WPI SPECIAL TOPICS 2020-2021

Subj. Course # Title Description Term

BME 595 ST: COMMERCIAL ANALYSIS BME This course partially fulfills the Clinical Competency Fall 2020
requirement in Biomedical Engineering. The course will follow
a seminar format, with faculty and industry experts serving as
invited lecturers and case study presenters. The course is
designed to introduce BME graduate students to the process
and practices of evaluating the commercial potential of
medical products and technologies.
Subj. Course # Title Description Term
CS 525 SP TOP: SWARM INTELLIGENCE This course will cover a wide range of topics in swarm Spring 2021
intelligence, including mathematical, computational, and
biological aspects. The course is organized in three parts. In
the first part, the students will learn about complex systems
and the basic concepts of self-organization, such as positive
and negative feedback, symmetry breaking, and emergence.
The instructor will illustrate a diverse collection of self-
organized systems in nature, finance, and technology that
concretize these concepts. The second part covers
optimization algorithms inspired by swarm intelligence,
namely ant colony optimization and particle swarm
optimization. The third and final part is dedicated to swarm
robotics, and will cover common swarm algorithms for task
allocation, collective motion, and collective decision-making.
The course will blend theory and practice, challenging the
students to learn by implementing the algorithms discussed in
class. The final project will involve working on a research
problem in swarm robotics, and the final deliverable will
include a demo and a research paper.
Subj. Course # Title Description Term
ECE 579B ST: Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies changed the way we look at money. It Spring 2021
created significant impact on finance, socioeconomic and
technology. The course will introduce the technical aspects of
blockchain technologies, consensus protocols and
cryptocurrencies. Students will learn the basics of the
blockchain systems and how to engineer blockchain systems
to create cryptocurrencies. They will learn the bottlenecks of
the blockchain systems and study new blockchain design
proposals to see if these bottlenecks are overcome. Further,
the course will also cover the basics of Ethereum and smart
contracts. Students will have the chance to learn
programming smart contracts. In some occasions, the course
might include class discussions and paper reading. Also,
students are expected to give a presentation on a topic
related to blockchain.

ECE 579N ST: Optimal Control This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice Spring 2021
of optimal control. The main emphasis of the course will be
on linear quadratic methods. Topics covered will include static
optimization, principles of MIMO systems and feedback
control, calculus of variations, LQR/LQG control, and dynamic
programming. Additional topics such as nonlinear and H-
infinity control may be explored as time permits. Theoretical
foundations will be reinforced with applications to state-of-
the-art research areas such as autonomous vehicles and
power systems.
Subj. Course # Title Description Term
ECE 579M ST: Machine Learning Cybersecurity Machine Learning has proven immensely effective in a diverse Spring 2021
set of applications. This trend has reached a new high with
the application of Deep Learning virtually in any application
domain. This course studies the applications of Machine
Learning in the sub domain of Cybersecurity by introducing a
plethora of case studies including anomaly detection in
networks and computing, side-channel analysis, user
authentication and biometrics etc. These case studies are
discussed in detail in class, and further examples of potential
applications of Machine Learning techniques including Deep
Learning are outlined. The course has a strong hands-on
component, i.e. students are given datasets of specific
security applications and are required to perform simulations.

Prerequisites: Basic understanding of principles of

cybersecurity, familiarity with Machine Learning techniques
and tools (Matlab or python, numpy, scikit-learn) will be
useful but not required.

ETR 598 ST: ENGINEERING & BUSINESS: POWER Technology-based project management and product designs Fall 2020
OF COLLABORATION benefit from collaboration between enabling technologies and
the commercial opportunities they represent. The integration
of the two disciplines can be utilized from inception to final
delivery of the work products presented. This course is taught
simultaneously with Engineering and Business School faculty.
It features formal mid and final project reviews and
collaborative teaching styles.
Subj. Course # Title Description Term

FP 580 ST: SPECIAL PROBLEMS Individual or group studies on any topic relating to fire Fall 2020
protection may be selected by the student and approved by Spring 2021
the faculty member who supervises the work. Examples
include: Individual or group studies on any topic relating to fire
protection may be selected by the student and approved by
the faculty member who supervises the work. Examples
include: Business Practices, Combustion, People in Fires, Fire
Dynamics II, Fire and Materials, Forensic Techniques, and
Complex Decision Making.

MTE 594 ST: HEAT TREATMENT OF STEELS Most cast, forged or powder metallurgy steel parts require Fall 2020
heat treatment to obtain the specified properties. In this
seminar the fundamentals of the heat treatment of steels will
be addressed (i.e. normalizing, annealing, austempering,
austforming, marquenching and
hardening/quenching/tempering). In addition, the important
surface engineering processes (carburizing, carbonitriding,
nitriding, ferritic nitrocarburizing, boronizing and aluminizing)
will be analyzed. Each process will be fully developed in terms
of the thermodynamics, transformation and diffusion kinetics.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Materials
Subj. Course # Title Description Term
OIE 598 SP TOP: SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN & This course is intended to provide students with Spring 2021
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT understanding the intra- and inter-organizational implications
of environmental practices and policies. The role of
organizational operational and supply chain management
functions, activities, tools and methods and their relationship
to the natural environment will be introduced and discussed.
At the end of the course a successful student should be able
to: grasp the scope of general operations and supply chain
management and environmental sustainability as they relate
to the firm, be able to relate to the manners in which
management may respond and collaborate/cooperate with
suppliers, customers, and various other stakeholders
influencing and influenced by operational and supply chain
activities from practical and theoretical case studies and able
to evaluate various factors and understand tradeoffs in
management decisions as they pertain to environmental
operations and supply chain management.
Subj. Course # Title Description Term
PSY 1800 ST: Emerging Adulthood Young people between the ages of 18 to 29 years old are Summer 2021
nowadays taking longer to grow up than young people did in (E2)
the past. They are pursuing higher education, delaying
marriage and parenthood, and taking longer to find stable
work. They are in a developmental stage in between
adolescence and young adulthood that is referred to as
emerging adulthood. In this course, we will discuss the five
main features of emerging adulthood: (1) identity
explorations, (2) instability, (3) self-focus, (4) feeling in-
between, and (5) possibilities. We will explore, in all its
complexity, what it is like to be an emerging adult, and go in
depth into what it means to develop an identity. We will also
discuss what to expect when making the transition from
college into the workplace and how emerging adults can
make themselves more employable. Because the experience
of emerging adulthood is not the same for everyone, we will
also discuss the impact of different socioeconomic contexts
and cultures on emerging adults.

PSY 1800 ST: Learning & Cognition Learning & Cognition will introduce the major cognitive Summer 2021
theories, mechanics, and practices involved in learning. We (E1)
will cover topics such as how to study, how to develop
expertise, and the social and environmental factors involved in
the learning process. All students are welcome! This course
may be of particular interest to those interested in
psychological science, WPI's teacher prep program, or the
field of learning sciences.
Subj. Course # Title Description Term
PSY 1800 ST: Mindfulness and Positive Psychology Positive psychology is the scientific study of positive Summer 2021
experiences, character strengths and the practices that enable (E1)
individuals and communities alike to thrive. This course
explores the question, “what is happiness?” and will examine
how meaning, compassion, fulfillment, well-being and
resilience relate to happiness. Special attention will be given
to experiential learning, including mindfulness practice and
other evidence-based strategies that elicit positive emotion
and increase stress coping, optimism, and resilience. Course
content and discussion will be based on research findings
from positive psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and applied
practice.

RBE 595 ST: ROBOTIC MANIPULATION This course covers both the fundamentals and recent A term 2020
advances of robotic manipulation research. Grasp taxonomies
and stability measures will be examined, and grasp planning
methods will be studied. Sensing strategies that are used for
object manipulation will be covered along with various data
processing methods. Soft manipulation techniques and the
methods that exploits environmental constraints will be
analyzed. In addition withIn-hand manipulation methods will
be covered. Finally, learning-based manipulation strategies
will be discussed.
Subj. Course # Title Description Term
SS 590 ST: LEARNING AND CREATIVITY This course will cover selected topics related to learning and Spring 2021
creativity— including memory, sleep, analogies, problem-
solving, divergent thinking, and insight moments. Students
will critically review journal articles and other forms of media
to gain a better understanding of the processes involved in
learning and creative cognition. Students will also learn about
prominent theories of learning and creativity and identify
ways to utilize these frameworks to improve education and
student experiences in the classroom.