Dr. Chris Coulston

Chair, Computer Science and Software Engineering and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Office Location:

Burke 169

Phone:

(814) 898 6988

Email:

coulston@psu.edu

Profile

Biography

Dr. Chris Coulston received his B.A. in Physics in 1989 from Slippery Rock University, his B.S. 1991 , The M.S. 1994 and the Ph.D. 1999 in Computer Engineering, all from the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Coulston taught at the University Park campus from 1993-1998.

He is chair of the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department beginning January 2012. He was the former chair of Electrical, Computer, and Software Engineering programs. Dr. Coulston leads the efforts in his department to maintain ABET accreditation.

He received the best paper award for Constructing Exact Ooctagonal Steiner Minimal Trees, at the Great Lakes Symposium on Circuits and Systems, April 2003 and was the first runner-up for best theoretical paper, Ants and evolution: The non-uniform Steiner Minimal Tree problem, at Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering in November 2002.

Dr. Coulston co-authored Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory, Concepts and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005, 300 pp., ISBN 0-07-319599-5 with Dr. Ralph Ford, director of the School of Engineering.

Teaching

Courses for Spring 2012

Digital Design
Digital Design Lab
Engineering Projects

Courses taught

Digital Design
Digital Design Lab
Embedded Systems Design
Advanced Digital Design
Introduction to Computer Architecture
Communication Networks
Engineering Projects
Software Engineering Design
First-Year Seminar

Courses and workships taught in support of outreach-based instructions

SE&T 497, Introduction to Lego Robotics, Act 48 summer course for Continuing Education

Recipient of teaching awards

Nominated, Council of Fellows Excellence in Teaching Award, 2006.

Recipient of advising awards

Recipient, Guy W. Wilson Excellence in Academic Advising Award, 2010.

Research

Grants and Contracts Awarded for Improvements of Instruction or for Training Programs

Coulston, C., “Incorporating hands-on design experiences in computer engineering first year seminar,” Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching Grant (CELT), $2,280, 2002.

Publications

Articles published in refereed journals

Coulston, C., “Steiner Minimal Trees in a Hexagonally Partitioned Space,” International Journal of Smart Engineering System Design, vol. 5, pp. 341-346, 2003.

Hemminger, T. L., Coulston, C., and Pomalaza, C. A., “Routing Strategies for Multicase Packet Radio Networks,” International Journal of Smart Engineering System Design, vol. 4, pp. 215-233, 2002. [Co-author]

Vitolo, T. M., and Coulston, C., “Taxonomy of Information Literacy Competencies,” Journal of Information Technology Education, vol. 1, pp. 43-52, 2002. [Co-author]

Berman, P., and Coulston, C., “Speed Is More Powerful Than Clairvoyance,” Nordic Journal of Computing, vol. 6, pp. 181-193, 1999. [Principal author]

Pakzad, S., and Coulston, C., “A Neural Network Model of Leech Reflexive Behaviors,” The International Journal on Mini and Micro Computers, vol. 13, pp. 130-141, 1994. [Principal author]

Articles published in refereed proceedings

Weissbach, R., Wang, W. L., Coulston, C., and Tang, M. H., “Relative Cost of Fault-Tolerant Transmission for Connecting Distributed Resources,” IEEE Power Engineering Society Transmission and Distribution Conference & Exposition, Paper #2010TD0297, New Orleans, LA, April 2010.

Vitolo, T. M., and Coulston, C., “Generational Ethics,” Proceedings, Eighth Annual Ethics and Technology Conference, St. Louis, MO, pp. 281-291, 2005. [Co-author]

Coulston, C., Hemminger, T., Scharf, S., and Vitolo, T.M., “Modeling the Leech Local Bending Reflex of the Leech,” Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering, pp. 803-808, 2004. [Co-author, presented at conference]

Coulston, C., and Ford, R. M., “Teaching Function Decomposition for the Design of Electrical and Computer Systems,” Frontiers in Education, Session F4G, pp. 6-11, 2004. [Co-author, presented at conference]

Coulston, C., and Mitchell, L., “Emergent Shortest Paths,” Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering, pp. 231-236, St. Louis, MO, 2003. [Principal author, presented at conference]

Coulston, C., and Weissbach, R., “Routing transmission lines via Steiner Trees,” Power Engineering Society, 4 pp., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2003. [Principal author, presented at conference]

Coulston, C., “Constructing Exact Octagonal Steiner Minimal Trees,” Great Lakes Symposium on VLSI, pp. 1-6, Washington, DC, 2003. [Also presented at conference]

Coulston, C., Smith, M., and Werger, K., “Ants and Evolution: The Non-Uniform Steiner Minimal Tree Problem,” Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering, pp. 213-218, St. Louis, MO, 2002. [Principal author, presented at conference]

Coulston, C., and Ford, R., “The Technology Toolbox,” Frontiers in Education, pp. 197-198, Boston, MA, 2002. [Principal author, presented at conference]

Coulston, C., and Vitolo, T. M., “A Hypertext Metric Based on Huffman Coding,” ACM Conference on Hypertext and Hypermedia, pp. 243-244, Aarhus, Denmark, 2001. [Principal author, presented at conference]

Coulston, C., “Sequential Truncated Multiplication,” IEEE Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems, pp. 356-358, Dayton, OH, 2001. [Also presented at conference]

Berman, P., and Coulston, C., “Speed Is More Powerful Than Clairvoyance,” Scandinavian Workshop on Algorithms and Theory, pp. 255-263, 1998. [Co-author, presented at conference]

Berman, P., and Coulston, C., “On-Line Algorithms for Steiner Tree Problems,” Proceedings, 29th Annual ACM Symposium on the Theory of Computation, pp. 344-353, 1997. [Co-author]

Coulston, C., and Pakzad, S., “A Biological-Based Model of the Leech Swimming Response,” Engineering Systems Design and Analysis Conference, pp. 217-223, 1996. [Principal author]

Coulston, C., and Pakzad, S., “A Biological-Based Neural Network Model of Leech Reflexive Behaviors,” IEEE Conference on Managing Intelligent System Projects, pp. 32-39, 1993. [Principal author]

Coulston, C., Digital Design, A Datapath and Control Approach, New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, ISBN-10: 0-558-25275-3 and ISBN-13: 978-0-558-25275-5, 221 pp., 2009.

Ford, R., and Coulston, C., Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory, Concepts, and Practice, Second Edition, New York: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 336 pp., ISBN-10: 0073380350 and ISBN-13: 978-0073380353, August 2007. [Co-author]

Ford, R., and Coulston, C., Power Point Slides for Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory, Concepts and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005. [Co-author]

Ford, R., and Coulston, C., Solution Manual for Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory, Concepts and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005. [Co-author]

Ford, R., and Coulston, C., Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory, Concepts and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005, 300 pp., ISBN 0-07-319599-5. [Co-author]

Books

Coulston, C., Digital Design, A Datapath and Control Approach, New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, ISBN-10: 0-558-25275-3 and ISBN-13: 978-0-558-25275-5, 221 pp., 2009.

Ford, R., and Coulston, C., Power Point Slides for Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory, Concepts and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005. [Co-author]

Ford, R., and Coulston, C., Solution Manual for Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory, Concepts and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005. [Co-author]

Ford, R., and Coulston, C., Design for Electrical and Computer Engineers: Theory, Concepts and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005, 300 pp., ISBN 0-07-319599-5. [Co-author]

Parts of books

Vitolo, T. M., and Coulston, C., “Simulation in Information Systems Research,” chapter in Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Hershey, PA: Idea Group, Inc., 2005, pp. 2508-2513. [Co-author]

Vitolo, T. M., and Coulston, C., “An Overview of Simulation in Information Systems Research: Techniques Underrepresented in the Field,” Chapter XIV in Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology I-V, M. Khosrow-Pour (Ed.), Hershey: Idea Group Publishing, 2005, pp. 250-260. [Co-author]

Vitolo, T. M., and Coulston, C., “Simulation in Information Systems Research: Techniques Underrepresented in the Field,” chapter in The Handbook for Information Systems Research, M.E. Whitman and A.B. Wosczynski, (Eds.), Hershey: Idea Group Publishing, 2004, pp. 250-260. [Co-author]

Book reviews

Diaz-Herrera, J. L., Engineering Ubiquitous Systems: Analysis, Design and Construction of Embedded Computing Systems, New York: Addison Wesley, 2004.

Articles published in trade magazines

Coulston, C., “Do-It-Yourself Motion-Controlled Gaming (Part 2) Manipulate 3-D Graphics, Circuit Cellar, Issue #213 [Embedded Programming], April 2008.

Coulston, C., Do-It-Yourself Motion-Controlled Gaming (Part 1) Get Started with a Simple Application, Circuit Cellar, Issue #212 [Robotics], March 2008.

Coulston, C., “Electronic Angle Measurement,” Circuit Cellar, Issue 179, 4 pp., June 2005.

Service

Organizing conferences, service on conference committees

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA)

Organizer and Host, Mid-Atlantic meeting, Erie, PA July 2005.
Session Chair, Mid-Atlantic meeting, Erie, PA, July 2005.
Panel member, Regional Conference, Philadelphia, PA, June 2004.
Session Chair, Mid-Atlantic meeting, Philadelphia, PA, July 2002.

Great Lakes Symposium on VLSI

Technical Program Committee, 2004-2005.
Registration Chair, 2004-2005.
Session Chair, Computer-Aided Design, 2004.

Active participation in professional and learned societies

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA)

Contributed material for presentation on ABET Direct Assessment Instruments, 2008.

Service To Educational Institutions

Johnsonburg Area School District, Johnsonburg, PA.

Taught “Lego Robotics,” November 21, 2005.

Organized and ran, “A Guidance Counselor’s Introduction to Engineering,” 2002.

Record of contributions to the University's programs to enhance equal opportunity and cultural diversity

Women in Engineering

Created and taught “The People-Powered Computer,” Fall 2006.

Challenging Athletic Minds for Personal Success (CHAMPS)

Taught “Lego Robotics,” April 19, 2005.

21st Century Kids

Taught “Lego Robotics,” July 15, 2005.
Taught “Lego Robotics,” June 16, 2004.

Math Options Summer Camp

Developed “LED flower board,” and taught two hour class for students, May 2008-present.

Math Options

Taught two sessions of “Flower Power,” May 2009.
Taught two sessions of “Fractals, The Geometry of Nature,” May 2007.
Created and taught “Fractal Geometry,” May 2006.
Taught two sections of “Lego Robotics,” May 20, 2005.
Taught “Introduction to Lego Robotics,” May 16, 2004.
Taught “Introduction to Lego Robotics,” May 2003.

Minority Advance Placement Program/Women in Science in Engineering (MAPP/WISE)

Presenter, summer camp for minority high school students and women, assisted with fabrication of a power boat, July 2000, 2001, 2002.

Assistance to student organizations

Behrend Cycling Club

Faculty Advisor, 2004-2005.
Organized and ran “Bicycle Commuting” talk, September 2005.

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

Faculty advisor, 2001-2002.

Clubs & Organizations:

Women in Engineering

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