One of my major goals as an engineering and technology educator is to empower students by showing them how they can accomplish something significant. Whether that accomplishment is creating a cloud computing interface for a tablet computer, programming a cell phone to act as a robot controller, or simulating the effect of a new data center topology, I want students to leave my classroom thinking, “I’ve learned skills I can use, and because of that I can make a difference in the world.”

I feel that good communication skills are an important part of a student’s overall professional training. The development of both written and oral communication techniques should be presented as an integral part of the technical curriculum. (even when accommodating students for whom English may not be their first language). Whether they are explaining their work to their peers, describing themselves in a job interview, or providing status reports to their employers, students need to represent themselves and their work in a clear, concise manner. I look for opportunities for students to practice these skills in a non-threatening environment, such as incorporating student research papers and student-led project symposiums in my classes and the extra-curricular activities that I organize. I find that this approach fosters student leadership skills and encourages a collaborative approach which will serve students well as they pursue research projects outside the classroom.

In some curricula, such as undergraduate fundamentals, I find that a structured approach to the material can ensure more comprehensive understanding. However, in other cases I am also very familiar with the agile software development philosophy. This approach emphasizes individuals and interactions between them over processes and tools; working software over comprehensive documentation; and interactive collaboration to achieve mutually beneficial goals. These tenents are an important part of my approach to helping my students meet their academic and professional goals.

Finally, I should note that my interest in facilitating undergraduate research opportunities is tied to my interest in using robotics as a tool in the classroom. For many years I’ve been an advocate of FIRST Robotics and FIRST Lego League, an international nonprofit group which promotes STEM education through programming of Lego MindStorm robots. I’ve served as a coach for Lego League teams, helped organize robotics tournaments which test student’s programming skills, and I’m currently a member of the executive planning committee for Hudson Valley FIRST Lego League, which brings robotic competitions to nearly 1,000 students from Albany to Westchester. I’ve also used MindStorm robots in the classroom to teach Java programming at the undergraduate level. In my experience, this approach provides practical, hands-on experience and helps make abstract software concepts (such as object oriented programming) more tangible.