COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
FACEBOOK.COM/OCCECS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
2019 ANNUAL REPORT • OC.EDU
OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
@OC_CECS 1
“The times … they are a changin’.” Exciting transformations have taken place in the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS). We are more dedicated than ever towards launching the college into a healthy and vibrant future.
FROM THE DEAN
DR. BYRON L. NEWBERRY DEAN, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Firstly, new leaders have stepped up to chair our amazing programs. Dr. Jennifer Bryan is now Chair of Mathematics, Mr. Andy Harbert is Chair of Computer Science, and Dr. Kevin Plumlee has assumed the Chair of Mechanical Engineering. These three build from the exceptional work of Mr. Don Leftwich, 24 years as chair, and Dr. Wayne Whaley, five years as chair. I am extremely thankful that our Lord has blessed the CECS with such exceptional leaders. Secondly, we continue to modernize the Prince Engineering Center to better serve our students. In recent years, we have updated eight laboratory facilities, as well as many common areas. You really need to come and check out the improved PEC. We couldn’t do it without the help of alumni and generous friends of the university like the Oklahoma Christian Women’s Association. Finally, we are thrilled to have successfully launched our Cybersecurity program in 2018. Curtis Coleman has joined the CS team bringing practical and expert experience to this high-demand program. Information security has a negative unemployment rate and Oklahoma passed a bill offering tax credits to incentivise the study of software engineering and security. Who better than OC graduates, instilled with Christian ethics and values, to defend the cyber frontier we all depend on daily. Come visit campus to see all of our progress first-hand, connect with faculty/staff and meet some students. Join us in making the OC brand strong for another generation of engineers, computer scientists and mathematicians. God Bless, Dr. Byron L. Newberry Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science Professor, Mechanical Engineering
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OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
MEET THE EXPERTS ANDY HARBERT CHAIR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
Experience: Programming and Software Manager at E-Systems, Software Consultant Aha Moment: discovering a gift for teaching when tasked with training hardware engineers to become software engineers Impact: Francis Tuttle Vocational School’s computer science advisory board Mission: staying current with industry best practices, actively networking to help connect students and constantly researching innovations to maintain timely, relevant curriculum
JEFF BIGELOW CHAIR OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Experience: designing minute quantum devices to develop extremely fast computers and circuits Brush with Fame: working with ground-breaking inventors who developed life-changing things like the transistor, the integrated circuit, lasers, and the microprocessor Motto: use your gifts in God’s service and learn without giving up
DAVID WALDO PROFESSOR OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
Main jam: real-time signal processing - think cell phones and AT&T plus biomedical applications Secret skills: Bonsai, guitar, SCUBA Impact: Christian mentorship, sponsor of IEEE, Alpha, European Studies Duo Lingo: Spanish
DAVID CASSEL PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Field of expertise: numerical thermal analysis for heat transfer Practical application: energy conservation, orbiting satellites and deep space probe thermal control, automotive brakes Associations: American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers Flipper: yes, to all the home renovations
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S C EC S F E AT U R E D STO R I ES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE....................................... 6 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING..................................................................... 8 JUST THE FACTS: OC BY THE NUMBERS .................................................... 10 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.................................................................... 12 C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E & M AT H E M AT I C S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING................................................... 18 Pictured on the cover: Maggie Mitchell, class of 2022. Issue #02 written by Sarah Horton, Jim Stafford and Talon reporters, photography Hayley Bentley, design Scott Horton. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
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No electricity. Life off the grid. A responsibility to save lives. This is what a mission in Honduras looks like for Oklahoma Christian University engineering students.
STUDENTS MAKE VACCINES POSSIBLE Predisan, a non-profit ministry, provides healthcare to the rural mountain villages of Honduras. Unreliable electricity prevents the use of vaccines requiring refrigeration. They reached out to OC’s engineering department to see if we could come up with a low-cost prototype powered by alternative energy. Seniors Austin Blount, Lynsi Stanley and Shannon Fultz are helping to solve this problem. “I am excited to go to Honduras because it will be really cool to see this project through to implementation,” Blount said. “It will also be amazing to see how our hard work for the last three semesters will benefit the people served by the clinic. Sometimes it is not easy to integrate knowledge with faith. This project has illustrated practical ways to do that”
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OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
Austin Blont, Shannon Fultz, Lynsi Stanley and Dr. Debra Wood partner with nursing students to make refrigeration possible for vaccines.
Mechanical engineering professor Debra Wood worked with the students as a team mentor providing feedback on the student’s presentations and reports.
OC ENGINEERS PARTNER WITH OG&E
“It is always fun to get to watch students work on capstone projects,” Wood said. “It is this big, loosely defined project, and it is hard to know where to even get started. I’ve seen their confidence grow; they have become engineers.” Read more @ Talon.news: Engineering students travel to Honduras, install prototype
A team of three mechanical engineering students works to craft a consistent source of renewable energy using inexpensive parts.
Seniors Matt Curran, Adrian Ndaruzi and Dylan Gates have partnered with Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) to create a concentrating solar power collector concept, also known as a parabolic trough, using materials commonly found at hardware stores—including wood, copper and Mylar film— to turn sunlight into usable electricity. The concept, which would be interfaced directly with OG&E’s current coal fire burning system, could soon be used by the company to decrease fossil fuel burning and drive down consumer electricity costs during high-usage summer months. This preheats the water for the remaining energy generation cycle. As the fluid heats up, other components of the collector are ignited, generating electricity. It’s great to have a partner like OG&E for our students’ first year working with solar energy to support the goals of proving reliability of technology and practical implementation into existing power systems. Read the full story @ Talon.news: OG&E Systems Engineering Team Creates Solar Power Collector
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
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COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING COMPUTER SC THE WORLD AWAITS YOUR STORY
C E L E B R AT I O N OF EXCELLENCE All of campus shared our best at the inaugural Celebration of Excellence event. The best of undergraduate research, senior capstone projects, creative endeavors and innovative ideas were on display for the campus community and guests. Celebration is contagious! It encourages a feeling of accomplishment, and it reinforces fulfillment in one’s work. A big THANK YOU to our College of Engineering and Computer Science special guest lecturer Dr. Brandon Hombs, 2000 Electrical Engineering alum, for the presentation titled “Pursuing Excellence: All Models are Wrong, But Some Are Useful.” Congratulations to the winning presenters from the College of Engineering and Computer Science!
TO P O R A L P R ES E N TAT I O N S : “The LP Parser: Generalized Parser Nesting,” Jonathan Hartnett ($1,000) “Mathematical Analysis of Marriage: A Case Study,” Chad Hayen & Elizabeth Armstrong ($250) “Geometric Folding Algorithms,” Alex Edwards & Jonathan Hartnett($100)
TO P P O ST E R P R ES E N TAT I O N S : “SAE Heavy Lift Aeroplane - Team Truss the Process,” Joshua Nelson, Sean Kneuper, Burgon Peterson, Tristan Minor, Ben Bray, Christian Stewart, & Peter Miller ( $500) “Niagara Bottling Capping Clutch System Team Hydra 2.0,” Dane Roe, Jackson Hughes, & Josh Lance ($250) “Broadening the Horizons of VisuALS Technology Solutions, LLC - Team Horizons,” Katie Snyder, Ashley Anderson, Elijah Martin, & Justin Smith ($100)
Left: College of Engineering & Computer Science plenary session speaker, Dr. Brandon Hombs (00) captivates an audience of faculty, students and guests.
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OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
& CIENCE Women in STEM find mentorship and encouragement by joining Scientista.
S C I E N T I STA : SUPPORTING WOMEN IN STEM Oklahoma Christian University’s Scientista organization supports the increasing number of female STEM majors on campus, and is the first national chapter to have both male and female members. OC’s Scientista chapter encourages diverse membership because empowering women in STEM is not a conversation properly discussed in isolation. “We do this through creating a community designed to support each other, encourage one another through the difficult times and discuss challenges and obstacles that our students may either be currently facing or may face in their future careers,” said Sara Alcon, professor of biology and Scientista sponsor.
CIO Tracy Kemp discusses advances in computer science, leadership and management with CAO Dr. Scott LaMascus at OC’s STEMinar event.
STEMinar OC’s annual STEMinar event continues to inspire and encourage exploration, discovery and curiosity. The College of Natural Health Sciences hosted the 2018 event with Dr. Len Feuerhelm making the case that A Christian Scientist is not an Oxymoron. Dr. Feuerhelm explains physics concepts and faith in a way that opens people’s minds to seamlessly merge science and religion. The 2017 event featured OC Distinguished Alum Tracy (Morris) Kemp (‘90) all the way from Indianapolis where she serves as Chief Information Officer for Allegion, a $2.4 billion corporation. Kemp shared her expertise on emerging trends in computer science with an attentive audience of approximately 140 students and faculty. Thanks to Kemp, students came away with a greater understanding and interest in computer science areas like ambient computing, artificial intelligence, interactive content and digital realities, blockchain and the importance of soft skills.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
“We have one female engineering professor who is relatively new,” Jenna Lippe, student co-director for Scientista, said. “I seek out role models because it’s very hard to do something that you’ve never seen done before. Dr. Alcon took her time to be a role model for us, and I try to be that for younger people as well.” Alcon has had strong STEM female role models a few steps ahead to help guide her path. “If that person is like you, whether male or female, minority or majority, single or married, low income or high, or whatever demographic you want to look at, they can help you identify the pitfalls and maximize the advantages of that categorization,” Alcon said. “This is the fundamental principle behind mentorship.” Read more @ Talon.news: Scientista works to support women in STEM
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ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Ken Bever B.S. in Math/Computer Science, 1983 and M.S. in Software Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1988 Corporate Footprint: OC, United Technologies, HSB Group, Rockwell Automation, MIMOSA Tech Talk: enterprise equipment information systems and remote machinery diagnostics services Passion Project: Hope for Haiti’s Children Current Geography: Nashville, Tennessee 2019 Aero Team, Truss the Process: Ben Bray, Joshua Nelson, Sean Kneuper, Peter Miller, Christian Stewart and Burgon Peterson.
OC COMPET R. Blair Dodson, PhD Mechanical Engineering, Academic All American in track and field Corporate Footprint: American Heart Assoc., Anschutz Medical Center
Attending regional, national and international competitions gives students a chance to measure their learning and skills compared with students from other schools. OC’s success produces confidence in their individual strengths, highlights the power of teamwork and deepens appreciation for their instruction at OC.
Tech Talk: biomechanics of the fetal vascular development in health and disease
AERO DESIGN TEAM SOARS TO #3
Accolades: Actelion Entelligence Young Investigator Award, Perinatal Research Society Cassidy Young Investigator Award and the American Physiological Society STRIDE Fellowship for Oklahoma Christian University Mechanical Engineering Alumna, Debra Diepenbrock (2016)
Among U.S. schools, the Oklahoma Christian University SAE Aero Design placed third in flying just behind Virginia and Michigan. Imagine how well we would have done if we had an Aerospace Engineering program!
Current Geography: Durham, North Carolina
Challenges: losing three aircraft, a pitch stability problem, strong crosswinds, low air density, sleep deprivation
Thad McCracken, B.S.E.E. in Electronics, 1996
Mission: fly a set route five to seven times over a two-day span, being judged on how the plane flies with a heavy payload and endures multiple takeoffs and landings
Corporate Footprint: Intell, Cadence Design Systems
Results: first team to fly each take-off, carried 4th heaviest payload, achieved max take-off weight, placed third among U.S. schools
Tech Talk: software architect working on logical and physical [RTL] synthesis place-and-route algorithms Work/Life Balance: racing 29 sled dogs in various formats and distances across North America
“Recruiters are very interested in what we’re doing with this project,” team member Josh Nelson said. “With our knowledge of the engineering method and familiarity with aerodynamics, there’s a lot of this that is transferable in the workforce. Recruiters are always happy to talk to us about that and see what we’ve learned.”
Current Geography: Mosier, Oregon 8
OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
NG
TES ENGINEERS TOP ENTREPRENEURS Love’s Entrepreneur Cup Championship Repeat Teamwork: mechanical engineering students + business majors Category: small business Mission: concept | research | present wind turbine technology | 20-page business plan | presentation Results: drastically increased efficiency and power output of small wind generation and demonstrated marketplace viability Winnings: first place over 36 Oklahoma campuses X2, 2018 and 2017 John Caldwell, a marketing junior from Edmond, was an individual scholarship finalist, and a second OC team presented a business plan for eye tracking hardware that is smaller, lighter and cheaper than what is available in the marketplace.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
OC STUDENTS IN AEROSPACE Kratos Defense and Security Solutions opened a new 100,000 square foot unmanned aircraft production facility in the Will Rogers Business Park, and OC alumni like Evan Lockhart are ready to pursue jobs in aerospace. “I know the field is going to continue into drones,” Lockhart said. “R/C pilots will increase to become more of a profession. We hired a professional pilot for our Aero project who works for OSU. Five to ten years ago that wasn’t a job, but that’ll continue to grow.” “I’m excited about the future of engineering at OC,” Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Bradley Buxton said. “OC has got a great engineering program and the three-course design sequence is sort of our hallmark. We include Toastmasters to help students develop vital communication skills. We’ve got a boom going. It’s a great time to take your degree and look at the aerospace industry.” 9
UNIVERSITY FACTS: You’ve read about OC’s fantastic faculty, outstanding academics and bright students, but here’s a closer look at OC by the numbers.
STUDENTS CALL OC HOME FROM ...
Rankings? We hate to brag, but OC’s got ‘em! For best college, highest value, lowest debt, best programs, and most affordable from groups like Colleges of Distinction, U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges, The Princeton Review, Study.com, College Factual, Affordable Schools, and more… Data is important, but remember, behind every number there’s an Eagle Christ-follower and an OC change-maker.
14:1
68 25+
2,250+
44
43
STAT ES
COUNTRIES
STUDENT-TOFA C U LT Y R AT I O
100+
EMPLOYERS VISITED CAMPUS
STUDENT O R GA N I Z AT I O N S
200
ACRE CAMPUS
STAT E - O F -T H E -A RT LABS ACROSS CAMPUS
Member of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU)
24 / 7 / 365
CAMPUS POLICE ON DUTY
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission with six program-specific accreditations
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE BY THE NUMBERS
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1ST
515
#6
3RD
1ST
National Scientista Chapter to Include Male and Female Members
Total Number of Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Ranked Computer Science program on Best Value list
Place Flying Team in Aero Design Competition
Place at ICPC ACM Regional Programming Contest
OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS & STUDIES
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0.2
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1.1
DEMOGRAPHICS KEY
0.1
Undergraduate: 85% Graduate Students : 15%
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Female: 51% Male: 49%
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Oklahomans: 46% International: 5%
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Live On Campus: 77% Live Off Campus: 23%
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1.4
ACADEMICS 1.1
Christian Faculty: 100%
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Number of Student Majors: Biblical Studies: 58 Business Administration: 330 Liberal Arts: 740 Natural & Health Sciences: 370 Engineering & Computer Science: 376 Still Deciding: 37
1.3
Classes with < 30 Students: 84% > 30 Students: 16%
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Fulltime faculty with doctorate or terminal degrees: 66%
Texans: 26% Other Out-of-State: 23%
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
FAST & DURABLE AT S A E B A J A
Competition: Baja SAE Tennessee Tech, OC vs. 100 universities & international clubs Mission: build an off-road vehicle capable of maneuvering through a tight obstacle course and enduring a grueling four-hour lap race Accomplishment: cut weight, students built a 60 lb. car at half the frame weight of last year’s model Data Crunch: endurance = most points with highest correlation in placement Rules: yes, 130 pages of them Budget: “Every budget is limited. I think the engineering department wanted to have us understand that money isn’t the only thing that’s going to give us the best car possible. They also wanted to make sure we didn’t just buy parts willy-nilly and think just because a component is expensive it’s going to be good,” Trevor Burch, team leader. Read more @ Talon.news: SAE Aero Design team prepares for competition and SAE Baja team works to build fast, durable offroad vehicle
SAE Baja team 2019, above: Kendall McCoy, Tim Chesna, Stephen Harnett, Trevor Burch, Jenna Lippe, Matthew Fusselman, Zachary Pape, Caden Dukes and Tim Young. SAE Baja team 2017, right: Dr. Bill Ryan, Jacob Nolan, Caleb Wimer, Ethan Lloyd, Austin Kruzich, Dr. Kevin Plumlee, Blake Yort, Dustin Placko, Lance Littlewood and Kara (Conway) Battles.
SCHOLARS AND WORLD-CHANGERS STUDENT RE OC students are doing their part to help save the planet and people in need through wind energy research! Students design, experiment, and improve on wind rotor designs and energy storage methods with the goal of providing portable, reliable energy in remote areas, especially for disaster relief. A 3D printed hub connects disposable materials that are easily replaced after a storm, attack by wild monkeys or just normal wear-and-tear. The opportunity to create a useful product that solves a problem and benefits others allows students to learn in ways that really matter. 12
Niagara Bottling continues to offer OC students research opportunities. The company, based in Irvine, California, recognizes the difference in knowledge, skills and values that define Oklahoma Christian alumni and even student interns. Targeted testing that took place in OC’s lab may change the way millions of bottles are produced. With billions of water bottles produced every year, these projects equip our students to realize huge impacts from even small changes, and potentially saves Niagara money too. Vanessa Hategekimana and Stephen Hartnett invest their summer in wind research. OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
RESEARCH C O R P O R AT E SPONSORSHIPS Our local power company, OG&E, is also a regular sponsor, both in terms of senior projects and job opportunities. This includes a 2017-18 project: a custom, student designed monitoring system that helps anticipate machine failure on power plant equipment before catastrophic failures occur. This system has demonstrated successful prototypes in OCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s engineering labs and in OG&E power plants.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
KEVIN PLUMLEE (05) EARNS PH.D. Doctorate Research: how friction and wear affects plastic in artificial joints Student Research: Niagara Bottling and plastics Mission: for God to continue to use his youthful exuberance to relate with students Our Response: Congratulations Dr. Plumlee!
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C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E & M AT H E M AT I C S
Curtis Coleman talks cyber crime with students.
NEW FACES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE ARISOA RANDRIANASOLO Arisoa Randrianasolo earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Texas Tech University and comes to OC after teaching computer science at Lipscomb University and chairing the computer sciences department there. Randrianasolo is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery with specialties in Artificial Intelligence, Reinforcement Learning, Machine Learning, Predictive Analytic, Business Intelligence, Application of Artificial Intelligence in Computer Security. His favorite programing languages are C, C++,
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Java and Python. Dr. Arisoa has experience managing and using Hadoop ecosystem.
CURTIS COLEMAN DIRECTOR OF CYBERSECURITY
Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Director of Cybersecurity Program, Curtis Coleman comes to OC via Seagate Technology in Oklahoma City. Prior to Seagate, he served with the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserves. “These new cybersecurity degrees are a logical extension of our computer science strengths,” said David North, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Director of Computer Science Advancement at OC. “Companies know our students will be prepared and ethical, and our graduates will be well-paid for their hard work.”
Coleman serves on Oracle Cloud, McAfee, Salesforce. com and Google Security Advisory Councils. He is the 2012 Information Security Executive of the Year with certifications as Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP-ISSAP, ISSMP), and Information Security & Risk Manager (CISM, CRISC). Coleman is actively involved in professional associations: founding member of the Bay Area CSO Council, member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), serves on the COBIT and Security Governance Review Boards, member of the Network and Storage Industry Association (SNIA), and serves on the Storage Security Forum. OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS SERVE WITH HOUR OF CODE
Teaching, leading and inspiring students to become scholars, seekers and servants motivates CS faculty to press into classroom instruction, industry connections and one-on-one mentoring relationships. It all comes together in practicing servanthood at a local elementary school. We anticipate spending a week at Chisholm Elementary School for Hour of Code, an international effort to engage young students with basic computer science principles. We train our students to work with fourth graders learning Scratch, a graphical programming language for kids. “My protege clearly enjoyed the interactive nature of Scratch, which made it easy for her to tell the differences between different design elements. I was happy to introduce a member of the next generation of computer scientists to a couple of important programming concepts,” said Chris Cavalier, 2019 Computer Science Alum from Gotebo, Oklahoma.
M AT H E M AT I C S KAPPA MU EPSILON INDUCTEES Eight students were inducted into Kappa Mu Epsilon, a national mathematics honor society, for spring 2019. The Oklahoma Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon began in 2007 with the induction of 25 students and faculty. The current inductees brings the total number to 132. The new members were: Cassandra Brown, Peyton Chenault, Levi Dreiling, Nathaniel Markham, Chloe Sheasby, Hui Ying Tan, Kyla Tarpey, and Micah Young. Additionally, officers were elected for the 2019-20 school year. The current officers are; Peyton Chenault, President; Nathaniel Markham, Vice President; and Taylor Glover, Secretary.
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
Eight-and-nine-year-olds spend hours engaged with technology. We help them use that time to develop critical thinking, logic and problem solving skills, planting seeds of aspirations for computer science and engineering in their futures. Our students love it and the fourth graders love them. “They helped me when I got stuck. I like coding because when you learn it, you can make your own games,” Jessica Aisenber, Chisholm fourth grader.
J E N N I F E R B RYA N
C H A I R O F M AT H E M AT I C S
Blood type: orange, M.S. and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University Superpower: female, OC’s first XX chromosome math chair Main jam: statistics, active in consulting, teaching and workshopping Big supporter: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, $1,000,000+ workshop funding OC Legacy: Pops, Dr. Philip Bryan = early OC grad, J.B. = 2nd gen alum and nephew = gen #3
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C O M P U T E R S C I E N C E & M AT H E M AT I C S
NEW TEAM COURSES IN 2019 Beginning Fall 2019, CS students will be required to take four “CS Team Experience” courses (one course per year). Upper and lower classmen will form a team headed by a faculty mentor to research and solve problems in areas such as Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Game/ Simulation Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Programming Competition challenges. The goal of the courses is to give students focused practice in teamwork and communication, enhance students’ knowledge in these fields of study and deepen relationships between students and faculty.
OC STUDENTS TOP PROGRAMMERS OC Programming teams did an outstanding job in the 2018 ICPC ACM Regional Programming contest. Among all teams with only undergraduate students, OC teams placed 1st and 6th out of 27 teams. The field of competition included large institutions such as OU, Texas A&M, TCU, LSU, Baylor and Rice. Congratulations to our Eagle Programming team members: Jonathan Hartnett, Alexander Edwards, Chad Hayen, Jonathan Troyer, Bryson Goad and Timothy White.
CAPSTONE PROJECT WITH PAYC O M Students in the Computer Science capstone courses worked in teams to build a software system for Paycom. Company software managers and tech leads provided requirements and feedback, mentoring the teams as they presented deliverables throughout the year. Several of these students accepted offers for fulltime positions, joining many OC alumni at Paycom, including Manager of Software Development, Chris Nusbaum. Paycom joins the prestigious list of companies that have partnered with OC in the capstone course including PPOK, Adfitech and Hobby Lobby. 16
CS EARNS RANKING OC’s computer science program is ranked sixth on a nationally-recognized list of Top 20 Best Value Small Colleges.* “People use software negatively. We want our graduates to consider a higher calling in the way that they apply these powerful tools,” said Department Chair Andy Harbert. Senior Jacob Creech came to OC for the people, positive environment and the quality of faculty in the computer science program. “Businesses want to see if you are good at code and how well you present yourself. Are you good with people? Do you have leadership skills? OC offers a unique factor that allows people to grow in those areas,” said Creech. Computer Science creates a big footprint for the size of the school with degrees specializing in business, cybersecurity and gaming and animation. “The qualities of our program are supported by faculty who bring a wealth of academic qualifications and over 70-years of combined industry experience,” Harbert said. “Our faculty push students to learn the theory and practice enabling them to become great problem solvers. We are always improving the program by staying current with industry trends and tools.” Read more @ Talon.news: Computer Science program ranked sixth on national list *Best Value Schools OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
ONLINE MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING
OC.EDU
OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
You are invited to be a part of the Online MSE leadership degree. Advance in your career, invest in your lifetime earning potential or get a leg up in that stack of resumes on the hiring manager’s desk. Professionals who complete their master’s degree earn about $10,000 more annually, making the online MSE a wise investment in your career. Plus, many employers foot the bill with tuition reimbursement benefits! Top tech companies and organizations want employees to have the expertise that comes with an MSE degree, and OC is here to help you meet that need. Employers are raising the stakes; 38% have increased educational requirements but only 8% of the population have advanced degrees. OC’s robust Graduate Programs are just what employers are looking for, and 41% of them are willing to pay for it! OC’s Online MSE is not just a better life for you, but also enhances your ability to help others in your field and beyond. Enroll now!
ASK DAVID.NORTH@OC.EDU HOW TO ADD CYBERSECURITY TO YOUR BACHELOR’S OR MASTER’S DEGREE.
THE WORLD AWAITS YOUR STORY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
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ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING
ALUMNI BUILD A PIPELINE TO FO
ADDISON SCHWAMB P R ES E N T S AT IEEE HONG KONG Honors student from Colorado Springs, Senior Addison Schwamb presents undergraduate research at IEEE Hong Kong. Addison and her research partner examined the practical implementation of an evolutionary algorithm to solve a pursuit evasion problem. In this problem, an Attacker and a Target move about an infinite plane with constant speeds. The Target moves in a constant circle, whereas the Attacker is free to change its direction with a bounded turn rate. The goal of the Attacker is to capture the Target in minimum time. We used pursuit evasion robots to physically model this problem and implement an evolutionary algorithm to evaluate the controller performance in real-world systems. These experiments showed that the algorithm does work in real life, particularly in situations where the robots can implement air-combat tactics.
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When Mitch Warren graduated from OC in 2005 with a degree in Electrical Engineering, he took his first steps down the career path at Oklahoma City-based Ford Audio-Video. “I didn’t know that you could make a career in audio-video,” Warren said. For the first eight years of his career, Warren served as a project engineer for Ford AV, working on large commercial sound, video and video conferencing systems that included the SandRidge Energy headquarters, the Oklahoma City Thunder practice facility, and, ultimately, the 50-story Devon Tower.
“The Devon Tower was an incredible project, and to this day is one of the largest our company has ever done,” Warren said. “I was promoted after that to higher management and that’s what prompted my move down here to Houston.” Nearly 15 years later, Ford AV remains Warren’s first and only post-graduate employer. Today he serves as Division Manager of the company’s booming Houston operation, overseeing a staff of 70 professionals. Founded in 1974 by Jim and Claire Ford, Ford AV has grown into the nation’s fifth largest audio-video company. Warren is just one of a number of OC alumni who are making an impact on Ford AV’s operations.
OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
FORD AV
incorporate some things from their company into our curriculum, and look for ways of doing our senior capstone projects in collaboration.” The interest is mutual. OC has established a pipeline to Ford AV for its graduates, Warren said. “Ford has its headquarters there, and OC has a top-notch program. We are trying to hire a couple of OC grads each year,” he said. “For sure, it’s a pipeline.” Story by Jim Stafford
EC E A LU M N I ESTA B L I S H J O E WAT S O N F U N D Watson Scholarshipped & Exhibited ECE alumni are uniting to honor the legacy of Joe Watson by establishing the Joe Watson Fund, a tuition scholarship for engineering students. Annually, five outstanding students will be chosen to receive a $4,000 award applied over four years when the scholarships are fully funded. To make a monthly donation or a one-time gift to the Joe Watson Fund, go to OC.edu/give. Watson worked alongside physics Nobel laureate Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments, creating the logic design for the world’s first integrated-circuit computer. Following his three-decade career as TI vice president, co-architect of the first vector pipeline computer and obtaining multiple patents, Watson began sharing his industry-shaping set of experiences as a professor at OC. He teaches from the perspective that learning should be practical and fun. He enjoys interacting with students as they learn together how to work with God’s wonders to enhance lives.
Some CECS alumni working for Ford AV include Jeremy Cole (01), Natasha (Hartsock) Wright (06), Brent Kucharo (15) and Lauren Kennedy (14). Electrical Engineering student Nathan Jennings served an internship with the company in 2019. “One of the things that has impressed me about Ford AV is their culture. OC graduates engineers of character. They promote a working environment of character. So, we are a good fit,” said Jeff Bigelow, Ph.D, chair of OC’s Electrical and Computer Engineering department. Bigelow toured the Ford AV Oklahoma City facilities and met with Claire Ford, who is the company’s CEO. “I was really impressed with everything they are doing,” Bigelow said. “I want to COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCE
Watson’s work makes an international impact at the Computer History Museum located in Silicon Valley. Joe has consulted with the museum for many years, but recently has been able to share artifacts and documents now declassified by the government. His contributions to the museum will be used to fill gaps in the historical timeline of computers. He donated the same documents to OC for a permanent feature in the school’s archives.
CECS BENEFITS FROM THR!VE Great big thank yous, hugs, high-fives and hat tips to our alumni and friends who donated to the university’s Thrive fund-raising campaign. Your generosity is impacting students in ways that enhance their learning and better prepare them for careers. The ECE Electronics and Digital Labs received a top-to-bottom makeover! Brand new high-end equipment allows students to study in up-to-date labs with modern technology. They nerd-out over the benches with cutting edge oscilloscopes, function generators, power supplies and multimeters generating data collected by new Nuc computers. The ECE Software Engineering Lab integrates software and hardware learning. Sleek benches face a new HDMI projector and screen for lecture-style classes to support our growing class sizes. Please come by for a tour when you’re near campus. We love showing off our new digs! 19
Incoming freshman students join in Engineering Summer Academy to earn class credit, begin developing relationships with fellow students and faculty and start to learn what it takes to become a CECS graduate of Oklahoma Christian University. The camp-like orientation has proven to increase retention rates for the university and the programs. It has been so successful, all colleges will begin their own orientation camps fall of 2019.
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