The Keller Center supports courses that have interdisciplinary content integrating engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities that are of broad interest to students from across the University. Many of these courses have no prerequisites. They are cross-listed in undergraduate course offerings under engineering and bear the label EGR.
FALL 2008
CEE 102B/EGR 102B Engineering in the Modern World (ST)
Among the works of concern to engineering are bridges, railroads, power plants, highways, airports, harbors, automobiles, aircrafts, computers, and the microchip. The laboratory centers on the scientific analyses that are the bases for these major innovations. The experiments are modeled after those carried out by the innovators themselves, whose ideas are explored in the light of the social contexts within which they worked. Professors: Michael G. Littman, David P. Billington
COS 109/EGR 109 Computers in Our World (QR)
Computers are all around us. How does this affect the world we live in? This course is a broad introduction to computing technology for humanities and social sciences students. Topics will be drawn from current issues and events, and will include discussion of how computers work; what programming is and why it is hard; how the Internet and the Web work; security and privacy. Professor: Brian W. Kernighan
ELE 222B/EGR 222B The Computing Age (ST)
The past several decades have seen an exponential growth in computing as reflected in modern computers as well as consumer products such as music/video players and cell phones. This course will explore the reasons for this growth through studying the core principles of computing. It will cover representation of information including video and music, the design of computers and consumer devices, and their efficient implementation using computer chips. Finally, it will examine the technological factors that will likely limit future growth and discuss the societal impact of this outcome. Professors: Sharad Malik, Peter J. Ramadge, James C. Sturm
MAE 228/EGR 228/CHE 228 Energy Solutions for the Next Century
This course will deal with issues of regional and global energy demands, sources, carriers, storage, current and future technologies and costs for energy conversion, and their impact on climate and the environment. Students will learn to perform objective cost-efficiency and environmental impact analyses from source to end-user on both fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas), and alternative energy sources (bio-fuels, solar energy, wind, batteries, and nuclear). We will also pay particular attention to energy sources, technologies, emissions, and regulations for transportation. Professors: Yiguang Ju, Jay B. Benziger
EGR 250/251/350/351/450/451 Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS)
In the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program, students earn academic credit for their participation in multidisciplinary design teams that solve technology-based problems for local not-for-profit organizations. The teams are: multidisciplinary – drawing students from across engineering and around the university; vertically-integrated – maintaining a mix of sophomores through seniors each semester; and long-term – each student may participate in a project for up to six semesters. The continuity, technical depth, and disciplinary breadth of these teams enable delivery of projects of significant benefit to the community. Two project teams are already in place with project partners Isles (the “Time” project) and the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association (the Green-Retrofitting project, Greentrofit™). Professors: Michael G. Littman, Catherine Peters
ELE 431/MAE 431/ENV 431/EGR 431 Solar Energy Conversion (QR)
Principles, designs, and economics of solar conversion systems. Quantity and availability of solar energy. Physics and chemistry of solar energy conversion: solar optics; quantum processes; optical excitation; and transport of excitations, electronic, and ionic charge. Methods for conversion: photovoltaics; photoelectrochemistry; photosynthesis; and solar thermal conversion. Balance of systems: power conditioning; energy collection, transport, and storage. Economics: life cycle costing; and societal value of renewable energy. Professors: Sigurd Wagner, Emily Carter
MAE 437/EGR 437 Introduction to Innovation Process Management
In today's hypercompetitive global marketplace, innovation is the lifeblood of any business enterprise. This course exposes students to all fundamental aspects of the technological innovation process: invention/concept development, intellectual property, business plan preparation, competitive intelligence, R&D management, and critical success factors, project management, commercialization. It covers the basic management practices required to excel in the craft of successful innovation and prepares students to become technology-savvy leaders of industry or government, as well as managers and executives in a complex technological society. Professor: Karl H. Zaininger
MAE 445/EGR 445 Entrepreneurial Engineering
Addresses the business, financial, and marketing components that lead to successful entrepreneurial ventures. Students engage directly in the process of identifying, creating, and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities. Entrepreneurial design is introduced and developed. Working in small multidisciplinary teams, students identify, design, and prototype a highly marketable, consumer product. Classic and modern market analysis, manufacture and distribution are introduced along with business planning and finance. Professor: Daniel M. Nosenchuck
ELE 491/EGR 491/ORF 491 High-Tech Entrepreneurship
This "hands-on" practical course introduces students to the analysis and actions required to launch a successful high tech company. Using several conceptual frameworks and analytical techniques, it addresses the challenges of evaluating technologies for commercial feasibility, determining how best to launch a new venture, attracting the resources needed to start a company (e.g. people, corporate partners, and venture capital), preparing comprehensive business plans, structuring business relationships, and managing early stage companies toward "launch velocity" and sustainable growth. Professor: Ed Zschau
EGR 495 Special Topics in Entrepreneurship: Ventures To Address Global Challenges
Focus: how entrepreneurial ventures - as compared with international aid programs, private philanthropy and corporate social responsibility initiatives - can potentially address major global challenges such as widespread poverty, intractable disease, slum housing and global warming that affect the lives and well-being of billions. Design: after overview of selected global challenges and the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, we will explore emerging and established ventures in each of these challenge arenas in more detail. Classes: combination of lectures and case discussions. Professor: John Danner
SPRING 2009
ELE 102/EGR 103 New Eyes for the World: Hands-On Optical Engineering (ST)
This hands-on lab course introduces students to several modern topics of engineering optics. Teams of students will choose and carry out four different projects: (i) holography, (ii) lasers (iii) free-space optical communication, and/or (iv) nanotechnology. The course teaches the foundations and broader societal issues of these technologies. The laboratory sessions involve hands-on instructional training, as well as individual experimentation and exploration. Skills acquired in this course include computer programming of user interfaces, data acquisition and interpretation, wet chemical processing, and electronics design assembly. Professor: Claire F. Gmachl
CEE 105/ART 105/EGR 105 Lab in Conservation of Art (ST)
This course examines how environmental factors (acid, rain, ice, salts, and biota) damage sculpture and monuments made of stone and masonry, paintings on wood, and sculptures in bronze. We examine campus buildings that illustrate each type of damage and visit the Cloisters Museum to learn how those medieval buildings are protected. Lectures on structure and properties of materials and mechanisms of attack. Labs include quantifying water movement through stone, damage from freezing and salts, strength of mortars, protective effects of sealants and consolidants, effect of moisture on wood. Professor: George W. Scherer
ORF 105/EGR 106 The Science and Technology of Decision Making (QR)
An individual makes decisions every day. In addition, other people are making decisions that have an impact on the individual. In this course we will consider both how these decisions are made and how they should be made. In particular, we will focus on the use of advanced computing and information technology in the decision-making process. Professor: Staff
COS 116/EGR 116 The Computational Universe (ST)
Computers have brought the world to our fingertips. We will try to understand at a basic level the science--old and new--underlying this new Computational Universe. Our quest takes us on a broad sweep of scientific knowledge and related technologies: propositional logic of the ancient Greeks (microprocessors); quantum mechanics (silicon chips); network and system phenomena (internet and search engines); computational intractability (secure encryption); and efficient algorithms (genomic sequencing). Ultimately, this study makes us look anew at ourselves--our genome; language; music; "knowledge"; and, above all, the mystery of our intelligence. Professor: Sanjeev Arora
CHE 199/EGR 199 Great Inventions That Changed the World (QR)
We study many great inventions in history, from the stone ax to the World Wide Web, and how they have changed the way that we work and live. We examine the human conditions before the inventions, the inventors and their methods, and the science and technology involved. The class will discuss their impacts on society, both positive and negative. The students will organize teams to study particular inventions, and to make oral presentations and written reports. Quantitative skills with Excel will be introduced to solve growth equations, and to do trends and statistics. Professor: James Wei
EGR 250/251/350/351/450/451 Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS)
In the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program, students earn academic credit for their participation in multidisciplinary design teams that solve technology-based problems for local not-for-profit organizations. The teams are: multidisciplinary – drawing students from across engineering and around the university; vertically-integrated – maintaining a mix of sophomores through seniors each semester; and long-term – each student may participate in a project for up to six semesters. The continuity, technical depth, and disciplinary breadth of these teams enable delivery of projects of significant benefit to the community. Two project teams are already in place with project partners Isles (the “Time” project) and the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association (the Green-Retrofitting project, Greentrofit™). Professors: Michael G. Littman, Catherine Peters
CEE 262B/ARC 262B/EGR 262B/URB 262B Structures and the Urban Environment (ST)
This course focuses on structural engineering as a new art form begun during the Industrial Revolution and flourishing today in long-span bridges, thin shell concrete vaults, and tall buildings. Through laboratory experiments students study the scientific basis for structural performance and thereby connect external forms to the internal forces in the major works of structural engineers. Students examine contemporary exemplars that are essential to the understanding of 21st century structuring of cities with illustrations taken from New York, Boston, and Chicago and urban areas elsewhere such as Japan, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Professors: David P. Billington, Maria E. Garlock
MAE 328/EGR 328/ENV 328 Energy for a Greenhouse-Constrained World
This course addresses, in technical detail, the challenge of changing the future global energy system to accommodate constraints on the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. Energy production strategies are emphasized, including renewable energy, nuclear fission and fusion, the capture and storage of fossil-fuel carbon, and hydrogen and low-carbon fuels. Efficient energy use is also considered, as well as intersections of energy with economic development, international security, local environmental quality, and human behavior and values. Professor: Robert H. Socolow
ELE 386/EGR 386 Cyber Security (STX)
This course surveys the technology underlying secure transactions and safe interactions in a public Internet and wireless world. Topics include cyber security needs such as confidentiality, integrity, availability, access control, authorization, authentication, non-repudiation, trust, privacy and anonymity. Case studies are selected from e-commerce, denial of service attacks, viruses and worms, spam, e-voting, digital rights management, and cyber-terrorism. Related policy, social and economic issues are also discussed. Professor: Ruby B. Lee
ELE 391/EGR 391 The Wireless Revolution: Telecommunications for the 21st Century
This interdisciplinary course addresses technological, regulatory, economic, and social issues arising in the rapidly developing field of wireless communications. The course introduces students to a major technological trend that will be a significant force in worldwide commercial and social development throughout the 21st century. Professor: Sanjeev R. Kulkarni
ELE 491/EGR 491/ORF 491 High-Tech Entrepreneurship
This "hands-on" practical course introduces students to the analysis and actions required to launch a successful high tech company. Using several conceptual frameworks and analytical techniques, it addresses the challenges of evaluating technologies for commercial feasibility, determining how best to launch a new venture, attracting the resources needed to start a company (e.g. people, corporate partners, and venture capital), preparing comprehensive business plans, structuring business relationships, and managing early stage companies toward "launch velocity" and sustainable growth. Professor: Ed Zschau
Additional EGR courses are those with focused computer science, engineering or mathematical content. These courses are relevant to students beyond the home department. Currently the following courses are in this category:
COS 126 General Computer Science (also EGR 126) Fall, Spring QR
An introduction to computer science in the context of scientific, engineering, and commercial applications. The goal of the course is to teach basic principles and practical issues, while at the same time preparing students to use computers effectively for applications in computer science, physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, and other disciplines. Topics include: hardware and software systems; programming in Java; algorithms and data structures; fundamental principles of computation; and scientific computing, including simulation, optimization, and data analysis. Two lectures, two classes. Professor: D. Clark
EGR 191 An Integrated Introduction to Engineering, Mathematics, Physics (also MAT 191/PHY 191) Fall ST
Taken concurrently with EGR/MAT/PHY 192. An integrated course that covers the material of PHY 103 (General Physics: Mechanics and Thermodynamics) and MAT 201 (Multivariable Calculus) with the emphasis on applications to engineering. The physics part of the course discusses mechanics with applications to fluid mechanics, wave phenomena, and thermodynamics. Concurrently, the necessary mathematical background and tools will be taught, including vector calculus, partial derivatives and matrices, line integrals, simple differential equations, surface and volume integrals, and Green's, Stokes', and divergence theorems. Professors: P. Meyers, I. Daubechies, P. Debenedetti
EGR 192 An Integrated Introduction to Engineering, Mathematics, Physics (also MAT 192/PHY 192) Fall QR
Taken concurrently with EGR/MAT/PHY 191. An integrated course that covers the material of PHY 103 (General Physics: Mechanics and Thermodynamics) and MAT 201 (Multivariable Calculus) with the emphasis on applications to engineering. The physics part of the course discusses mechanics with applications to fluid mechanics, wave phenomena, and thermodynamics. Concurrently, the necessary mathematical background and tools will be taught, including vector calculus, partial derivatives and matrices, line integrals, simple differential equations, surface and volume integrals, and Green's, Stokes', and divergence theorems. Professors: P.Meyers, I. Daubechies, P. Debenedetti
EGR 193 An Integrated Introduction to Engineering, Mathematics, Physics (also MAT 193/PHY 193) Spring ST
Taken concurrently with EGR/MAT/PHY 194. These two courses will address the material of PHY 104 and offer an introduction to the various disciplines of engineering. The physics part of the course covers the basic laws of electricity, magnetism, and optics, from Coulomb's law to Maxwell's equations and the prediction of electromagnetic waves. The course concludes with an introduction of quantum theory with a treatment of matter waves, quantization, and the Schroedinger equation. Students who were enrolled in both EGR/MAT/PHY 191 and 192 concurrently in the fall semester will continue in the spring in both EGR/MAT/PHY 193 and 194. Professors: P.Debenedetti, F. Calaprice
EGR 194 An Integrated Introduction to Engineering, Mathematics and Physics (also MAT 194/PHY 194) Spring ST
Taken concurrently with EGR/MAT/PHY 193. These two courses will address the material of PHY 104 and offer an introduction to the various disciplines of engineering. The engineering part of the course is a project-based sequence (Energy Conversion and the Environment, Robotic Remote Sensing, and Wireless Image & Video Transmission) that covers engineering disciplines and their relationship to the principles of physics and mathematics. Students who were enrolled in both EGR/MAT/PHY 191 and 192 concurrently in the fall semester will continue in the spring in both EGR/MAT/PHY 193 and 194. Professors: P. Debenedetti, M. Littman, S. Lyon
ORF 245 Fundamentals of Engineering Statistics (also EGR 245) Fall, Spring QR
Statistics is the science of turning data into information. In this course, we will study the basic methods by which statisticians attempt to model real world phenomena and extract information from data. These will include many of the standard tools of statistical inference, their mathematical foundations as well as exploratory and graphical data analysis techniques. Professor: Staff
MAE 305 Mathematics in Engineering I (also MAT 205/EGR 305) Fall, Spring QR
An introduction to ordinary differential equations. Use of numerical methods. Equations of a single variable and systems of linear equations. Method of undermined coefficients and method of variation of parameters. Series solutions. Use of eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Laplace transforms. Nonlinear equations and stability; phase portraits. Partial differential equations via separation of variables. Sturm-Liouville theory. Three lectures. Prerequisites: MAT 201 or 203, 202 or 204. Professors: M. Kostin, L. Martinelli
ORF 307 Optimization (also EGR 307) Spring
Optimization of deterministic systems, focusing on linear programming. Model formulations, the simplex method, sensitivity analysis, duality theory, network models, nonlinear programming. Applications to a variety of problems in optimal allocation of resources, transportation systems, and finance. Professor: A. d'Aspremont
ORF 309 Probability and Stochastic Systems (also MAT 309 /EGR 309) Fall
An introduction to probability and its applications. Random variables, expectation, independence. Poisson processes, Markov chains, and Brownian motion. Stochastic models of queues, population dynamics, and reliability. Professor: E.Cinlar