Course Information

Students in this course will discover the exciting world of aerospace engineering! This course will explore the different systems that make atmospheric and space flight possible, from drones, airplanes, and helicopters to rockets and spacecraft. Students will learn how aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, materials, and control systems work together to make these vehicles fly and accomplish their missions. This course will also explore fundamental aerospace engineering concepts through hands-on experiments, mathematical models, and computer simulations. It will also touch on the technological and societal importance of aerospace engineering and the challenges of making atmospheric and space flight more sustainable. No prior experience in aerospace engineering is required. A background in Calculus and Physics is recommended.

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the broad field of electrical and computer engineering within the context of real world applications. This course is designed for first-year students who are considering ECE as a possible major or for non-ECE students fulfilling an out-of-major degree requirement. The course will introduce basic electrical circuit theory as well as analog and digital signal processing methods currently used to solve a variety of engineering design problems in areas such as entertainment and networking media, robotics, renewable energy and biomedical applications. Laboratory experiments based on these applications are used to reinforce basic concepts and develop laboratory skills, as well as to provide system-level understanding. Circuit and system simulation analysis tools are also introduced and emphasized. 

Topics: Basic concepts of AC/DC and Digital electrical circuits, power, linear circuit simulation and analysis, op-amp circuits, transducers, feedback, circuit equivalents and system models, first order transients, the description of sinusoidal signals and system response, analog/digital conversion, basic digital logic gates and combinatorial circuits.

This course is designed for students seeking an introduction to general concepts of human biology, with particular focus on human structure and function. Concepts such as homeostasis, structure/function, and regulatory systems will be introduced. Discussion of current topics related to human health, such as personalized medicine and recent advances in cancer research and autoimmune disease will be integrated throughout the course.

This course consists of lectures, demonstrations, projects, and scientific literature readings on the major branches of biomedical engineering. The class includes several small, creative hands-on activities and projects to introduce students to the many branches of biomedical engineering. Students will be led through an open-ended, real-world design process that commences with project definition, specification development, and extends to project management, team interactions, communication strategies, consideration of failure and safety criteria, progress reporting, exploration of marketing concepts and documentation.