Title: Undergraduate Curriculum Issues: Innovation, Integration, Expansion
1Undergraduate Curriculum IssuesInnovation,
Integration, Expansion
- Ed Schlesinger
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Panel Moderator
2Objectives
- How do we continue the tradition of evolving and
expanding Electrical and Computer Engineering to
embrace new technologies and new areas of inquiry
into what is part of "ECE?
3The Panelists
- Marija Ilic (Carnegie Mellon University) - Energy
Systems - Professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy.
Heads the Electrical Energy Systems Group which
is pursuing the creation of curriculum, research
programs, a software laboratory, and an outreach
program for modern electric energy systems. IEEE
Distinguished Lecturer and co-author of several
books in electrical power systems. - Vik Kapoor (University of Central Florida)
Integrated Bio-Nano Courtesy Professor School
of Electrical Engineering Computer Science
University of Central Florida. Past President,
Dean Emeritus, College of Engineering, University
of Toledo. 1999 IEEE Third Millennium Medal.
Director of Biomedical Nanotechnology Research
Laboratory from June 2000 until June 2008 - Arye Nehorai (Washington University) - Biomedical
Engineering Chairman of the Department of
Electrical and Systems Engineering at Washington
University in St. Louis. Eugene and Martha
Lohman Professor and Director of the Center for
Sensor Signal and Information Processing. IEEE
Distinguished Lecturer and founding editor of the
special columns on Leadership Reflections in the
IEEE Signal Processing Magazine.
4Questions to Consider
- What courses did you or should you
add/change/package in your curriculum to expand
ECE? - Why does it "make sense" for these areas to be
included within ECE? Are there other disciplines
(MechE, ChemE, etc.) moving into these areas with
their own "flavor"? - How would these courses integrate with the basic
or "traditional" ECE disciplines? - What laboratories, hands-on or other experiences,
if any, did you add or should be added to the
curriculum? Are there issues of cost with these
laboratories or hands-on experiences? - How does one "market" these new areas to ECE
students? How does one explain to students why
they should pursue these new areas? - How do these areas feed into graduate studies,
research and employment opportunities in general?
5Integration, Innovation and Expansion in
Undergraduate Education Energy Systems
- Marija Ilic
- milic_at_ece.cmu.edu
- March 21,2009
- 2009 ECEDHA Annual Meeting, New Orleans LA
6Outline
- The state of current electric energy systems
programs - Understanding the rationale for an education
program requires understanding the challenges
facing the electric energy industry - New educational objectives
- Modern university electric energy systems
curriculum at Carnegie Mellon
7State of electric energy systems programs
- Must educate the next generation work force
- Must do so in the context of, and centered in,
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) - Must integrate ECE with other academic
disciplines - Must also address non-technical issues (policy,
economics) - Recent awareness of an educational void, and a
sense of urgency to innovate and integrate
electric energy systems education, into
existing curricula
8State of electric energy industry
- Old infrastructure
- New challenges brought about by industry
restructuring - The newest challenge -- pressure to provide
sustainable energy - New challenges brought about by complexity from
the highest level system to the smallest level
component
9Todays Hierarchical SystemsOld Infrastructure
Complex large electric networks, operated in
stationary ways no near-real time automated
monitoring and decision making
10 Often overstressed and prone to failures, yet
sustained under-utilization
- Lots of equipment must be re-built (must
understand engineering and policy - to decide what is the right way to put it
together) - Need IT, and faster control and numerical
algorithms to enable timely decisions.
11Functional Unbundling of Regulated Utilities
(Deregulation) New challenges brought about by
industry restructuring (need to operate real-time
markets by means of IT must know economics,
policy, finance) not working well nowthe
markets never were designed properly
Power
Power
Transmission
System
Supplier
User
Physical Environment
Operating
Market Environment
Authority
Power
Power
Market
Purchaser
Seller
Tools
OASIS
OASIS Open Access Same-time Information System
12GOING GREEN
New challenges brought about by intermittency and
distributed resources
13ALGORITHMS NEEDED FOR COPING WITH HARD-TO-PREDICT
SCENARIOS NEED FOR IT-ENABLED FLEXIBLE
UTILIZATION ESSENTIAL FOR RELIABLE, EFFICIENT,
SECURE AND SUSTAINABLE SERVICES
14THE KEY ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
15The burden on new leaders
- Rethink how to plan, rebuild and operate an
infrastructure which has been turned upside-down
from what it used to be - Leaders must understand
- 3? physics (the basic foundations)
- Modeling of complex systems (architecture-depende
nt models, components and their interactions,
performance objectives) - Dependence of models on sensors and actuators
design for desired system performance (defined by
economic policy and engineering specifications) - Numerical methods and algorithms
- IT
16IT Layer
Sub-Network 1
Sub-Network 2
Cutset
Physical interconnections within a sub-network
Physical interconnections between sub-networks
Network nodes
IT connections between sub-networks and IT layer
Sensor locations
IT connections between sensors and internal nodes
17Major Modeling and Decision Making
ChallengeSingle optimization subject to
constraints (old) vs. Reconciling
multi-dimensional tradeoffs (new)
18Distributed future energy systems
Qualitatively NEW NETWORK SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES
-distributed sensors and actuators, with their IT
network new models for planning and
operations.
19Multi-layered interactive (dynamically
aggregated) systemNeed for IT-enabled regrouping
to reconcile tradeoffs
20Typical system input (load, wind, solar) Need
for prediction, look ahead decision making,
sensing OTHERWISE BLACKOUTS AND INEFFICIENCY
INTERMITTENCY - TODAYS SOFTWARE TOOLS ARE
USELESS
21Objectives for modern electric energy systems
programs
- Not only a novel education, but
multi-disciplinary coverage across ECE and
beyond - Provide conceptual problem formulation
(understand how models, sensing, control and
communication are different for sample systems
1) old centralized infrastructure (2)
deregulated industry and, (3) industry with lots
of distributed sensors, controllers, intermittent
generation, demand-side.) - Introduce novel simulators/graphics/visualization
to teach these concepts.
22Modern Electric Energy Systems at Carnegie
Mellon
- Lots of fun the number of graduate students is
high and growing the number of students taking
classes is high and growing. Grass-root pressure
from students. - Students genuinely interested in careers in
future energy systems (drawn to the area to serve
mankind while still doing engineering) - Emphasis on systems formulation (instead of on
component physics) smart grid as an enabler. - Much novel modeling for translating a
physical and business system and its objectives
into the language of systems, control, sensors,
signal processing, computer science and IT
power electronics-enabled control. - Team-teaching with business and public policy
faculty.
23Electric Energy Systems Group (EESG)
http//www.eesg.ece.cmu.edu
- A multi-disciplinary group of researchers from
across Carnegie Mellon with common interest in
electric energy. - Truly integrated education and research
- Interests range across technical, policy,
sensing, communications, computing and much more
emphasis on systems aspects of the changing
industry, model-based simulations and decision
making/control for predictable performance. -
24A sample of subjects currently offered in ECE
- 18-418 Electric Energy Processing Fundamentals
and Applications - 18-875/19-633/45-855/45-856 Engineering and
Economics Problems in Future Electric Energy
Systems - 18-618 Smart Grids and Future Electric Energy
Systems - 18-777 Large-scale Dynamic Systems
- Courses taught with an eye on regulatory,
technological changes, and the implications of
these on problem posing and possible solutions. - Courses emphasize commonalities across different
electric energy systems (power systems-power
distribution to homes shipboards, aircrafts and
cars. - In house software development to support the
curriculum (Graphical) Interactive Power
Systems Simulator ((G)IPSYS). - Many courses outside ECE
25Summary of active research areas
- Next generation SCADA (Dynamic Monitoring and
Decision Systems--DYMONDS) as the means for
implementing our vision for energy and
environment the enabling role of systems
thinking - Integration of storage in future electric energy
systems (modeling, decision making, IT) - Integrating distributed energy resources (DGs and
demand-side management ) - Managing intermittent energy resources wind and
solar generation -
- IN WHAT FOLLOWS SAMPLE ON-GOING RESEARCH
(WIND and solar POWER INTEGRATION, ADAPTIVE LOAD
MANAGEMENT, AND OPTIMAL VEHICLE-TO-GRID
INTEGRATION
26Smart Grid IT Power Grid?
Image Source http//earth2tech.files.wordpress.co
m/2008/04/silver-demo.jpg
27Wind prediction, look-ahead management using
storage (Xie,2009)
Compare the outcome of ED from both the
centralized and distributed MPC approaches.
28BOTH EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY MET
29Adaptive Load Management (Joo, 2009)
29
30Optimal Control of Plug-in-Electric Vehicles
Fast vs. Smart (Roterring)
30
31Information flowFantastic Use of Multi-layered
Dynamic Programming
31
32Closing remarks
- There exists now a highly unusual window of
opportunity to introduce modern electric energy
research and education programs - Obvious societal needs
- We will waste this opportunity without a full
understanding of the - -potential of embedded IT-enabled intelligence
in the new resources - -role of multi-layered multi-directional
coordination within the complex novel network
architectures - It is essential to pose the design and
operation of new electric energy systems as the
problem of multiple performance-driven
cyber-physical systems over various contextual,
temporal and spatial phenomena
33Noha Abdel-Karim Prof. Greg Ganger Prof.
Marija Ilic Jhi-Young Joo
Soummy Kar Prof. Bruce Krogh
Ryan Kurlinski
Prof. Lester Lave Juhua Liu
Prof. Jose Moura Masoud Nazari Luca Parolini
Marija Prica Niklas Rotering
Prof. Bruno Sinopoli
Nermeen Talaat Anupam Thatte Prof. Ozan
Tonguz Usman Khan Charlie Wesley
Richard Wu Le Xie
Yi Zhang
NOT PICTURED Marcelo Elizondo, Jovan Ilic,
Michael Kowalski, Nipun Popli, Professor Gabriela
Hug-Gantzman
34Biomedical-Nanotechnology CourseBME 5572Vik
J. KapoorWeb www.nanovk.comEmail
Vkapoor_at_mail.ucf.edu
35Biomedical-Nanotechnology CourseBME 5572
- Elective and dual new course to expand ECE
curriculum for Seniors Graduate Students. - Course integrate Life Sciences with
Nanotechnology. - Life Sciences Neuroscience
- Nanotechnology Nanoelectronics
- Applications of Nanoelectronics to Human Body.
- Prerequisite Microelectronics/Solid State
Devices - Electronics/Signal and Systems
36What is a nano?
37Biomedical-Nanotechnology CourseBME 5572
- Part 1
- Human Brain An Electric Signal
System - Seamless Integration of Man and Machine through
Neuro-bio chips implanted directly into brain
(Vision, Hearing, Alzheimer, Depression,
Internet, etc.) Machine is made up of Electronic
parts. - Part 2
- Nanorobots and Self Assembly
- Nanomedicine Robots to travel inside body for
cell/cancer repair and deliver medicine.
38Brain Signal Pathways
39Neurons and Neurotransmitters
- Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers in
the brain
40Steps of an Action Potential
Na
K
K
41Action Potential
42Circuit Model With Na-K Pump and Capacitance
Pump is modeled as two current source
43Using Thévenin Equivalent, The Circuit is Reduced
to
Compute the change in Vm due to a current pulse
through the cell membrane.
44Change in Vm Due to Current Passing Through It
Current pulse 6ms duration
Example
2 1ms
Current pulse 2ms duration
45Biomedical-Nanotechnology CourseBME 5572
- COURSE SYLLABUS
- Goal This course deals with the nanotechnology
of solid-state electronics and integration of
Nanoelectronic with Neuroscience. - Part I Nanotechnology Processes
- Nanofabrication of Nanoelectronic devices
resulting in biochips. - Part II Biomedical Processes
- Chemical composition of body, central nervous
system equivalent electronic circuit model for
brain. - Part III Integration of Life Sciences with
Nanoelectronics - Bioelectronics for the brain for Alzheimer,
Depression, sensor systems cyber sense (eye
ear). Neuron neural network. - Part IV Self Assembly/Nanorobots
- Nanoelectronics self assembly, moral and
ethical issues. -
46Bio-Chip
SiGe Transistor With Microchannels
Nanoelectrodes
47Neurotransistor
Sylgard
Electrode
Neuron
Vgs
Gate
N
N
Source
Drain
Vds
lt100gt p-Si 1-10 ohm-cm
48Current Voltage Curves For Leech Neurons
Vgs 3 V
Vgs 2 V
Vgs 1 V
49Biomedical-Nanotechnology CourseBME 5572
- TOPICS COVERED I
- The Scale of Things - Nanometers and More
- Nanotechnology Fabrication Processes
- Nanoprocessing for Biochip
- Photolithography
- Etching or Micromachining
- Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect
Transistors and Devices - Nanoelectronics Self Assembly
- Imaging Techniques with Implications for
Nanotechnology
50Biomedical-Nanotechnology CourseBME 5572
- TOPICS COVERED II
- Chemical Composition of the Body I, Human
Physiology - Cell Structure
- Central Nervous System / Brain
- Bio-electronics for the Brain
- Biomedical Nanotechnology for Sensory Systems
- Brain (Pain, Stress, Mood Alzheimer)
- Nanomedicine and Nanorobots
- DNA Genetic Engineering
- Bio-ethics for Nanotechnology
51Building the Bionic Brain
http//www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_family/winte
r02/bionic_brain.html
52Neuron grown on a CMOS chip with 128x128
transistors
53Implantable Devices Artificial
__ Vision Systems
54Hippocampus Replacement
- Heres how it works on rat brain tissue
- Electrodes intercept electrical signals bound for
damaged tissue in the hippocampus - The signals reroute to the chip
http//www.newscientist.com/article.ns?iddn3488
55Implantable Devices Cochlear Implants
56Future Outlook Nanorobots
- Research is already in progress
Source http//www.mtmi.vu.lt/pfk/funkc_dariniai/n
anostructures/nano_robots.htm
57Nanorobots
- Key factor in Nanomedicine!
- Drug delivery to specific molecules in the body
- Mobilized nanorobots to travel to specified cells
(cancer) - DNA repair
http//www.foresight.org/Nanomedicine/Gallery/Imag
es/Stinger2.jpg
58NANOROBOT
- There is already a prototype developed for a cell
repairer, where a nano-robot is able to perform a
complicated surgery, or carry an implant to a
part in the brain. -
www.nanotech-now.com
59Biomedical-Nanotechnology CourseBME 5572
COURSE OUTCOME
-
- 25 Enrollment limit to enhance class interaction
and discussions. - Survey of 82 students for last 3 years (06-09)
- Seniors 70
- Graduate Student 30
- Admitted to Medical School 12
- Admitted to Graduate School 18
- (Bio Nano areas)
- Received job offers from Biomedical or 22
- Nanotechnology Companies
-
60Thank you! Any questions?
61Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Biomedical Opportunities in the Undergraduate EE
Curriculum
Arye Nehorai Chair, Department of Electrical
Systems Engineering The Eugene and Martha Lohman
Professor of Electrical Engineering www.ese.wustl
.edu
62Outline
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
- BSEE Pre-med Curriculum
- Imaging Sciences Pathway Program
- Example ESE 489/589 Biological Imaging
Technology - Biomedical Undergraduate Research
- Bioimaging Study Abroad Program
63BSEE Pre-med Curriculum
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
64Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Pre-med Requirements
- Two semesters of
- Biology with lab
- Physics with lab
- General Chemistry with lab
- Organic Chemistry with lab
- Math to include differential equations
- Each medical school has its own required and
suggested courses listed in - the Medical School Admission Requirements,
published by the - Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
65Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
BSEE Curriculum
Students must complete a selection of courses
for which the accumulated engineering topics is
45 units. Also certain restrictions apply about
the total number of credits of ESE 400
(independent study) and ESE 497 (undergraduate
research.)
66Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
BSEE Curriculum
67Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
BSEE Pre-med
68Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
BSEE Pre-med
69Imaging Sciences Pathway Program
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
70Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Motivation
- Imaging sciences are multi-disciplinary,
requiring knowledge of biology, chemistry,
physics, engineering, and applied mathematics - Washington University has many imaging resources
and experts. It is nationally ranked in the top
three of NIH funding for imaging sciences
research - Imaging Sciences Pathway emphasizes biomaging for
undergraduate students in engineering, the
physical and life sciences
71Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Imaging Sciences Pathway Goals
- Educate renaissance scientists whose knowledge
of the physical sciences, engineering, chemistry,
and biology will allow them to explore new
frontiers within the various and ever-expanding
research domains of imaging sciences - Provide undergraduate students with extraordinary
opportunities to carry out research with more
than 60 leading investigators in the imaging
sciences from more than 15 clinical and science
departments - Provide undergraduate students in the physical
and life sciences and engineering first-hand
experience in this exciting area of biomedicine
72Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Imaging Sciences Pathway Program
- Consists of two parts
- An introductory freshman/sophomore seminar
introduces prospective Pathway students to the
diverse imaging sciences research under way in
Arts Sciences, the School of Engineering
Applied Science, and the School of Medicine. - Courses for juniors and seniors focus on
chemistry, physics, computer science,
engineering, and molecular cell biology as they
relate to imaging sciences.
73Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Imaging Sciences Pathway Curriculum
- Core courses
- 1) Seminar in Imaging Sciences (BIO 1810)
- 2) Introduction to Cell Biology (BIO 334)
- Principles of Biology I (BIO 2960)
- DNA Science A Hands-On Workshop (BIO 280)
- Biochemistry (BIO 4501/CHEM 456)
- 3) Principles Applications of Biological
Imaging (BIO 5146) - 4) Contrast Agents for Biological Imaging
(BIO/CHEM 5147) - Biological Imaging Technology (ESE 489/589/BME
494) - Students completing the ISP requirements receive
a Milestone on their transcripts
74Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
ISP Undergraduate Research
- Students choose two faculty mentors from
different disciplines (e.g., engineering and
biology), with one being the primary mentor - Junior and senior Pathway students participate in
an interdisciplinary imaging research project in
the lab of the primary and/or secondary mentor - Students can receive credit for independent
research - Students also participate in summer research
internships between their junior and senior
years stipends are available through NIH R90
funds
75Facilities
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
- The Pathway makes extensive use of the
Universitys vast imaging resources, which cover
the full spectrum from molecular microscopy to
full body human imaging.
- Mallinckrodt Neuroimaging Laboratories
- WU Small Animal Imaging Resource
- Cardiovascular Imaging Laboratory
- Molecular Imaging Center
- Center for Clinical Imaging Research
- Electronic Systems Signals Research
- Laboratory
- High-Resolution NMR Facility
- High Throughput Screening Robotics Core
- Deep-Etch Electron Microscopy Facility
76Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
BSEE Curriculum
77Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
BSEE Imaging Sciences Program (Cont.)
- Students participate in imaging research
projects and can receive credits under ESE 497
Undergraduate Research.
- 16 total units required for ISP with
pre-requisites. - 20 available units in traditional curriculum
consisting of free and breadth electives.
78Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
BSEE Imaging Sciences Program
79Example ESE 489/589 Biological Imaging Technology
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
80Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
ESE 489/589 Biological Imaging Technology
- Course coordinators and modality experts
- J. A. OSullivan, ESE
- J. P. Culver, Radiology
- Y.-C. Tai, Radiology
- J. Shimony, Radiology
- Experts in EE, physics, biomedical physics,
radiology. - Textbook-based
- J. L. Prince and J. M. Links,
- Medical Imaging Signals
- and Systems, Prentice-Hall, 2006
- Four lectures per modality
- Physics, mathematics, imaging
- Lab tours and original literature critique
Avanto 1.5 T MRI Scanner
80
81Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Biological Imaging Technology
Biological
Tissue (e.g. Intrinsic optical imaging of cat
visual cortex)
Cells (e.g. fluorescence microscopy)
Organ (e.g. CT, MRI, US)
82Lab Tours
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
- State-of-the art CT and PET-CT imaging facilities
-
- Siemens equipment
Biograph 64/40 PET-CT scanner
CT (anatomical image)
SOMATOM Definition CT Scanner
PET (functional image)
Fused PET-CT
Data (PETCT-165) from R. Laforest and M. Mintun,
Radiology
83Literature Critique
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
- Contrasting state-of-the-art facilities with
foundational papers - Siemens equipment
W. C. Roentgen, Nature, 1896
SOMATOM Definition CT Scanner
84Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Literature Critique (Cont.)
- Contrasting state-of-the-art facilities with
foundational papers - Siemens equipment
First PET machine, designed and built at
Washington University in St. Louis E. Hoffman,
M. Phelps, N. A. Mullani, C. S. Higgins, and M.
M.Ter- Pogossian, Instrumentations and Physics,
1976
Biograph 64/40 PET-CT scanner
85Biomedical Undergraduate Research
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
86Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Development of a High-Frequency Ultrasonic
Imaging Platform Amanda Virkus with R. Martin
Arthur
Student contribution Upgrade a 7.5 MHz
pulse-echo system to work at 35 MHz
Project Ultrasound thermometry
Pulse-echo waveform and spectrum from a 35MHz
transducer
Configuration for automatic thermal image
measurement from tissue samples during
Hyperthermia
A 35-MHz ultrasound image of pig muscle
87Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Deformable Template Hearts for Electrocardiography
John Bogovic with R. Martin Arthur
Project Individualize heart models using a
deformable model. Goal compare normal with
pathological electrical patterns on the same heart
Student contribution Test suitability of
candidate template hearts and quantify alignment
errors
Visible Human heart model. Spherical harmonic
approximation in red
Comparison of two deformed templates aligned at
the apex of the heart
88Bioimaging Study Abroad Program
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
89Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Introduction to Multimodal Imaging
- Host University of Tübingen MEG-Center, and the
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics,
Germany - Undergraduate students from Electrical Systems
Engineering at Washington University will learn
about medical imaging methods
90Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Program
- May 11, 2009 May 15, 2009
- One unit of credit, with the option to continue
working on an independent study or undergraduate
research course for a total of three units of
credit - Lectures, projects, lab visits, and social
programs - Final report
91Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Lectures
- The physics of SQUID sensors
- Fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG)
- MEG for basic research and clinical application
- Application of MEG to brain machine interfaces
(BCI) - Metabolic imaging with functional MRI (fMRI) and
near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) - BCI in fMRI
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a
research tool
92Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
Research Projects
- Project 1 Fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG)
and magnetocardiography (MCG) - Project 2 Brain computer interface (BCI)
application of MEG - Project 3 Visual processing of food related
pictures with functional MRI (fMRI) - Project 4 Transcranial magnetic stimulation
(TMS) - Lab visits
- Max-Planck Institute for biological Cybernetics
- Laboratory for Preclinical Imaging and Imaging
Technology of the Werner Siemens-Foundation,
University Hospital Tübingen
93Summary
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
94Biomedical Opportunities in Undergraduate EE
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
- BSEE pre-med curriculum
- Imaging sciences pathway program
- Biomedical undergraduate research
- Bioimaging study abroad program
- Double major BSEE/BME
- BSEE/SSE curricula focused on bioelectricity,
systems biology, bioinformatics, etc.
95Thanks!
Department of Electrical Systems Engineering
96Questions to Consider
- What courses did you or should you
add/change/package in your curriculum to expand
ECE? - Why does it "make sense" for these areas to be
included within ECE? Are there other disciplines
(MechE, ChemE, etc.) moving into these areas with
their own "flavor"? - How would these courses integrate with the basic
or "traditional" ECE disciplines? - What laboratories, hands-on or other experiences,
if any, did you add or should be added to the
curriculum? Are there issues of cost with these
laboratories or hands-on experiences? - How does one "market" these new areas to ECE
students? How does one explain to students why
they should pursue these new areas? - How do these areas feed into graduate studies,
research and employment opportunities in general?