News

Fall Quarter 2007

New Grant Awards

Principal Investigator:  Dr. Alfredo Cruz

DoD-HBCU: “Establishment of a Virtual Wireless Information Assurance Laboratory for Research and Education in the Caribbean”, $ 176,985.00. Awarded.

Principal Investigator:  Dr. Alfredo Cruz

Latest Paper/Presentations

R. Mittra, Lai-Ching Ma and Nader Farahat, " A Case for Rigorous Numerical Simulation to Model Antenna Metamaterial Composites", Metamaterials 2007, Rome, Italy, October 2007.

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra, Jose Carrion,  "Analysis of Optical Fiber Waveguides using the Body of Revolution Version of the Finite Difference Time Domain Method.", Microwave and Optical Technology Letters. to appear in Oct. 2007.

Summer Quarter 2007

Latest Paper/Presentations

Jose Carrion, Nader Farahat and Raj Mittra, " Numerical Modeling of Patch Antenna Covered by Frequency Selective Surface", AP-S07, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 2007.

Jonathan N Bringuie, Raj Mittra and Nader Farahat, " A novel approach to constructing the Green's Function for layered media and its application to MMIC, RFIC and EMC problems", AP-S07, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 2007.

Spring Quarter 2007

Latest Paper/Presentations

Nathan Ida and Nader Farahat, "Open Stripline Resonator Sensor for Gauging in Industrial Applications", ACES -07 Verona, Italy, March 2007.

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra and Jose Carrion, " Analysis of Optical Fiber Waveguides Using the Body of Revolution Version of the FDTD", Aces-07, Verona, Italy, March 2007.

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra, Jose Carrion, Jesus Sanchez, "Numerical Analysis of Large Reflector System used as a Ground Station Antenna.", Microwave and Optical Technology Letters. Mar. 2007.

Marvi Teixeira and Yamil Rodriguez; A New Development for Cyclic Convolution: The Super Block Pseudocirculant Matrix. Accepted for Presentation at the IEEE 2007 Sarnoff Symposium, Princeton, New Jersey, May 2007.

Winter Quarter 2006

Latest Paper/Presentations

Teixeira, M.; Warn-Varnas, A.; Apel, J., and Hawkings, J.,  Observational and analytical studies of internal solitary waves in the Yellow Sea.  Journal of Coastal Research, November 2006.

Fall Quarter 2006

Dr. Farahat and his Graduate Student, Eng. Jose Carrion participated in the IEEE Conference: ANDESCON 2006, Quito , Ecuador, where they presented two papers. See below.

Latest Publications

Viktor Zaharov, and Alexander Kokhanov, “ High Spectral Efficiency Modulation Technique for Wireless Multipath Fading Channel”,  Midwest Symposium on Signal and Systems, San Juan, PR 2006.

Viktor Zaharov, and Marvi Teixeira, "Adaptive digital non-blind Beamformer for Small number of snapshots".  Midwest Symposium on Signal and Systems, San Juan, PR 2006.

Miguel De Jesus, Marvi Teixeira, Luis Vicente, Yamil Rodriguez " Nonuniform Discrete Short-Time Fourier Transform A Goertzel Filter Bank versus a FIR Filtering Approach"  Midwest Symposium on Signal and Systems, San Juan, PR 2006.

Graduate Student Jose Carrion presents his Poster at a NASA PR Space-Grant activity and gets to meet two U.S.-Astronauts.

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Dr. Viktor Zaharov was invited to chair two sessions and Dr. Marvi Teixeira chaired one session at the  2006 Midwest Symposium on Signal and Systems (MWSCAS-06), San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Summer Quarter 2006

(MSEE) Graduate Student Summer Internships

Yamil Rodriguez: Glenn Research Center (NASA)

James Acosta: Air Force Res. Lab, Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton.

Jose Carrion: Summer Pre Doctoral Institute, University of Illinois.

(BSCpE) Senior Students Summer Internships

Barel Alcantara: Inf. Tech. Aerospace Div. Honeywell (Phoenix, Az)

 Marck Rodriguez: Inf. Tech. Aerospace Div. Honeywell (Phoenix, Az)

Dr. Kay Berkling and Dr. Othoniel Rodriguez participated at NSF selection panels for the CCLI program. Details here.

Graduate Program  Profesors: Dr. Kay Berkling  (PUPR) and Dr. Pedro Torres (Lincoln Labs, MIT) Co-Chair important conference in Speaker and Language Recognition. Polytechnic University host the local organizing committee.

IEEE Odyssey 2006:

The Speaker and Language Recognition Workshop

28 – 30 June 2006

Ritz Carlton Hotel, Spa & Casino

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Professor Wence Lopez was Selected for a second time to be Dean on one of  "NASA Academy" Projects  during Summer 2006

Professor Wence López principal investigator for the Center of Excellence in Industrial Controls (CEIC) ar PUPR has been selected once again by NASA Academy to be Dean on one of its projects. Prof. Lopez will be dealing with projects such as "Visual Obstacle Identification",  "Development of Robotics Rover" and many others.  He will be interacting with research groups within NASA, with people at Jonh Hopkins University and with advanced institutions  in the area of robotics.

Dr. Othoniel Rodriguez was sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering to participate in the NSF sponsored workshop " Conducting Rigorous Research in Engineering Education" at  Colorado School of Mines. July 16-21, 2006.  Further details can be found here.

Latest Publications

José Carrión and Nader Farahat "PML Termination of  Conducting Media in the Finite Difference Time Domain Method for Bodies of Revolution (BORs)" CEM-TD Special Issue International Journal of Numerical Modeling, John Wiley.(Accepted for Publication)

Othoniel Rodriguez, Carlos Pacheco. "REDUCING THE DEVELOPMENT COSTS FOR ACTIVE AND INTERACTIVE LEARNING OBJECTS THROUGH WEB-BASED COLLABORATIVE AUTHORING" Accepted for presentation at session 1693: Emerging Trends in Engineering Education of the Emerging Trends in Engineering Education Poster Session. ASEE annual conference, June, 2006. Chicago.

Spring Quarter 2006

ECECS Professor Luis Vicente (on leave to pursue Doctoral studies) presented his research  at the largest IEEE DSP Conference: ICASSP/2006

L. M. Vicente, K. C. Ho, C. Kwan, "AN IMPROVED PARTIAL ADAPTIVE NARROW-BAND BEAMFORMER USING CONCENTRIC RING ARRAY", Accepted for Presentation: ICASSP -2006, Toulouse, France.

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Personnel from the Airforce Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton OH, visited our department to establish collaborative links. Presentations from the AF researchers were followed by presentations of the PUPR graduate program faculty.

After Participation in the Student Meeting Referenced below , our Students James Acosta and Jose Carrion were Selected through a Competitive Scholarship to Present their Research at the Arizona 6th Annual Student Research Conference, April 21st, 2006.

 José Carrión, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Francisco Seda, “Modeling of Circular Waveguides Using Finite Difference Time Domain for Bodies of Revolution Method”, NASA Consortium, Arizona State University, April 2006.

James Acosta (Poster Abstract)  ---- Jose Carrion (Poster Abstract)

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MSEE Students Participate at the 1st ACS Junior Technical Meeting & 26th Puerto Rico Interdisciplinary Scientific Meeting (PRISM) University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, 03/10/06:

Acosta, James,  and Angel Gonzalez. "FPGA Based Control Scheme For Active Power Filter", (PRISM) University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. 03/10/06

Carrion, Jose, Farahat and Nader Farahat, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. "Phase Center Analysis of Axially-Symmetric Feeds Using Finite Difference Time Domain Method of Bodies of Revolution" (PRISM) University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. 03/10/06

Latest Publications News (03/10/06)

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra and Neng-Tien Huang, “Modeling Large Phased Array Antennas Using the Finite Difference Time Domain Method and the Characteristic Basis Function Approach”, Accepted for Publication in ACES Journal special issue on Phased Array Antennas, September 2006.

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra and Neng-Tien Huang, “Modeling Large Phased Array Antennas Using the Finite Difference Time Domain Method and the Characteristic Basis Function Approach”  8th International Workshop on Finite Elements for Microwave Engineering, to be held May 25-26, 2006, in Stellenbosch, South Africa, accepted for presentation.

 Nader Farahat and Raj Mittra, “Multiscale Analysis of Panel Gaps in the Haystack Parabolic Reflector,” Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society  Journal (ACES), Vol. 21, No.1, March 2006, pp. 72-75.

Hany Abdel-Raouf, Nader Farahat, Ji-Fu Ma, Neng-Tien Huang and Raj Mittra, “A Novel FDTD Based Approach for Solving Very Large Problems” , ACES Conference, Miami, Florida, March 2006.

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra and Neng-Tien Huang, “Modeling Large Phased Array Antennas Using the Finite Difference Time Domain Method and the Characteristic Basis Function Approach”,  ACES Conference, Miami, Florida, March 2006.

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra and Jesus Sanchez, “Numerical Analysis of Large Reflector System used as a Ground Station Antenna”,  IEEE Aerospace Conference, Bigsky, Montana, March 2006.

Winter Quarter 2005 -06

Dr. Farahat attended the URSI 2006 meeting, where he and his research students at the Computational Electromagnetic Laboratory  presented one paper:

Jose Carrion, Nader Farahat and Jesus Sanchez, “Modeling Cassegrain Reflector System Using Finite Difference Time Domain Method of Bodies of Revolution”, Accepted for URSI 2006 meeting, Boulder, Colorado, January 2006.

Other Publications

Kokhanov A. B., Zaharov V. V. " Modified Signal Processing Algorithms Based on the Hartley Transform", Journal of Communication Technology and Electronics, Silver Spring, MD. Translated from Journal of Russia Academy of Science: Radiotekhnika i Elektronika", Vol. 50 No. 12, 2005, pp. 1476-1481. ISSN: 0033-8494.

Polytechnic Universit Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Group Saves the Day for Speech Recognition: (link).

Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Group

Research Poster Exhibition by PUPR Students: (link).

Fall Quarter 2005

Several Graduate Research Assistantships  are Available to Pursue M.S.E.E. Studies.

Several graduate assistantships are available for two years to pursue a M.S.E.E. in the area of  Antenna, MW,  and Computational  Electromagnetics. Interested students should contact Dr. Nader Farahat as soon as possible.

Graduate Program Professors, Marvi Teixeira, Dr. Nader Farahat and V. Zaharov , were Awarded a DoD Research Grant 

The  $204,000.00 award is for a three year term and in order to do research in the area of :  "Simulation of Very Large Antenna Arrays". Part of this work involves parallel processing, which will be carried out using the 64 Processor Cluster housed at the High Performance Computing Laboratory. The award also provides for students Graduate Research Assistantships

Graduate Program Students are Awarded Fomento and NASA fellowships.

Graduate program student Jose Carrion was awarded a NASA Puerto Rico Space Grant fellowship. Graduate program student Shaddy Farah  was awarded a Fomento Grant  to pursue Graduate Studies in Electrical Engineering.

 Dr. Farahat has been very active doing research in Computational Electromagnetics,  publishing at IEEE conferences and mentoring graduate students.

Latest Publications

Graduate Program Professors: Dr. Nader Farahat , Dr. Marvi Teixeira,  Dr. Othoniel Rodriguez, Dr. Angel Gonzalez and Dr. Armin Zundel, and Graduate Students: Jose Carrion, Leandro Morales, Miguel de Jesus, Yamil Rodriguez,  Present their Research at International Conferences and Journals.

(Graduate Students Authors are Highlighted in Red)

Angel Gonzalez and Raul Ordonez, "Adaptive Control Scheme for Plants with Time-varying Structure Using On-line Parameter Estimation", Joint 44th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control and European Control Conference (CDC-ECC'05), Seville, Spain, December 12-15, 2005. Accepted for presentation.

Summer Quarter 2005

Dr. Nader Farahat is invited to chair a session at 2005 IEEE AP-S International Symposium and USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting July 2nd - July 8th, 2005

Dr. Alfredo Cruz  is awarded a second DoD infrastructure grant

Prof. Cruz will receive close to $200, 000.00  in funds from the DoD for the following project: 

Window to the Caribbean: Focus in Complex Multi-dimensional Distributed Scenarios

PUPR Dean and ECECS Professor invited to the first Symposium in Education and Entrepreneurship for Engineers

This symposium jointly organized by the Olin College of Engineering and Babson College , both at Wellesley Massachusetts , and fostered by the National Science Foundation, will gather representatives from ten universities during from June the 21^st to June the 25^th, 2005 . The Dean of PUPR’s School of Engineering , Dr. Carlos Gonzalez, and the Associate Director of Computer Engineering, Dr Othoniel Rodriguez-Jimenez will be representing our institution. “This symposium adds to others where we have participated in order to further enrich our Computer Engineering program, which is the only Engineering program in Puerto Rico that includes entrepreneurial courses”, said Dr. Rodriguez-Jimenez. “We are interested and are paying special attention to interdisciplinary developments that involve entrepreneurship and engineering. We have planned the introduction of a curricular sequence with focus on entrepreneurship that is useful not only to the Computer Engineering program but also to all other Engineering Programs including an active participation by the School of Business”, added Dr. Rodriguez-Jimenez. Finally he remarked that, “Globalization requires that our engineers expand their capabilities in non traditional fields in order to deal with new phenomenons, such as outsourcing, that are shifting employment alternatives in Puerto Rico to other countries”. Rather to see these events as local problems the idea is to learn how to use them as a global opportunity within a vision of the engineer as an engineer-entrepreneur. The entrepreneurial initiatives resulting from this vision seek to be globally competitive and based not only in economic reasons but also in ethical, humanistic and ecologically sustainable criterions".

During this Summer our Graduate Students and Faculty Continue to Publish and Present their Research at International IEEE Conferences. 

(Graduate Students Authors are Highlighted in Red)

 Jorge Agosto, Nader Farahat and Raj Mittra, “Analysis of Inter-element Mutual Coupling in Wireless Antenna Array Using Finite Difference Time Domain Method,” IEEE, AP-S05, International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, Washington DC, July 3-8, 2005. (Accepted)

Jose Carrion and Nader Farahat, “Analysis of Discontinuities in Circular Waveguides using Finite Difference Time Domain Method,” IEEE, AP-S05, International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC/URSI National Radio Science Meeting, Washington DC, July 3-8, 2005. (Accepted)

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra and Jesus Sanchez, “Analysis of the Surface-Deflection Effect on the Performance of the Haystack Reflector Antenna,” IEEE, AP-S05, International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and USNC/URSI National Radio Science MeetingWashington DC, July 3-8, 2005. (Accepted)

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Graduate Student Selected to be Team Leader by NASA Academy

Graduate Student  Cesar Cabrera has been selected by NASA Academy to be Team leader in one of the academy projects. Eng. Cabrera and his team will be interacting with John Hopkins University to help develop obstacle avoidance systems for autonomous vehicles. They will be working at the NASA Goddard and JHUAPL laboratories in Maryland for 10 weeks starting June 6, 2005. They will also visit  MIT artificial Intelligence and Carnegie Mellon University Laboratories.

Professor Wence Lopez Selected to be Dean on one of  "NASA Academy" Projects  during Summer 2005

Professor Wence López principal investigator for the Center of Excellence in Industrial Controls (CEIC) ar PUPR has been selected by NASA Academy to be Dean on one of its projects. Prof. Lopez will be dealing with projects such as "Visual Obstacle Identification",  "Development of Robotics Rover" and many others.  He will be interacting with research groups within NASA, with people at Jonh Hopkins University and with advanced institutions  in the area of robotics.

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Professor Marvi Teixeira Spends one Week as a Visiting Scientist at Naval Research Laboratory, Stennis Space Center (May 22nd - 28th, 2005)

Spring Quarter 2005

Two New Laboratories are Officially Inaugurated

Government Officials assisted to the Inauguration of the Following Research Laboratories

Turing Laboratory for Graduate Studies (Supported by PRIDCO)

High Performance Computing Laboratory ( Supported by DoD)

A Laboratory for Reconfigurable Hardware and Advanced Digital Design is Inaugurated

Dr. Angel  Gonzalez  will be in charge of this new laboratory.

ADSD-RHL]-ADVANCED DIGITAL DESIGN-RECONFIGURABLE HARDWARE LABORATORY

Nader Farahat, Raj Mittra and Jorge Agosto, “Mutual Coupling in Interconnect Lines; Analysis Using Finite Difference Time Domain Method,” SPI05, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, May 10-13, 2005.

PUPR Professor Invited  to assess and recommend proposals for National Science Foundation

Dr. Othoniel Rodriguez-Jimenez, was invited by the National Science Foundation in Arlington , Virginia , to participate in the processes of proposal evaluation that was carried out during the month of May, 2005. Dr. Rodriguez-Jimenez, who is also a recipient of the first NSF grant to PUPR, participated in a Panel for the evaluation of proposals for the Acquisition of Research Infrastructure (Major Research Infrastructure-MRI). “It was an enriching experience which I am sure will help improve other grant proposals that I have under development”, said Dr. Rodriguez at his return to our university. “Also I had the opportunity to meet with one of the program directors from Small Bussiness Innovation Research (SBIR), fellow Puerto Rican Dr. Juan Figueroa, who took care to put me up to date regarding the opportunities in this area”.  “As Associate Director of Computer Engineering I am interested in SBIR because it allows students who are pursuing promising entrepreneurial projects to receive economic support at both, the prototyping stage and at the manufacturing stage”.