Center for Engineering Education
Faculty and Staff Survey

Name : Frank L. Severance
Dept. : Electrical and Computer Engineering

Research Interests :  
  Freshmen pre-engineering courses
Teaching K-12 teachers to do engineering and science
K-12 summer programs and outreach

Education Background :  
Ph.D. degree Systems Science (1988), Michigan State University
M.S. degree Systems Science (1984), Michigan State University
M.S. degree Mathematics (1969), Michigan State University
B.S. degree Physics (1974), Michigan State University
B.S. degree Mathematics (1968), Michigan State University

Academic and Professional Background :  
  University: WMU from 1985 to present
Community College: Lansing Community College instructor and administrator from 1977 to 1984.
High School Teaching: Catholic high schools (two years)
Public Australian schools (three years)
Summer Outreach: Numerous summer institutes in arts and science, engineering
technology.

Publications :

Text books -

  
  System Modeling and Simulation: an Introduction, published by John Wiley
and Sons, 2002. This text is designed for a senior/first year graduate course
and is used in ECE 580 as a required text.
Instruction Manuals for Industry Workshops -
  Neural Networks - a Tutorial
Introduction to Intelligent Control: Neural/Fuzzy Control Systems
Introduction to Motion Control: Controlling the Action
Electromechanical Motion Control
Data Communications and Industrial Buses
System Modeling and Simulation: The GUI Interfaces
Manuals for WMU Outreach Programs -
  Building Your Own Mobot: Technical Manual (2001) by Dr. D. A. Miller and F. L.
Severance.
Girls Exploring Engineering: Weather Balloons (2002) by E. Tsang, F. L. Severance
and D. A. Miller.
Refereed Conference Proceedings -
 
  1. F. L. Severance, Balloons are Cool, Michigan Space Grant Consortium Fall Conference (Ann Arbor, Michigan), 2002.
  2. D. A. Miller, F. L. Severance and C. Graves, Bridging the Lecture-laboratory Gap with a Web-based Interactive Circuit Demonstration System in WMU College of Engineering and Applied Science Seminar Series, Kalamazoo, Michigan February 2002.
  3. D. A. Miller, F. L. Severance, K. L. Kowalski, J. K. Tolliver and J. W. Vieth, Electronic Artificial Neural Networks in NASA Michigan Space Grant Consortium Conference, (Ann Arbor, Michigan), 1998.
  4. F. L. Severance, D.A. Miller, M. Z. Atashbar and I. Abdel-Qader, Building Your Own Mobot: an Outreach Course in Mobile Robotics for High School Students, Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering education Annual Conference (Montreal, Quebec), 2002.
  5. M. Z. Atashbar, D. A. Miller, F. L. Severance and R. Tanner, Bridging the Freshman Engineering Gap by Building Mobile Robots, Proceedings of the 2002 American Society for Engineering education Annual Conference (Montreal, Quebec), 2002.
  6. K. Davis, D. A. Miller and F. L. Severance, an Interactive Web-based Analog Grade Computer as an Electrical Circuits Capstone Lab Project, Proceedings of the 2001 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference (Albuquerque, New Mexico), 2001.
  7. F. L. Severance, M. Z. Atashbar, Engineering Real Time Systems: A New Course for Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering Majors; Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education (East Lansing, Michigan), Spring 2000.
  8. D. A. Miller, F. L. Severance, etal, Enhancing Electrical and Computer Engineering Education by Building Electronic Artificial Neural Networks, Proceedings of the spring 1999 North Central Section Meeting of the American Society for Engineering Education (Erie, Pennsylvania), 1999.
  9. Oscar Garcia, F. L. Severance, etal On Teaching Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems Courses, IEEE Transactions on Education, February 1993.
  10. F. L. Severance, S. Ganesan, Computer Interfacing in the Undergraduate Curriculum,
    Proceedings of the ASEE (Cincinnati Ohio), June 1986.


Engineering Education Grants On-going and completed :
 
  1. E. Tsang, K. Uhrig, W. Mieras, F. L. Severance, D. A. Miller and M. A. Suchowski,"Gender Equity in Engineering and Technology", NASA Michigan Space Grant Consortium (prime sponsor) [$36,000], Summer 2002 joint proposal between WMU and the Kent Intermediate School District, February 2002.
  2. F. L. Severance (PI), D. A. Miller (co-PI). Mobile Robotics; Building Your Own Mobot [$20,500 Michigan, $8,060 WMU], a summer technical institute grant from the State of Michigan; January 2002.
  3. F. L. Severance (PI), D. A. Miller (co-PI). Mobile Robotics; Building Your Own Mobot [$20,500 Michigan, $8,060 WMU], a summer technical institute grant from the State of Michigan; summer, 2001.
  4. D. A. Miller (PI), F. L. Severance (co-PI), Walking Before Running: Filling the Freshman Engineering Gap by Building Mobile Stiquito Robots [$99,918 NSF,$106,862 WMU, $50,000 Techtronics], a proposed freshman foundation course from the National Science Foundation; Fall, 2001 (three years).
  5. F. L. Severance, Pre-Freshman Enrichment Program [$15,000, NASA, $15,000 KAMSCI] through the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (with Brenda Earhart of the Kalamazoo Mathematics and Science Center), June 1, 1994 to May 31, 1996.
  6. F. L. Severance, Summer Institute of Arts and Science [$78,855 Michigan, $27,000 WMU] through the Michigan State Department of Education (co-Principle Investigator with Diane Henderson of the Office of Conferences and Institutes).; January 1 to July 31, 1995.
  7. F. L. Severance, Summer Institute for Arts and Science [$78,855 Michigan, $27,000 WMU] through the Michigan State Department of Education (co-Principle Investigator with Diane Henderson of the Office of Conferences and Institutes).; January 1 to July 31, 1994.

Engineering Education Grants Pending :
  F. L. Severance (PI), D. A. Miller (co-PI). Mobile Robotics; Building Your Own Mobot [$20,500 Michigan, $8,060 WMU], a proposed summer technical institute continuation grant from the State of Michigan; summer, 2003.

Engineering Education Presentations:
Invited -
  1. Mobile Robots - a New Approach to Freshman Education
                 National Association of Honors Education (Ann Arbor, Michigan), April 2002.
  2. I Do It for Greed - the Case for Mentoring
                  Lee Honor's College Convocation, Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo,Michigan),               December 1994.
  3. Symmetry Through Chaos - Conference on Undergraduate Research Western Michigan University
    (Kalamazoo, Michigan), April 1994

Current and Past Consulting and Professional Services in Engineering Education
  Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
- senior member
- faculty advisor to the West Michigan student section, 1989 to 1996
- newsletter editor, 1990 to 1992
- secretary, 1988 to 1990

American Institute for Motion Engineering (AIME), 1989 to 1999
- certification officer, 1992 to 1999
- executive director, 1999
- executive secretary, 1992 to 1998
- member of the executive board, 1989 to 1999
- chair of the technical affairs committee
- chair of the publications committee
- co-founder

Michigan Space Grant Consortium affiliate representative for Western Michigan University, 1995 - present.

Michigan Council of Professional, Scientific and Technical Associations, Treasurer 1988 and 1989


Teaching and Mentoring Awards :
  2000 Most Influential ECE Professor (Kimberly Wynn)
2000 Most Influential CE Professor (Kah Yin Ng)
1999 Most Influential ECE Professor (Pedro Burnay)
1998 Most Influential ECE Professor (Yi Hang)
1997 Most Influential ECE Professor (Troy Brown)
1996 Most Influential ECE Professor (Collin Chan)
1995 Most Influential ECE Professor (Douglas Jansen)
1995: Outstanding Branch Counselor and Advisor Award for the IEEE
1987 Most Influential ECE Professor (David Dembinski)

Societies :
  Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
- Computer Society
- System, Man and Cybernetics Society
American Institute for Motion Engineering (AIME)
International Association of Science and Technology for Development (IASTED)