UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH th Annual First Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference Enhancing the Success of First-Year Engineering Students Conference Program Benedum Hall Pittsburgh, PA 4August 9 – 10, 2012 SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING > > CONTENTS Campus Map ......................................................................................................................... 4 Conference at a Glance ........................................................................................................ 7 Welcome from the General Chair ........................................................................................ 8 Conference Affiliates and Sponsorships ............................................................................ 9 Conference Host ................................................................................................................... 9 Keynote Addresses ............................................................................................................. 11 Conference Amenities ........................................................................................................ 12 Guest Program and About Pittsburgh .............................................................................. 14 Conference Topic Areas ..................................................................................................... 15 Reviewers ............................................................................................................................ 16 Session Chairs .................................................................................................................... 18 Session and Presentation Codes and Timing .................................................................. 19 Thursday Workshops ......................................................................................................... 21 Technical Session Table of Contents ................................................................................. 23 2013 Call for Papers ............................................................................................................ 29 Session Matrix • Friday, August 10 ................................................................................... 31 Friday Sessions Abstracts .................................................................................................. 33 Author Index ....................................................................................................................... 49 4 | FYEE.ORG E NC FERE N O C E NC E I ER XP E G IN EER IN G N E R A YE ST R I f | > > CAMPUS . T X E T ATHLETIC E FIELD E R S I T S N O MAP S N I COST B O R C A R R I L L O S T I BRACKENRIDG TREES P P Benedum Hall SUTHD V A FRAT E MP AT FR I T D D R I V E QUIP PA S T R E E A N ALLE L E R T V E E I PANTH E H R R T T D ROBINSON STREET ROBINSON FHOUS S FALKS U Y A D T S P I 5 BLDG U P I S U N Q R E S L AL E Parking E V I I N T U U H N DARRAG I P V S I E FRA ARKM T T R PAHLL S E R V PCNTR I T Y D R I E E T Holiday Inn P AN SALK EBERL H AV E T DSAC STRE P CHVRN E. TERRACE LRDC U N I V E R S I T Y D R I V SCAIF E ST D VNGRF OEH I ESO TDH P CHESTER BSTWR THAW SRCC RE ALLEN P O ' HARA ST R EE T O U L E V A R D TO B I G E L O W B C CN U ET L BAPST N. T P TE R N YT HACKER S T RD U S K I N BOUQUE GSCC IVERSI UCTR P N BENDM ENGUD NNYSO CRAWF PRESB TO SOSAM . B E P EEI REET F . THACK N 0 I P S T RI A T ELD O B C T LLEF LOTHP LANGY IS University of Pittsburgh VI PUBHL Y A FEET T ST IG AV CATH UCLUB MONF L A P VENU HOLDY N O OT PRESB-S L Y I FRICK EL O VICT E P N AC Pittsburgh Campus Ma R A S T . I ROAD PRES RUSKN NUE EL EE VE H O E P MP BELL SIC P R MU T W UP LAC E CLAPP T D O ALUM . CR 50 PAA 0 P FALKC BOUL WEBSR KAU BST3 MP MELWD E N U E F I F T H A V E N U E F I F T H A V HA MDAR HILL BOOK AMOS E C S RANGO B VA MP SP p LKET MP . L EB FOBLD L T AU LOEFF F I F T H I OXFR TOWRS P HOLLD MCCOR RD MELLI M c A WPU PAVLN CL S D BRACK CNBIO S T R E E T CHDE O CATHEDRA L A CSMR BRUCE OF LEARNIN VENUE HEINZ U K E E P L FO R B E S A V ENUE EF HENR T V LE VA H I RAND EURKA L E C IROQU BELLH D Y DC LA G UT I LD S H STEP WRN T ST UPSB OL WYNDH O MAGEE H WINTHROP P MEYRAN . SENSQ LAW U FRTOW R SEMPLE AV CRAIG T T I P D AR P P H MP HLMAN MP G E. C I SEN N OT T S T . FO LOGC E S T R S PBE FILM T R S . CHE B E S A P T G A I A AT B . O O R E S T AV G VE. V F A K L A N D SCHENLEY N ENUE E S. W S S LE . T H PLAZA CHENLE . CRGSQ OO R Y E B LUC E FBCRG OU WWPH E DR Y T D E T I SA S T R E D BQGRS L OU R. QU . EX S T R E E T B LEY R . EN T A C C D JU H . L E C R S VEN M C E E . CARNG A I T N . T E DR D ST MER U VS E REE J T O NCAIRE STRE T P FKAR POST S I CHENLEY ST REET E ES T B A T P T. S Y S T R E E T B D A R N RIDG U WSON O DA P B I OAK E L A N D WA SCHENLEY Y PARK I Re v. 10- 11 Allen Hall ..................................................................ALLEN D2 Forbes Pavilion ........................................................PAVLN C4 PRES (map abbreviation for Bellefield Presbyterian Church) Alumni Hall ...............................................................ALUM E2. E2 (Forbes H G2.all [residence hall]; T F1.he H G2.ealth UPMC Presbyterian .................................................PRES E3.B C3 (Office of Admissions and Financial Book Center; Department of Parking, UPMC Presbyterian South Tower ........................ PRES E3.B-S E3. C3 Aid, Office of Alumni Relations) T F1.ransportation, and S E3.ervices) Public Health ...........................................................PUBH G2.L D3 Amos Hall (residence hall) ..........................................AM E2.OS E3. E3 Forbes Tower ..........................................................FRT F1.OW E3. D4 (Crabtree and Parran H G2.alls) BAPST (map abbreviation for First Baptist Church) Fraternity Housing Complex ..................................FRAT F1. B1, C2 Rand Building ............................................................ RAND G1 • Barco Law Building ..................................................... LAW E3. E3 • Frick Fine Arts Building ..........................................FK E3.ART F1. F3 Rangos Research Center .......................................RANGO C4 Bellefield Hall ..........................................................BELLH G2. G2 Gardner Steel Conference Center ............................. GS E3.CC D2 Ruskin Hall .............................................................RUS E3.K E3.N F1 Bellefield Presbyterian Church ................................PRES E3. D3 Heinz Memorial Chapel ............................................H G2.EINZ F2. F2 Ryan Catholic Newman Center ................................CAT F1.H G2.O F1 Bellefield Towers ......................................................BELLT F1. F1 Hill Building ................................................................ H G2.ILL C4 (T F1.he Oratory) off map • Benedum Hall ........................................................ BENDM E2. D3 • Hillman Library .......................................................H G2.LM E2.AN E3 St. Paul Cathedral ....................................................S E3.PAUL G1 Thomas E. Starzl Biomedical Holiday Inn .............................................................. H G2.OLDY E1. E1 Salk Hall ....................................................................S E3.ALK E3. B3 Science Tower (Tower 1) and Holland Hall (residence hall) ..................................... H G2.OLLD E3 • Scaife Hall ................................................................S E3.CAIF C3 Biomedical Science Tower 2 ................................BS E3.T F1.W E3.R B3 • Information Sciences Building .......................................IS E3. F1 Schenley Park ................................................................... G5 C2 . Biomedical Science Tower 3 .....................................BS E3.T F1.3 C4 Iroquois Building ..................................................... IROQU D4 Schenley Plaza .................................................................. F3 The (University) Book Center ................................... BOOK E3. E3 Jewish University Center .............................................JUC G2 Sennott Square ....................................................... S E3.ENS E3.Q D4 Bouquet Gardens ....................................................BQGRS E3. E4 Kaufmann Medical Building ......................................K E3.AU C4 Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall ........................S E3.OS E3.AM E2. D2 (residence halls A–H G2.) • Langley Hall .............................................................LANGY E1. E1 Space Research Coordination Center....................... S E3.RCC D2 Brackenridge Hall (residence hall, ........................... BRACK E3. E3 LAW (map abbreviation for Barco Law Building) • Stephen Foster Memorial ........................................S E3.T F1.EPH G2. F2 Copy Cat, T F1.he Pitt S E3.hop, Parking Office) Lawrence Hall..........................................................LAW E3.RN E3 Sutherland Hall (residence hall) .............................. .S E3.UT F1.H G2.D B1 Bruce Hall (residence hall) ....................................... BRUCE E3 Learning Research and • Thackeray Hall (registration) .....................................T F1.H G2.ACK E3. D2 Building 5 ................................................................ BLDG5 C2 .C2 Development Center ...............................................LRDC C2 Thaw Hall ..................................................................T