November 03, 2010

Student’s research takes top prize at computer science conference

Senior Mark Grossman received top honorsat a regional computer science conference for his presentation of emerging technology research.

Senior Mark Grossman received top honors at a computer science conference for his presentation of emerging technology research.

Grossman, a computer science major, won first place for his research poster on wireless sensor networks at the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC) Northwestern Regional Conference.

A wireless sensor network is a system of small devices that can collaboratively detect events in the physical world, such temperature, sound, vibration, motion or pollutants. Though each device includes sensing, computing and communication capabilities, the dimensions of each device can vary from the size of a cell phone to the size of a quarter, and in the future might be as small as a grain of sand.

Grossman’s poster explored the important challenge for wireless sensor networks in minimizing communication in order to improve energy consumption, thus extending lifetime.

Grossman conducted research on the topic last summer with Professor of Mathematics Jens Mache. Mache has received more than $100,000 in grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support his work to bring the field of wireless sensor networks into the undergraduate classroom. Sensor network education is primarily offered at the graduate or professional levels.

Four other students who conducted research with Mache last summer—Nate Anderson ’12, Remy Neymarc ’12, Ben Perkins ’11, and William Watson ’11—also presented posters, along with April Hersey ’11 and Nick Sylvester ’13, who conducted research with Peter Drake, associate professor of computer science.

The CCSC promotes computer-oriented curricula in small colleges and universities. The CCSC held its 12th annual conference October 8 and 9 on the campus of George Fox University.

 

*Camille Tapia ’11 contributed to this story.