Academic Background

PAGS 1021, Color Theory
This course is a total immersion in the understanding and usage of color. Students analyze the cultural, social and psychological implications of color in everyday life. Our perceptions of color and our understanding of it through particular brain processes are addressed through physics and perceptual exercises. Color interactions (including Relativity, the Illusion of Transparency, the Bezold Effect, Redistribution and Contrasts of Extension, Clash, Vibration and Spread) are thoroughly studied through a series of projects culminating in a final that focuses on the use of color in each student’s specific discipline. Critical theory is addressed in readings.

PAGD 1040, Graphic Design 1
The primary objective of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of research, composition, typography and the organization of information. A key goal for all students is learning to develop meaningful concepts. Along with lectures, weekly design problems will be assigned. Students will create strategies and concept-driven design solutions. The role of typography in design will be explored in depth with emphasis on learning how to select the most appropriate typeface for each project.

PAGD 1060, Typography 1
Students learn about formal, conceptual and functional aspects of this discipline. The course covers a wide range of topics, from history of typefaces, to their selection and uses, to fine-tuning of typographic layouts. The course addresses the diverse nature of typographical application through hands-on projects, discussion, and presentations. Readings will be assigned throughout the semester. The projects become increasingly challenging as the semester progresses. A basic knowledge of the computer is required by week 3, and a solid understanding of a page layout program (InDesign) is required by week 8.

PAGD 1070, Process & Skills
Students will be introduced to principles common to all design fields and will learn to research a subject, conceptualize an idea, produce a design and discuss their project. Through hands-on exercises, researches and discussions, the course will examine various design disciplines–including graphic design, typography, photography, bookbinding and 3D design, and design history through research relating to each assignment.

PAGD 1140, Digital Layout
This course provides a thorough overview of presentation graphics through the use of the Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Intensive weekly homework assignments and projects will exercise the student’s skills in mastering the programs. The focus of the class is to acclimate the student to the basic uses of these programs so they can design all that they are asked to create in their other classes, with close attention to proper execution and technique.

CSS 600, Independent Study: Game Design and Development
The focus of this independent study will be to get familiar with some aspects of game design and development, touching on social and serious games. I will most likely use a framework such as Unity or Cocos2d to get a feel for rapid game development frameworks. I will also focus on rapid web development with Ruby on Rails for the web part of the game experience. The overall goal will be to lay the foundation for potential research projects in this area.
Texts:
The Art of Game Design, by Jesse Schell
Unity 3D Game Development by Example, by Ryan Henson Creighton
Learning Cocos2D, by Rod Strougo
Beginning Rails 3, by Cloves Carneiro Jr
iPhone Games Projects, Edited by Dave Mark

CSS 543 Advanced Programming Methodologies
Builds on knowledge of data structures and operating systems, introducing thread based and component based multi-tier programming. Reviews synchronization mechanisms and design/implementation of concurrent applications, discusses language/system independent software resuse, component technology, and multi-tier application design and development.

CSS 555 Evaluating Software Design
Studies best software engineering practices and methods used in prescriptive and agile approached to create and evaluate software design from an quality principled point-of-view. Considers design from quality dimensions such as performance, scalability, maintainability, usability, and security.

CSS 595 Capstone Project I
First of the two-quarter capstone project sequence. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

CSS 596 Capstone Project II
Second of the two-quarter capstone project sequence. Prerequisite: CSS 595; permission of instructor.

CSS 600, Independent Study: Audio, Video, Computer Vision
Introduction to audio, video and computer vision programming. Some technologies used are Apple's Core Audio and wavetable synthesis, Apple's QTKit for video programming, and OpenCV for computer vision.
Texts:
The Audio Programming Book, Edited by Boulanger and Lazzarini, MIT Press.
Compression for Great Video and Audio, Second Edition, by Ben Waggoner, Focal Press.
OpenCV 2 Comptuer Vision Application Programming Cookbook, by Robert Laganiere, Packt Publishing

CSS 565, Research Methods in Software Development
In-depth study of research design and data analysis techniques for computing-related research activities. Students prepare a research proposal; examine experimental, quasi-experimental, and qualitative design strategies; perform meta-analytic research, define and collect appropriate software metrics; and perform appropriate advanced statistical analyses.
Text:
Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Generalized Causal Inference, Shadish, WR, Cook, TD, and Camplbell, DT

CSS 534, Parallel Programming in Grid and Cloud
Exploration of theoretical programming methodology and practical middleware design used for parallel programming in grid and cloud systems. Uses different programming models, parallelizing patterns, and middleware systems for designing application-specific fault-tolerant parallel software.
Text: Patterns for Parallel Programming, Timothy G. Mattson, Beverly A. Sanders, and Berna L. Massingill

CSS 501, Data Structures and Object-Oriented Programming
Covers data structures and object-oriented programming. Studies basic and advanced data types, their uses, and implementations. Students design solutions to programming problems using object-oriented techniques with various data types. Covers algorithms and their tradeoffs. Uses modern software engineering practices.
Text: Data Structures and Problem Solving Using C++, Second ed., Mark Allen Weiss

CSS 502, Discrete Mathematics and Algorithms
Covers the mathematical principles of computing with a focus on logic, analytical thinking, and mathematical problem solving. Includes recursive sorting algorithms, mathematical induction and its relation to recursion, algorithm analysis, graph data structures with associated algorithms, and some formal automata theory.
Text: Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications, Sixth ed., Kenneth Rosen

CSS 432, Network Design
Examines methods for designing LANs and WANs that optimize Quality of Service (QoS). Covers theoretical and practical element of the OSI protocol stack; routing protocols including OSPF and BGP; networking management/architecture; router configuration; security; and Internet policies. Explores emerging networking technologies.
Text: Computer Networks, 4th Edition, Larry Peterson and Bruce Davie

HARDWARE (e.g. Computer Architecture, Digital Circuit Design, Digital Systems, Embedded Systems)

SOFTWARE (e.g. Compilers, Computer Networks, Operating Systems, Programming Systems, Software Engineering)

THEORY & ALGORITHMS (e.g. Data Structures and Algorithms, Discrete Structures, Theory of Computation)

APPLICATIONS (e.g. AI, Computer Graphics, Database Systems)

MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS (e.g. Calculus and Analytic Geometry, Linear Algebra, Mechanics, Waves)

MUSIC (e.g. Music Theory, Performance)