191-200 of 204 results
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OPTIMIS: Optimizing Human Performance in the Air Transportation Sector by Integrating Human Factors into Homeland Security Deterrence and Detection Procedures and Training: System Interfaces and Behavioral Screening at Security Checkpoints (Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University Undergraduate Research Collaborative Grants Program 2023)
This project addresses human performance optimization in commercial air transportation by integrating human factors principles into homeland security deterrence and detection tasks, procedures, training, and technology interfaces at airport security checkpoints.
9/11 occurred as terrorists overcame security screening procedures. Subsequently, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created as a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security founded 20 years ago. In today’s persistent threat environment, strengthening the airport security screening checkpoint with its holistic human, social, and technological ecology in mind is an ongoing challenge. This project addresses human performance optimization in commercial air transportation by integrating human factors principles into homeland security deterrence and detection tasks, procedures, training, and technology interfaces at security checkpoints. The project takes a systemic approach in identifying behavioral risk vulnerabilities of airport security screening checkpoints associated with human error in order to: (a) close effectiveness and efficiency gaps in user interaction with systemic elements and (b) enhance human reliability as a measure to improve overall system performance and hence air transportation security. The focus is on how well system components are designed to interface with human physiological and cognitive abilities and limitations. System components include equipment and technology, tasks, environment, and organizational elements. Organizational elements include scheduling/shiftwork, training, culture, communication, procedures, etc. Expected outcomes include focused controls associated with fatigue/circadian dysrhythmia and development of training materials for improved recognition of behavioral threat risks indicators.Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Analyticity and kernel stabilization of unbounded derivations on C*-algebras
We first show that a derivation studied recently by E. Christensen has a set of analytic elements which is strong operator topology-dense in the algebra of bounded operators on a Hilbert space, which strengthens a result of Christensen. Our second main result shows that this derivation has kernel stabilization, that is, no elements have derivative eventually equal to 0 unless their first derivative is 0. As applications, we (1) show that a family of derivations on C*-algebras studied by Bratteli and Robinson has kernel stabilization, and (2) we provide sufficient conditions for when two operators which satisfy the Heisenberg Commutation Relation must both be unbounded.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Simulation Based Inquiry Oriented Linear Algebra
CO-I Ashish Amresh
Games that teach introductory concepts in linear algebra such as vectors, span and dependence are created to be used by instructors in an undergraduate class.
A well-established National workforce need and critical challenge is to recruit and train students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Since mathematics is a fundamental part of all STEM disciplines, success of undergraduate students in mathematics is a crucial ingredient to address this challenge. Linear algebra is a vital transition course for students in the STEM disciplines because of its unifying power within mathematics and its applicability to areas outside of mathematics. Accordingly, effective instruction at this stage in students' development is paramount. The focus of this project will be to improve teaching, learning, and student success in linear algebra by incorporating a blending of technology and several learning theories and applications to lead to new research results and production of curriculum resources. This project will leverage the investigators' previous research and curriculum development in Inquiry-Oriented Linear Algebra (IOLA) and expertise in Technology Based Learning to explore the unification of curriculum design and technology design theories and practices.
The goals of the project are to: (1) create a digital platform that will equip students with a virtual experience of a version of the IOLA curriculum; (2) document the affordances and constraints for learning using a game platform (IOLA-G) in comparison to face-to-face instruction by experienced IOLA instructors; (3) compare different digital gaming formats to determine which are most conducive to inquiry-oriented learning; and (4) use the knowledge gained from (1), (2), and (3) to improve student learning through the developed technology, and, reflexively, to enhance the existing IOLA curriculum and teacher support resources. The project team will investigate students' mathematical activity and learning while the students are engaged with the digital platform and will use this insight to inform further refinement of design. Building on prior research efforts in the learning and teaching of linear algebra and expertise in Game Based Learning (GBL), the team will design IOLA-G to mimic the problem-centered approach of the existing IOLA curriculum and will iteratively refine this platform through teaching experiments with students throughout the project. The project also will explore the extent to which GBL can provide a dynamic approach to addressing the constraints that larger class sizes place on instructors' implementation of inquiry-oriented curricula. In addition to, and as part of the process of, creating the resource technology, the investigators will incorporate a mixed methods approach with a blending of game-based learning design, curriculum design theory, and research from inquiry-based learning to explore the following research questions: What are the mathematical practices that students engage in and the conceptual understandings students develop using IOLA-G compared to when using only the face-to-face IOLA curriculum? What are the affordances and constraints of different game environments in terms of enacting an inquiry-oriented curriculum? The impact of the project will include the positive effects on STEM discipline student learning, knowledge, abilities, and overall success, which will lead to strengthening United States workforce needs in STEM areas.Categories: Faculty-Staff
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The S-Band Array for Bistatic Electromagnetic Ranging (SABER)
CO-I Brian Butka
Faculty in the Electrical, Computer, Software, and Systems Engineering Department at Embry‑Riddle are developing new radar that may alter the paradigm of locating aircraft.
Unlike standard radars that generate high-power radio pulses and listen for the return echoes indicating aircraft, the SABER system has no transmitter of its own. Instead, the researchers use weak echoes of signals from existing satellites high above the Earth to locate their quarry.Passive radars exploiting environmental signals are not uncommon and systems using television and radio stations have been known for more than a decade; however, systems using satellites are unique. Satellite signals are much weaker than ground-based signals, and are often considered too weak to be useful. The key, says Barott, is in the signal processing, which is able to identify the very weak echoes - and thus the aircraft - among the sea of radio noise and interfering signals.
Passive radars exploiting environmental signals are not uncommon and systems using television and radio stations have been known for more than a decade; however, systems using satellites are unique. Satellite signals are much weaker than ground-based signals, and are often considered too weak to be useful. The key, says Barott, is in the signal processing, which is able to identify the very weak echoes - and thus the aircraft - among the sea of radio noise and interfering signals.The researchers envision many applications for passive radars using satellite-based signals. To start with, a network of inexpensive stations could supplement existing systems for tracking low-altitude aircraft, and provide coverage in mountainous regions where little radar coverage currently exists. “It's a similar idea to why you might get satellite television,” says Barott. “Remote locations and rough terrain might block ground-based signals, but are no problem for satellites sending their signals down from orbit.” Other applications include rapid deployment radars and approach radars for remote airfields. The researchers also note potential applications utilizing the covert and stealth-detecting aspects of this type of radar
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Integration of the Emerging Space Ecosystem into the National Airspace System (NAS): Simulation and Analysis of Impacts and Solutions, NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium
CO-I Maxwell Cannon
CO-I Noah Eudy
Currently, there is limited, but ongoing, simulation research on the integration of space operations into the NAS that focuses on impacts to other constituents and in finding solutions (cf, Tinoco, et al., 2019; Colvin & Alonso, 2015). Particularly, academic research based on modeling and simulation is quite minimal. Thus, the first objective of this research was to continue our current efforts and develop additional simulation models to analyze the potential impacts of launch and re-entry activities on key NAS stakeholder operations, particularly those of airlines, but also general aviation. NASA KSC/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) clearly play a critical role in both the state of Florida and in our nation’s space ecosystem. As such, our area of interest was defined as Cape Canaveral, Florida. We built on our previous simulation research that centered on horizonal take-off and landing of Concept Z reusable launch vehicles (RLV) at Cecil Air and Space Port in Jacksonville, FL (cf, Tinoco et al (2019); Tinoco et al, pending) and our understanding of air traffic routes on the heavily traveled Eastern Seaboard.
Particularly in the United States (U.S.), the number of spaceports is growing as both public and private entities are examining commercialized space transportation as a means of revenue and economic growth. Conversely, stakeholders that lie outside the space industry, such as those in our nation’s aviation sector, view space transportation with caution, concerned about the negative effects on their own operations as space launch and return activities become the norm rather than the exception. These non-space stakeholders will directly and indirectly impact the pace and development of the U.S. space economy. Thus, safe, equitable, efficient and effective integration of space activities into the NAS is critical to all stakeholders, influencing the realized economic and non-economic benefits that these stakeholders aspire. Clearly, the new space economy will ultimately profit us all as a nation. However, this new path of growth must be examined through multiple lenses in order to achieve maximum benefit for everyone. As such, our target audience includes all stakeholders that are impacted by or can impact airspace closures due to space activities whether they be the launch providers, airlines, NASA, the US Air Force, the FAA, general aviation, policy makers, communities, and general public.
Currently, there is limited, but ongoing, simulation research on the integration of space operations into the NAS that focuses on impacts to other constituents and in finding solutions (cf, Tinoco, et al., 2019; Colvin & Alonso, 2015). Particularly, academic research based on modeling and simulation is quite minimal. Thus, the first objective of this research was to continue our current efforts and develop additional simulation models to analyze the potential impacts of launch and re-entry activities on key NAS stakeholder operations, particularly those of airlines, but also general aviation. NASA KSC/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) clearly play a critical role in both the state of Florida and in our nation’s space ecosystem. As such, our area of interest was defined as Cape Canaveral, Florida. We built on our previous simulation research that centered on horizonal take-off and landing of Concept Z reusable launch vehicles (RLV) at Cecil Air and Space Port in Jacksonville, FL (cf, Tinoco et al (2019); Tinoco et al, pending) and our understanding of air traffic routes on the heavily traveled Eastern Seaboard.
In order to meet the first objective, the student researchers specifically targeted the following questions with respect to Cape Canaveral space activities:
1) What are the most common airspace closures
2) What times are they closed and for how long?
3) What number of planes fly through this airspace during the time and space of closure?
4) What type of air traffic is impacted (commercial, general aviation)?
The second objective was to work on finding solutions that are generalizable across the NAS, irrespective of spaceport location. For this objective, the researchers asked:
1) What are the rerouting options?
2) What are the impacts if we vary time of day and size of closure window?
3) What other solutions are available?
For this research effort, we focused on vertical launches using Falcon 9 airspace closure data from 2019, as well as horizontal landings of the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF)[1] using historical shuttle airspace closure data. For the latter, we chose to examine horizontal arrival operations as the LLF prepares to accept landings of the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser, following proper site operator licensing for Space Florida. We also considered the landing of the X-37B.
For our simulation software, we used NASA Future Air Traffic Management (ATM) Concepts Evaluation Tool (FACET) version 19.0 with NAS (National Airspace System) Constraint Evaluation and Notification Tool (NASCENT) version 19.03. The first phase included understanding the baseline model, representing the existing NAS conditions without space launch/landing operations at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Our database was that of real air traffic on March 30, 2016 (a “no launch” date) provided by NASA AMES for use with FACET. In the second phase, closed airspace, defined by historic NOTAMs, allowed us to identify how many and what type of air traffic would be impacted by the temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) in terms of time and space during launch/landing activities.
[1] Also referred to as the Launch Landing Facility (LLF), operated and managed by Space Florida.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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GAANN
CO-I William Engblom
CO-I J. Gordon Leishman
This project is sponsored by the Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) fellowship program to support six to 10 Ph.D. students of high ability and financial need in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University.
This project is sponsored by the Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) fellowship program to support six to 10 Ph.D. students of high ability and financial need in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University. The purpose of the program is to enhance and diversify the pool of U.S. citizens who are qualified to teach and pursue research careers in the field of aerospace engineering.
Embry‑Riddle's Aerospace Engineering Department is among the top aerospace engineering programs in the nation. It is currently ranked 32nd for its graduate programs and 8th for its undergraduate program by U.S. News and World Report. The department currently has 34 faculty comprised of distinguished researchers and teachers in the fields of aerodynamics and propulsion, dynamics and control, as well as structures and materials.
GAANN Fellows will participate in a formal training/teaching program, which will allow them to learn, observe experienced teachers and gain hands-on experience in teaching. Fellows will receive instruction on effective teaching techniques and will be evaluated formally on their teaching. A far-reaching recruitment plan will allow Embry‑Riddle to identify outstanding and eligible students, especially from traditionally underrepresented groups. Embry‑Riddle is contributing matching funds in the form of tuition and fee assistance.
If you are interested in being supported as a GAANN Fellow, please contact Dr. Lyrintzis at lyrintzi@erau.edu.Categories: Faculty-Staff
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From degree to Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): A framework for consideration
CO-I Martha Harrell
Research findings from this study demonstrate a framework in which to examine the required skills of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), with consideration of the relationship between the (a) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), (b) Chief Finance Officer (CFO), (c) Chief Information Officer (CIO), (d) Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), (e) Chief Risk Officer (CRO), and (f) Chief Security Officer (CSO) within the Information Security and Assurance field and the needs of both industry and academia. Participants were asked to complete a 10-15 minute survey conducted between various CISOs and academicians.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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Eaglet: Writing Center and Tutoring Program
CO-I Wendi Kappers
The purpose of this research is to develop and implement a fully functioning writing center for the Embry‑Riddle Worldwide student body. The program will consist of a tutoring service to aid students with grammatically correct writing, forming coherent arguments, and properly addressing the specific objectives of the paper.
While writing tutor programs are routine at residential campuses, they are not for online programs, such as Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University's Worldwide Campus. In the fall of 2013, the English department and the Rothwell Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) distributed a needs assessment survey to the Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University- Worldwide faculty for the potential need of an online writing center. The results from the needs assessment showed 80 percent of respondents indicated that they thought ERAU needed a writing center, and another 15 percent answered that maybe there was a need.
In January 2014, a pilot project was initiated that matched live tutors with students in three different online courses. Data collected from students, tutors, and instructors illuminated program successes, as well as ways to improve pilot implementations scheduled in future terms. The pilot included three courses taught in different modalities, from different colleges, and targeting different levels of students. Students submitted drafts of assignments via email, and tutors responded with feedback and comments within 48 hours. Types of feedback focused on organization, meeting assignment parameters, APA documentation and formatting, plagiarism avoidance, and language use and punctuation.
This is an on-going investigation until the determination is made about the need to create a Writing Center and what will be needed to support it in terms of staffing and services. Original findings were disseminated at the 2014 Lilly Conference held in Oxford, Ohio, hosted by Miami University and are planned to continue until the establishment of a center takes place or another mechanism is selected.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
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EagleVision Classroom (EVC) Best Practices
CO-I Wendi Kappers
To improve the quality of EVC instruction, an evaluation was initiated of the modality to further investigate the sources of negative feedback and comments; and to identify strategies and best practices gathered from recent EVC faculty and students suggesting improvements needed in the EVC modality.
Distance and online education have been growing in popularity over the past decade. However, synchronous, distance education still faces a number of challenges with respect to student engagement and effective teaching and learning. To help improve this modality, this study investigates best practices for teaching in a synchronous Virtual Classroom (VC). This evaluation identifies 48 classroom strategies; all of which can help engage students and make the VCs more effective. Where some strategies were ranked as “least” effective by survey participants, nearly all of them were also ranked as “most effective” by another instructor or student. These strategies are meant as a guide to help improve the VC experience. This research will organize and outline the identified practices and make recommendations for instructional designers and for instructors teaching in this modality to make the most of the experience.
Categories: Faculty-Staff
191-200 of 204 results