Potential student research projects for Capstone courses, Individual Study Projects and Master's Theses are listed below. If you are interested in any of these topics you should contact the PCSE faculty member identified with it. Faculty are generally interested in refining or modifying the topics to accommodate your interests and aspirations.

Physics

Developing Sensors for NonDestructive Evaluation of Materials (Dr. Selim)
The purpose of this research is to develop sensors for aerospace applications.

Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUID) as Magnetic Sensors (Dr. Selim)
Defects in aluminium structures can lead to catastrophic failures. Sensors that can detect these defects without destroying the structure are important. SQUID's will play a role in the development of these sensors

High Magnetic Field Generation (Dr. Selim)
Studying the generation of high magnetic fields using superconducting magnets and the possible use of these fields in magnetic levitation and magnetic separation applications.

Data Acquisition in Forier Transfrom Spectroscopy (FTS) (Dr. Buoncristiani)
FTS is used by NASA to measure concentrations of trace gases in the atmosphere. As instruments for this measurement become more sophisticated it becomes necessary that the algorithm for data acquisition and processing be correspondingly improved. This project entails the evaluation of various algorithms to determine the most efficient.

Cluster-Cluster Interactions (Dr. Buoncristiani)
This project involves modeling the growth of crystals atom by atom. A seed atom is located at the center of a circle. Other atoms enter the circle at random places and with random velocities and are drawn to the central cluster by forces of attraction. The model allows a study of how the different forces shape the pattern of growth.

Small World Dynamics (Dr. Buoncristiani)
In 1955 a famous report by Fermi, Pasta and Ulam was published which introduced computer analysis of non-linear dynamics. Now, fifty years later, computing power available is far greater. In the original Fermi, Pasta, Ulam work the system was a linear array of harmonic oscillators coupled to nearest neighbors. The first part of this project is to reproduce the original work on a modern PC (with a slight modification -- the oscillators are arranged in a circle). The second part is to extend it using a modern concept of "small world" networks. In the extended model each oscillator would (at random) be linked to an oscillator not nearby. This is the network structure of "small world" phenomena.

UV Insolation (Dr. Buoncristiani)
As anthropogenic forces change change the earth's atmosphere it becomes important to monitor the rate at which ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth's surface. A detector that monitors UV radiation will be used to study UV radiation incident and evaluate its potential for damage to living systems.

Development of a Large Lead-Glass Cerenkov Detector Array (Dr. Brash)
Our research group at Jefferson Lab is currently constructing a large array of lead-glass Cerenkov detectors which will be used to detect scattered electrons in high energy physics experiments. Over the next year, we will be developing a test stand for evaluating and characterizing the performance of the individual detectors of the array. Students will have an opportunity to work with state of the art fast electronics and data acquisition systems, as well as to develop new physics analysis algorithms for the detector array.

Development of Reconstruction Codes for the GlueX Project at JLab (Dr. Brash)
The GlueX project at JLab is the flagship experiment of the planned energy upgrade of the accelerator facility. Currently, we are in the simulation phase of the experiment, where the complex particle detector subsystems are being modelled and optimized. Over the next several years, we will continue this process by developing physics analysis algorithms. Immediately, we are beginning the development of the first reconstruction codes for GlueX. Here, we use simulated physics events as input, and then reconstruct the (known) initial parameters of these events. Eventually, these same codes will be used to reconstruct real events from the actual detector. There are a number of distinct projects to which students can make valuable and meaningful contributions. Students will have the opportunity to hone their object-oriented programming and design skills, and at the same time help make an exciting and interesting physics experiment a success.

Computer Engineering

Nanotechnology for the Development of Innovative Electronic Devices (Dr. Gerousis)
1. In the coming decades, nanotechnology will become an attractive alternative for developing devices for ultra-large-scale nanoelectronics circuits with dimensions and performances that extend well beyond roadmap projections. This research aims to design and simulate novelcircuits and architectures for enhancing future information technologies.
2. Single-electron tunneling (SET)transistors have some properties which make them appealing for neural networks, among which their small size, low power consumption and potentially high speed. This project focuses on design and simulation of single-electron neural networks.
3. The combination of single-electron tunneling (SET) transistors and standard metal-oxide semiconductor(MOS) transistors in so-called hybrid SET-MOS can provide enough gain and current drive to perform logic functions on a much smaller scale than will eventually be possible with MOS alone. This research aims to develop and simulate novel hybrid circuits for future nano-scale analog IC's.

Speech Processing and Adaptive Filtering (Dr. Mandour)
Dr. Gihan Mandour is working in the area of Speech Processing and Adaptive Filtering. Research topics include classification of speech signals, speech enhancement such as adaptive noise cancellation, and the use of set membership filtering technique for speech processing. Research will also include processing and classification of animal sounds.

DTMF (dual tone multiple frequency) recorder (Dr. Wang)
The project involves using a microprocessor based device to decode the dial tone of any telephone set. When the numbers are retrieved from the memory, a tone signal is regenerated to automate a dialing process. Knowledge of microprocessor hardware and software, electronic circuit and DSP (digital signal processing) is required.

A robot vehicle (Dr. Wang)
The project is to build a robot car from scratch. Once built, the battery driven robot will be able to travel along the layout of a wall without outside intervention. Knowledge of electronics hardware will be the core for the project. You also need to love hands-on project.

Computer Science

Research on Multiagent Systems (Dr. Flores)
Dr. Flores' research interests lie within the area of multiagent systems, in particular with systems where autonomous computer programs interact to fulfill their objectives. One of the challenges in this area is to define how communicational interactions (sometimes called "conversations") can evolve over time. He has been exploring the notion of social commitments as a way to indicate this evolution -- where a social commitment shows that one of the agents is responsible to do a performance advancing the interaction. In addition, the use of social commitments has interesting connotations, since their fulfillment (or lack thereof) involve the possible imposition of sanctions which impact reputation and the likeliness of being considered as a reliable partner in future interactions. Research keywords: multiagent systems, interactions, conversation protocols, agent communication languages, social commitments.

Network Management (Dr. Game)
1. One of the problems associated with server management is maintaining the service between hardware failure and repair. Creating a redundant server to detect the absence of the main server and to replace it's functionality while the server is down is a complex task. This project is to design and implement a redundant server environment.
2. VPNs provide security and convenient access to data across network boundaries and the internet. This project is to implement a VPN and do some performance measurements across local backbones and also across the internet.
3. Many students have a need to utilize a sql server but have little experience actually using a database if they have not yet taken cs440. This project is to design a
php-based sql tutorial center.

Multi-media instruction (Dr. Game)
1. Design and implement a computer-aided instruction infrastructure which will encrypt and allow for playing an encrypted media file like avi files and also to integrate a question and answer session for different areas of the video with feedback for incorrect answers. Convenient references to portions of the "lecture" to explain the answers would also be helpful.
2. Item 1 could be two projects, one to encrypt and play with features not mentioned above like previewing the lecture with thumbnails of the areas of the overhead and then selecting just that section of the lecture or questions. The other to part would be to test and then catalog and analyze responses, making suggestions for corrections.

Neural Network Applications to Novel Imaging Processing Problems (Dr. Zhang)
1. FACEFLOW: A Computer Vision System for Recognizing 3D Moving Faces with Very Low Rate of False Positives.
2. ANSER: an Adaptive-Neuron artificial neural network System for Estimating discontinuous and nonsmooth Rainfall using satellite data
3. AMPHONN: A Model auto-selection prediction system based on the functional-neuron multi-layer feed-forward artificial neural networks
4. Data Simulation and Prediction Using Higher Order Artificial Neural Networks
5. Computerized Video Observation to Support Surveillance in DrugTrafficking Area

Information Science

Business Systems (Dr. Game)
1. Entension of a currently existing intelligent time clock to enhance functionality including validation the time clock activity, including comparison to the original schedule. Summary reports to include days late, time late, breaks taken, and department expenses for a day.
2. Either redesign or modify a currently existing php-based scheduling system to dynamically validate leave requests against the schedule.
3. Modify the scheduling program allow for inclusion of a maintenance workload which is dynamic.
4. Development of an expert ordering system, hopefully in two phases: one to create basic functionality based on historical delivery information and later to add an expert system layer on top to analyze current "deal" offerings for purchase.

Asset management (Game)
1. Create a program to be used for asset management, specifically to be used in aiding the city golf course with tracking and assessing replacement needs of the equipment.

University Portal Project (Dr. Anyiwo)
The objective is to develop a user-configurable academic-campus-services portal for managing the wide variety of services usually experienced in a university environment. The resulting product will be similar to the type of tool currently being used in myCNU, but it will be a public domain project freely available to any university. Anticipated services include, but are not limited to, the following:
* Student Academic Advisor;
* Assessment Tool;
* Conference Manager;
* Calendar/Events Scheduler/Manager;
* E-Mail Manager
* Department Chair's Course/Classroom-Assignment Manager;
* E_Professor : an online tool that a Professor can use to organize/present his/her courses (a better WebCT).
* and more.

Comprehensive Business Manager Project (Dr. Anyiwo)
The objective is to develop a user-configurable business-services portal for managing a business of any type and size. Anticipated services will include, but not limited to, the following:
* Resource Control System: an online Resource (human, consumable, reusable, ...) Management System;
* E_Payer: an online Accounts Payable System;
* E_Bookkeeper: an online General Ledger/Financial Reporting System;
* E_PayMaster: an online Employee_Management/Payroll System;
* E_Customer_Manager: an online Customer_Management/Accounts Receivable System;

DSC-Web (Dr. Anyiwo)
An online computational space for configuring, computing and presenting dynamical systems.

The A7-Functional Form (Dr. Anyiwo)
A computer examination of the A7-functional form, and its applicability to digital data compression, image recognition, and information transport.

RFID (Dr. Anyiwo)
A wireless replacement for the barcode system.

Simul8 Projects (Dr. Anyiwo)
A variety of simulation modeling projects, using the Simul8 software package.

Science Education

Science and Mathematics Education (Dr. Caton)
1. Science and Mathematics Education: Develop interactive math and/or science activities for elementary school, middle school, high school or college students using the free, open-source authoring environment Squeak. Squeak is a revolutionary software environment based on the first object-oriented programming language (Smalltalk), but a novice can author projects with the graphically oriented Etoys. Appropriate for physics, chemistry, biology, math, or computer science students.
2. Physics Education: Develop interactive physics activities for college students using a combination of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), HTML, JavaScript, Perl, and Computer Gateway Interface (CGI) scripting. Appropriate for physics, computer science or information science students.
3. Physics Education: Develop interactive 3D physics modules for college students using the free, open-source VPython. Appropriate for physics, computer science or information science students.
4. Physics Education: Develop interactive physics simulations for college students using the free, open-source StarLogo or NetLogo. Appropriate for physics, computer science or information science students.
5. Squeak Tools: Develop educator software tools for the free, open-source authoring environment Squeak (based on Smalltalk--the first object-oriented programming language). An example would be to create a tool to plot and display data. Appropriate for physics, computer science or information science students with an interest in and aptitude for programming. Squeak is a growing international movement.
6. XML for Physics Education: Markup Languages for communication on the web are evolving rapidly. The Extensible Markup Language (XML) allows the definition of tags for specific applications. With XML some of the work the server normally would have to do is transferred to the client machine and, in addition, the resulting web page is rendered more transparent with meaningful tags. This project would involve defining and implementing in XML a Physics Markup language suitable for physics education delivery. Appropriate for physics, computer science or information science majors.

Interdisciplinary Projects

Artistic and Technological Development of Solar Homes (Dr. Buoncristiani and Dr. David Alexick, Fine Arts)
This involves a collaboration with a student of Fine Arts to design a solar home that is energy efficient, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

Management and Analysis of Data Gathered from Football Games (Dr. Buoncristiani and Coach "Woody" Woodson).
Records of individual and team performance for each football play are gathered. This project would involve managing that data and analyzing it to enhance play selection if future games.

Projects from Mitre
The Mitre Corporation has several projects that it is interested in. You must have a CNU faculty mentor as well as a Point of Contact (POC) from Mitre.

Software Reliability Estimation: Develop a paper or simulation showing ways to estimate the reliability of current software. Note this is not just a laundry list of existing models, but should focus on advanced topics such as correlating techniques to particular categories of software; the complex relationships among combined software modules, each of whose individual reliabilities have been estimated; means for effectively identifying repairs that will increase/decrease reliability (note: not all changes improve reliability, because they can expose problems that were "masked" by other bugs). There is by definition a connection between this latter topic and techniques for more efficiently testing software (see below). MITRE POC is Dr. Mary Ann Malloy

Software Testing: Propose ways to optimize software testing for maximally effective bug recovery. Propose ways to extrapolate the results of exhaustive testing from limited test cases. Develop core requirements for software test plans; e.g., how should performance standards be expressed and measured. Determine the appropriateness of correlating testing techniques to particular categories of software. MITRE POCs are Dr. Bob Cherinka and Dr. Mary Ann Malloy

Digital Libraries: Develop a paper on how to organize a digital library for projects, and for linking together project documentation. Most projects have a tremendous amount of documentation, but no one has the space or time to print out all of the documents and find those documents at a later date. This problem will scale from a simple project up through multiple related projects. This could become a template for doing knowledge management within a project and between multiple related projects. The result could provide a framework for Information Management of project documentation. MITRE POC is John Dahlgren

Distance Learning: Develop a paper on optimizing distance learning for classroom efforts. Determine how to best incorporate distance learning into learning that also requires a hands-on effort. Determine how to emulate what will occur during the usage of a certain software application and enable that to be used in a virtual environment. This is immediately applicable to the Air and Space Operations Center (AOC), but should be used across the Air Force to provide training while minimizing travel costs and reaching as many students as possible. MITRE POCs are Mike Cokus and John Dahlgren

Satellite Communications Optimization: Given a mixture of X, C, Ku, Ka and Laser SATCOM capabilities within a theater and around the world, develop a program that maximizes the in theater throughput and reachback (to 2 sites within a given footprint) throughput while minimizing the total cost. The model should be able to be changed according to the types of terminals used, quantity of SATCOM resources available in each band, and cost of SATCOM bandwidth in each band. MITRE POC is John Dahlgren or Kevin Gunn

Orchestration tool analysis: The ability to create, manage, and execute an arrangement of web services is vital to the successful transition of an enterprise to a service oriented architecture. Activities in this task will include the investigation of open source and commercial orchestration and choreography tools to assist in program selection as well as the management and use of the selected tools. This task has the potential to become quickly involved extensively through various programs and initiatives, so it makes sense to have a cleared employee working this track to ensure their ability to continue through the endeavor. MITRE POC is Dr. Bob Cherinka and Dan Winkowski.

Directory services analysis: Investigate existing and/or new directory services approaches and technologies (e.g., Active Directory) and recommend how these technologies could be implemented. The target applicability of this activity is to improve said functions in the current Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) for the US Air force. MITRE POC is Dr. Bob Cherinka.

Ontology development: Semantic agreement throughout the enterprise is necessary to achieve the highest levels of interoperability and dynamic discovery, and ontologies play an important role in this evolution of the information space. Tasking here will involve investigations into the open source and commercial space to determine what useful ontologies already exist as well as the creation of new ontologies. This tasking may also include an investigation into different ways of modeling ontologies to determine best of breed approaches as well as to determine which inferencing engines are most suitable for leveraging ontologies. The target applicability for this research would be the Coalition Warfare Program (CWP) that will be part of the Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) for the US Air Force. MITRE POC is Dr. Bob Cherinka and Cheryl Connors.

Inference engines and rule development: As the amount of information occurring in the enterprise increases, automated services will be increasingly involved in assisting customers in the analysis and correlation of that information. This task will include investigating existing and emerging open source and commercial inference engines for creating and maintaining rules based approaches to assist in the analysis of information. The goal of this research is to recommend one such tool for use in the Coalition Warfare Program (CWP) that will be part of the Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) for the US Air Force. MITRE POC is Dr. Bob Cherinka and Dr. Mary Ann Malloy.

Below is an additional topic that we felt would provide good research opportunities for students but we don't have a MITRE POC at this time.
Lasers and Photonics
* How to stabilize a laser for aircraft to aircraft communications when an aircraft experience +/- 5o movement in any direction.
* How to stabilize a laser for aircraft to spacecraft communications when an aircraft experiences +/- 5o movement in any direction.
* Determine optimal data rate for moving off of Ka band SATCOM and moving to laser comm.
* Determine the key parameters for downlink of a lasercomm signal from a spacecraft to a ground station. Use the parameters to determine likely locations for a laser comm. downlink to ground stations within the continental US, in Southwest Asia, in Southeast Asia, in Europe, in South America, and/or in Africa to attain a 98% availability of signal. Problem assumes multiple geographic downlink locations (how many?) needed to provide the stated availability. Also take into consideration that the information received at the downlink locations must now be transmitted over terrestrial communications links throughout the world.