirements in mind, the researchers were given full control over all aspects of design, resource management, and production. The result of this research opportunity included a demonstration of an improved sense of unit cost; from the initial design of the badge to the final design of the badge the overall cost declined by 40%. In addition, the researchers gained 50 hours of coding experience in JavaScript and cybersecurity concepts through the summer camp. The student-researchers also got hands-on experience in resource management by controlling and managing themselves, their time, and their equipment. Already, the student-researchers have been able to apply the knowledge gained through the camp in their second year at the university. A research opportunity similar to the one presented can give students the skills they need to further their engineering careers.

Burrows, G. T., & Borowczak, M. (2019, June), Novel STEM Research Programs Could Minimize Attrition in Undergraduate Engineering Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. 10.18260/1-2--33136

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