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Control System Technologies

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Teaching

My overriding philosophy is to create and transmit knowledge for the betterment of society. This drives everything I do first as a faculty member to engage in service and in scholarly work leading to funding and publications.

My overall educational philosophy follows the Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate (CDIO www.cdio.org) model of engineering that strives to include in courses aspects of conceptualization, design under constraints, real world implementation, and system operation. I am also a strong advocate of revamping the laboratory exposure throughout undergraduate engineering education, and especially during the freshman and sophomore years to directly impact retention. The critical importance of laboratories in engineering instruction has been reaffirmed over the years by the ASEE in several reports. The administrative challenges to establishing/increasing and then maintaining experiential learning are not trivial and include (i) availability of space in the curricula to add laboratory courses; (ii) funding for lab equipment and maintenance; (iii) space constraints as most lab space may have been converted to graduate research space; and (iv) dedicated faculty for instruction and for preparation of labs that are modern, project-based, inquisitive, and synchronized with the lectures.

My personal educational philosophy centers on offering well-organized, technology-enhanced lectures with meaningful and thought-provoking examples, challenging students to be analytical and resourceful, and doing everything I can to instill a conscious research mind. When students internalize the research cycle – ask a question, find what others have done, reformulate the question, offer an analysis route or new technique, and present to peers – then they learn to teach themselves and teach others. Hence, I strive to ensure that undergraduate students reach a point where they can teach themselves to learn and that graduate students learn to teach others.

I have an interest in teaching circuits (analog and digital), signals and systems, and especially courses that deal with the theory of control systems analysis and design, with the implementation of microprocessor-based feedback control algorithms, and with the mathematics of systems-oriented analysis and design. I enjoy the highly interdisciplinary nature of controls and have always benefited from a mixed engineering student audience in my courses. Course evaluations from students have typically been on the positive side with well above average scores in terms of instructor preparedness and overall quality of instruction.

Undergraduate/Graduate Student Mentoring

  1. Eric Dunn. Honors Thesis “Derivation, Implementation, Testing, and Control of Constrained and Unconstrained Models for Flexible Slewing Beams”, 5/90 BSEE Tulane University.
  2. Tammam Dandashi. Honors Thesis “Time-Optimal Control Laws for Second Order Linear Systems”, 5/92 BSEE Tulane University.
  3. Yardiel Fuentes. MSEE, Tulane University 5/92 “Analysis, Design and Control of the Direct-Drive, Redundant Manipulator”.
  4. Chia-Chang Tong. MSEE, Tulane University 5/93 “A Flexible Beam Instrumented with an Ultrasonic Ranging System”.
  5. David Silver. Honors Thesis “Design of an Undergraduate Control Systems Station”, 5/94 BSEE Tulane University.
  6. Mahdi Issa. Honors Thesis “Computer Implementation of Time-Optimal Control Laws”, 5/94 BSEE Tulane University.
  7. John David Nolen. Honors Thesis “Thermomechanical Modeling and Control of a Nitinol Helix Spring”, 5/95 BSEE Tulane University.
  8. Todd Anderson. “Motorcycle Cruise Control”, 5/95 BSEE Tulane University
  9. Jorge Donato. MSEE, Tulane University 12/95 “Fuzzy Domain Transformation for Analog Fuzzy Controller Implementation”.
  10. Mahdi Issa. MSEE, Tulane University 12/95 “Optimal P-LEAD and PI-LEAD Controller Design”.
  11. Chia-Chang Tong. Ph.D, EE Department, Tulane University, 12/95 “Time Optimal Control Theory: A Continuation Approach”.
  12. Ryan J. Lucas. MSEE, Tulane University 5/96 “Design of Dual Motor Control System for Three-Wheeled Vehicle”.
  13. David Sheppard. MSEE, Tulane University 5/96 “A Matlab Robotic Toolbox”.
  14. Kan Xu. MSEE, Tulane University 8/96 “Variable Structure Control of a Long Flexible Arm with Reaction Actuators”.
  15. Wanda Solano. MSEE, Tulane Univ. 8/96 “Simulated Estimation of Robotic Dynamic Parameters”.
  16. Brian Buss. “Design of a Control Station using Simulink: Hardware”, BSEE Tulane University 5/97
  17. Rodolfo Salinas MSEE, Tulane University 5/97 “Time Optimal and Sliding Mode Control of Flexible Structures”.
  18. G. Mc Croskey. “Nonlinear Differential Equations as Analog Circuits”, BSEE Tulane University 5/98
  19. Irfan Sayyad. “Simulink Model of TUMA for Application in Welding”, BSEE Tulane University 5/98
  20. Claudia Kent. “Infrared Communication of AM/FM Radio”, BSEE Tulane University 5/98
  21. Rocio Alba Flores. Ph.D. EECS Department, Tulane University, 12/99 “On Optimal Tracking and Sliding Mode Control with Application to Vibration Quenching”.
  22. Rene Salmón. MSEE, Tulane University 5/99 “Modeling and Control of a 2D Heat Transfer Problem”.
  23. S. Briscoe. “Camera Motion Sensing using a Tiltmeter”, BSEE Tulane University 5/02
  24. C. Dunbar. “Model and Simulation of the MAGLEV”, BSEE Tulane University 5/02
  25. Jamie G. Austin. Honors Thesis “Improving the Accuracy of a Fluid Mixer and Providing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for its Control”, BSEE Tulane University, 5/03
  26. Slobodanka Muzdeka. Ph.D. EECS Department, Tulane University, 8/04 “Application of Control Systems in Defibrillation”.
  27. S. Motamarri. MSEE, Univ. of Houston, ECE Dept. 12/04 “Prototype EVRA Control Design”, (Co-Advisor with E. J. Charlson)
  28. Cesar Felizzola. MSET, University of Houston, ET Department, December 2011 “Optimal Defibrillating Pulse Synthesis”. E. Barbieri and V. Tzouanas, co-advisors.
  29. Fabiana Manzo. MSET, University of Houston, December 2011 “Design and Implementation of Effective Control Strategies for Energy Efficient Distillation Processes”. E. Barbieri and V. Tzouanas, co-advisors.
  30. Shahrock Yousefi. MSET, University of North Texas, May 2014 “Automation of a Heat Shrinking Wire Harness System”.
  31. Abhinai Kakumani. MSET Project, University of North Texas, May 2015 “Control and Automation of a Linear Actuator System for a Heat Shrink Tubing Process”.
  32. Murali Shankar. MSET Project, University of North Texas, December 2015, “PLC Implementation of a Heat Shrinking Tubing Process”.

Teaching Award

1995-1996 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, Tulane University, Graduate School Student Association.

Courses

Tulane University 1988-2002

Control Area

ELEN346 “Introduction to Control Systems’’ – Junior Engineering
ELEN642 “Digital Control Systems” – Senior/Graduate
ELEN643 “Optimal Control” – Senior/Graduate
ELEN645 “Modern Control Systems” – Senior/Graduate
ELEN646 “Nonlinear Control” – Senior/Graduate

Signals & Systems Area

ELEN321 “Signals and Systems” – Junior EE and CPE
ELEN701 “Systems Theory” – Graduate

Circuits Area

ELEN201 “Circuits I” – Sophomore Engineering
ELEN202 “Circuits II” – Sophomore EE and CPE
ELEN204 “Laboratory I” – Sophomore EE

Computer Engineering

ELEN441 “Microprocessor Hardware and Software”, Senior
ELEN627 “Advanced Microprocessors”, Senior/Graduate

Senior Design

ELEN 491/492 – Year long design – Senior EE
CPEN485/486 – Year long design – Senior CPE
University of Houston 2002-2012 and 2018-date

Signals & Systems Area

ELET 3301 “Linear Systems”

Control Area

ELET 4304 “Control Systems I”
ELET 4104 “Control Systems I – Lab”

Graduate

ELET 6100 “Seminar”
ELET 6305 “Analytical Methods in ET”
ELET 6304 “Applied Digital Control Systems”
ELET 6397 “Modern Control Systems Applications”
University of North Texas 2012-2018

Undergraduate/Graduate

ELET 4720 “Control Systems”
MSES 5310 “Industrial Process Controls”
MSES 5800 “Modern Control Systems Applications”
MSET 5040 “Analytical Methods in ET”