Hisham E. Hegab - US grants

ABSTRACT CTS-9871406 Kathleen Johnston, Steven A. Jones, James L. Maxwell Louisiana Tech University Title: The Multidisciplinary Equipment Enhancement Project Louisiana Tech University will purchase research equipment to be shared by a multidisciplinary team headed by Prof. K. Johnston. The university will cost-share over 45% of the acquisition. The equipment includes a Cosmic Ray Test Stand with Data Acquisition, a Circuit Board Design Station, a Particle Image Velocimetry System, a Laser Doppler Velocimetry System, and a Computer-Network System. The shared instrumentation will be managed by the Center for Applied Physical Studies at Louisiana Tech University, for research in Particle Physics, Fluids Engineering, Micromanufacturing and Biomedical Engineering. The four groups are linked at the project level, for example in the Positron Emission Tomography project.

This Nanotechnology in Undergraduate Education (NUE) award to Louisiana Tech University supports Dr. Hisham Hegab, Mechanical Engineering Program, for his work to teach fundamental concepts of nanosystems engineering to engineering and science students within the College of Engineering & Science at Louisiana Tech University and to invigorate interest in science and engineering through demonstrations to local high schools in northern Louisiana. The project investigators will create a series of hands-on active learning modules targeted for different educational levels (e.g, high school students, freshman undergraduates, sophomore undergraduates) to teach fundamental concepts in nanotechnology such as nanostructures, scanning probe methods, nanofabrication techniques, and fundamental phenomena in nanoscale materials. These learning modules will be incorporated into existing curricula through courses at the freshman level and by the development of a new sophomore-level course entitled "Fundamentals of Nanosystems Engineering". The course materials developed for this project will also be made available through a web-based online set of manuals and through the National Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Digital Library (NSDL) so that they may be used by other institutions across the nation. The project investigators will also perform outreach demonstrations using some of the modules to regional secondary schools around Louisiana Tech and at University sponsored outreach events.

The proposal for this award was received in response to the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Education announcement, NSF 03-044, category NUE and was jointly funded by the Division of Design, Manufacture and Industrial Innovation (DMII) and the Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) both in the Directorate for Engineering (ENG).

Engineering - Other (59)

This project is developing a freshman and sophomore engineering course sequence meshing robotics with engineering fundamentals creating a sustainable, project driven curriculum. The entire freshman year is focusing on robotics: the students are purchasing Boe-Bot robotics kits with a basic micro-controller. The ownership and maintenance of the lab is in the hands of the students creating an environment where they can work in their rooms on laboratory exercises and product development. Student ownership of the laboratory is changing the way engineering is approached, particularly for low-level classes. The labs are motivating learning, broadening the spectrum of projects and design topics that can be addressed, and providing a high degree of experiential learning for the students. The curriculum is impacting approximately 1500 freshman and sophomore students annually.

The educational implications of using resources and space controlled by the students are being assessed in terms of curriculum sustainability and in terms of student confidence, creativity, design skills, engineering fundamentals, and retention. Dissemination of the results and educational materials through conference publications, workshops for faculty and a website is encouraging implementation of the living with the lab concept at other institutions.

This Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) in Engineering program entitled NUE: Teaching Undergraduates Nanomanufacturing Engineering (TUNE), at Louisiana Tech University under the direction of Dr. James Palmer, will produce nanosystems engineering graduates with the critical thinking and mnaufacturing skills necessary to meet the nation's workforce needs in nanotechnology. This project will create a new junior level nanomanufacturing laboratory course that focuses beyond fundamental nanofabrication techniques to consider the production engineering aspects of nanomanufacturing through effective characterization of the manufacturing process; integrate a focus on nanomanufacturing into capstone senior projects; connect industry to Louisiana Tech's Nanosystems Engineering degree program; and recruit future nanosystems engineering from underrepresented groups in STEM.

Louisiana Tech University is a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) and Research (CAE-R) and is currently the only university in the state to hold both education and research designations. Louisiana Tech is proposing a CyberCorps(R): Scholarship for Service (SFS) program (SFS@LaTech) to prepare highly-qualified cybersecurity professionals for entry into the government workforce. The program proposes to support 36 SFS@LaTech Scholars to complete either a B.S. degree in Cyber Engineering or Computer Science with Cybersecurity concentration, or obtain an M.S. degree in computer science with an additional focus on information assurance. The program recruitment and selection plans are designed to attract a diverse and inclusive mix of Scholars, targeting awards for 40% of the scholarships to women and underrepresented groups in this field. The overall objective is to use the SFS@LaTech program to produce exceptionally prepared cyber professionals that can help the nation address its critical need for technical leaders in this field and build a pipeline of graduates to enter positions in government service.

Louisiana Tech has in place a strong set of academic degree programs and proposed activities for the students in the SFS@LaTech program. In 2012, Louisiana Tech University established the first Bachelor of Science in Cyber Engineering degree program in the nation. The SFS@LaTech program will leverage the pioneering courses developed for this program, many of which are also available to the Computer Science majors concentrating in cybersecurity. Curricula include the Introduction to Network Security course, which culminates in an annual day-long cyber security competition called Cyber Storm. In this event, student teams compete in a cyber-ops environment where they test their skills in network defense and attack strategies. The project will also leverage Louisiana Tech's strong relationships, through its Louisiana Tech Research Institute (LTRI) and government agencies. These relationships aim to provide mentored project opportunities for SFS@LaTech scholars as well as connections to internships and full-time employment opportunities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.