INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

Project Title : Design of Communications Networks Using Computational Intelligence and Woman in Engineering in the US. and Turkey.

Category : Cooperative research

Description : Supported by NSF (National Science Foundation)

Project Organizers : Dr. Berna DENGİZ, Gazi Üniversity, Turkey and Alice E. SMITH, University of Pittsburgh & Auburn University

Researchers : There would be 1 assistant in both side studying on this project.

Time Period : 1999 - 2001

Aim of the project : The focus of the research is on using methods from computational intelligence, namely neural networks and genetic algorithms, to improve the design of data and voice communications network topologies when considering reliability.

Collaborative Research effort centers on neural network models as estimators of network reliability. This will be beneficial because the neural networks will be developed using a relatively small set of possible network topologies, estimating the reliability of each.

Both Dr. Smith and Dr. Dengiz are tenured women Associate Professors of Industrial Engineering and both have worked extensively with women engineering students and women engineering faculty. Women engineers from a small minority of working engineers (about 8%), of engineering faculty ( less than 5%), and undergraduate engineering students (18%) in the U.S. At Gazi University, more than a quarter of the engineering students and nearly half of the engineering faculty are women, a much grater percentage than found in U.S. universities. Dr. Smith will explore the environment for women in engineering in Turkey and see if positive aspects of it can be of use in the U.S. to improve the participation of women in engineering. Dr. Smith will enact these programs through her involvement as the Faculty Advisor of the Society of Women Engineers University of Pittsburgh Student Section and Auburn University.