|
|
Donald L.
Bitzer Distinguished University Research Professor Department
of Computer Science, Box 8206 North
Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 Tel:
919-515-3998, Fax:
919-515-7896 or 6497 E-mail: bitzer@csc.ncsu.edu |
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Electrical
Engineering, University of Illinois, 1960
M.S. Electrical
Engineering, University of Illinois, 1956
B.S. Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois, 1955
EMPLOYMENT
1989-present Distinguished University Research
Professor, North Carolina
State Univ., Raleigh, NC
Prof. Emeritus, Electrical
& Computer Eng., Univ.
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Director
Emeritus of CERL, Univ.
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
1967-1989 Professor
of Electrical & Computer Eng., Univ.
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
1967-1989 Director
of CERL, Univ.
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
1963-1967 Assoc.
Prof., Electrical & Computer Eng., Univ.
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
1960-1963 Assist.
Prof., Electrical & Computer Eng., Univ.
of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION, HONORS, and AWARDS
|
1967 |
Industrial
Research 100 Award |
|
1973 |
Vladimir K.
Zworykin Award, National Academy of Engineering for “outstanding achievement
in the field of electronics applied in the service of mankind.” |
|
1974 |
Elected to the National
Academy of Engineering |
|
1976 |
Data
Processing Management Association's computer sciences “Man of the Year”
award. |
|
1976 |
Fellow - Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers |
|
1979 |
Recognition
award from the Society for Information Display for pioneering contributions
to computer graphic systems and plasma displays |
|
1981 |
Chester F.
Carlson Award for innovation in engineering education from the American
Society for Engineering Education. |
|
1982 |
Laureate of
the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, an honor bestowed by the State of Illinois
for achievement of Illinois citizens in the betterment of human endeavors. |
|
1983 |
Fellow - American Association for the Advancement of Science |
|
1985 |
Honorary Doctor
of Science, MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Ill. |
|
1986 |
Fellow - Association for the Development of Computer-Based
Instructional Systems |
|
1989 |
XI World
Computer Congress, the AFIPS Education Award, presented by the American
Federation of Information Processing Societies, for contributions to the
spectrum of educational processes, most notably the invention of the PLATO
system. |
|
1989 |
International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM ring 236) award for
contributions of creativity to the art of magic. |
|
1989 |
Collinsville High School alumni achievement award |
|
1991 |
40th anniversary of the US Army Research Office,
recognition of the most significant developments sponsored by ARO (plasma
display panel) |
|
1992 |
Distinguished
alumnus award, Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Illinois |
|
1993 |
Bobby C.
Connelly memorial award, Miami Valley Computer Association, for achievements
in, development of, or advances in the data processing field of endeavor. |
|
1993 |
American Society for Engineering Education “Centennial Certificate”
for exceptional contribution to the ASEE and the profession of engineering |
|
1994 |
Fellow - International Engineering Consortium |
|
1994 |
Pullen Society medallion, North Carolina State University |
|
1998 |
ACM/AIP NCSU best classroom presentation award, North Carolina State
University |
|
2000 |
ACM/AIP NCSU most helpful outside class award, North Carolina State
University |
|
2002 |
National Associate, the National Academies (National Academy of
Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine &
National Research Council). |
|
2002 |
Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for efforts in advancing television technology (specifically Plasma Panel) |
PATENTS
Bitzer, D.L., “Versatile
display teaching system,” US Patent 3 405 457, Oct 15, 1968.
Bitzer D.L., H.G.
Slottow, and R.H Willson, “A gaseous discharge display and memory mechanism,”
US Patent 3 559 190, Jan 26, 1971.
Bitzer, D.L., H.G.
Slottow, and W. Petty, “Plasma display panel apparatus having multi-level
stable states for variable intensity,” US Patent 3 601 531, Aug 24,
1971.
Bitzer. D.L., H.G.
Slottow, and W. Petty, “Plasma display panel apparatus having variable-intensity
display,” US Patent 3 601 532, Aug 24, 1971.
Bitzer, D.L., L.E.
Bandy, R.L. Johnson, and D.O. Skaperdas, “Radial and circumferential magnetic
head positioning mechanism,” US Patent 3 641 529, Feb 8, 1972.
Bitzer, D.L., L.E.
Bandy, R.L. Johnson, and D.O. Skaperdas, “Fluid positionable means and fluid
control means,” US Patent 3 738 227, June 12, 1973.
Bitzer, D.L., M.
Johnson, and J.E. Stifle, “Transmitter and receiver for the transmission of
digital data over standard television channels,” US Patent 3 743 767, July 3,
1973.
Bitzer, D.L., L.E.
Bandy, R.L. Johnson, and D.O. Skaperdas, “Random access selection apparatus,”
US Patent 3 770 012, Nov 6, 1973.
Bitzer, D.L., and P.T.
Tucker, “Method and apparatus for addressing and sustaining gas discharge panels,”
US Patent 4 100 535, July 11, 1978.
Keasler, W., D.L.
Bitzer, and P.T. Tucker, “High speed modem suitable for operating with a
switched network,” US Patent 4 206 320, June 3, 1980.
Stifle, J.E., D.A. Lee,
and D.L. Bitzer, “Multiple access communication on a CATV reverse channel,” US
Patent 4 633 462, Dec 30, 1986.
Andersen, D.M., D.L.
Bitzer, R.K. Rader, B.A. Sherwood, and P.T. Tucker, “Cluster computer-based
education delivery system,” US Patent 4 636 174, Jan 13, 1987.
Bitzer, D.L., J.E.
Stifle, M.W. Walker, C.E. Kelley, D. Pakey, and D.A. Lee, “Computer-based
education system,” US Patent 4 793 813, Dec 27, 1988.
Bitzer
D.L., C.E. Alix, and K.M. Leuthold, “System and method for decoding of
convolutionally encoded data,” US Patent No. 5 077 743, Dec 1991.
Bitzer D.L., M.A. Vouk,
A. Dholakia, E. Gonzalez, L.F. Wang, V. Srinivasan, T.M. Lee, S. Lo, and
H.Koorapaty, “System and method for decoding of convolutionally encoded data,”
US Patent No. 5 381 425, Jan 10, 1995.
Rosnick D., D.L. Bitzer,
M.A. Vouk, E. Eni-May, “Method for recognition of translating genetic coding
sequences,” Provisional US Patent, Sept 5, 2000, final version filed July 2001.
RECENT
RESEARCH TOPICS
Fast table-driven decoding and
error correction of convolutionally encoded data (with M.A. Vouk, A. Dholakia,
E. Gonzalez, L.F. Wang, V. Srinivasan, T.M. Lee, S. Lo & H. Koorapaty)
The
results of this study may find application in high-speed large-volume data
transmission systems. It involves a
table-driven technique for decoding of convolutionally encoded data. The approach can be used in either the
feedback or the direct mode. A
data-independent syndrome vector is generated on the transmitted bits. If it is different from zero it is used to
address pre-computed tables of corrections for the encoded bits. The decoding is performed as a separate
step. When the feedback mode is used
the error propagation is minimized by appropriate choice of the codes, the table
construction and the decoding algorithms.
The approach allows hardware simplicity comparable to majority-logic
decoding, but has error-correcting capabilities that can be made as close to
the optimal as desired through the adjustment of the syndrome vector length and
the correction table size. This makes
the method very attractive for high-speed satellite and network
applications. Performance of the method
can be further enhanced through soft detection. US Patent 5 381 425 (Jan 10, 1995).
Computer and Network-based Education (with T. Barnes, M.A.
Vouk)
The use of computers for
improving undergraduate education program and computer science and engineering
is being investigated from several viewpoints.
First, using an undergraduate discrete mathematics course as the content
base, courseware is being prepared which is designed to guide the student in
proofs using propositional calculus.
Additional material on finite automata, binary relations, graphs and
other discrete mathematics topics is also being prepared so that an experiment
of integrating the computer instruction into a discrete mathematics course can
be tested. Second, research is being
conducted on methods by which the computer can analyze student responses to
questions and determine the various misconceptions that students exhibit in a
given area. Using this dynamically
building model, an individual student’s response is analyzed to predict the
misconceptions of the individual student.
This method of adapting learning and teaching may be very effective in
providing efficient individualized computer based instruction.
Use of Information & Signal Processing
Methods to Analyze and Optimize Translation of Genetic Sequences (with D.
Rosnick, M.A. Vouk, & E. Eni-May)
The goal
of this project is to develop a set of tools for investigation and optimization
of intra- and transgenic genetics translation processes, with the ultimate goal
of developing an algorithmic system that could be used for assessment and
optimization of efficiency of transgenic protein production. The system integrates analysis methods and
models at the levels of sequences, regulatory signals and structural
functionality of the proteins. One
model is based on free energy binding properties present within the messenger
RNA sequence of all proteins. The work
shows that free energy and information theory based computations can be used to
a) identify with high probability coding regions in E.Coli which translate, and
b) possibly increase and optimize probability of transgenic translation in
E.Coli as a host. This work discovered
a periodicity “signal” in the protein coding regions of E.Coli, which, via the
16s rRNA, has a continuing role throughout translation, particularly in
ribosomal synchronization with the reading frame. Building on these principles, the next step is to design and
validate a set of extended algorithms for protein construction and
engineering. This will be done by
extension of studies on E.Coli using additional pattern recognition methods,
and generalization of the work to other prokaryotes. The models view transcription, translation initiation, and
translation elongation/termination as decoding steps within a larger genetic
communication network. Using
information technology methods from coding theory, models are being constructed
for regulatory regions of genomic sequences.
Work that extends the energy and the coding models already developed for
E.Coli to M.Tuberculosis (a prokaryote) and possibly duckweed (a eukaryote) is
in progress. (Provisional US Patent
Awarded, Sept 5, 2000)
Voice Processing
and Lip Synching (with R.D. Rodman, D.F. McAllister)
This
research has two main thrusts. One is
lip synchronization, which is the process of taking speech input and producing
parameters, which describe the motion of the human mouth as if it were speaking
the speech. Application areas are animation,
aid to the hearing disabled, speech recognition, and more. To test the accuracy of output, a 3D
graphics model of a human mouth has been designed. The group recently solved the problem for vowel sounds and is now
developing lip synch speech containing consonantal sounds, and speaker
independent lip-synching. Second, the
group is pursuing context free speaker identification in which a computer can
identify a person by their speech alone, regardless of what they are
saying. An especially important
application area is in law enforcement where a person who makes a bomb threat
that is recorded can later be identified from the voice. (Elements have been licensed to Lip Sync,
Inc.)
Number Theory
Investigation
of developing sieves relating prime numbers to examine problems in number
theory such as Golbach’s conjecture.
FUNDING
Current annual funding levels exceed
$500,000.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Bitzer, D.L, P.
Braunfeld & W, Lichtenberger, “PLATO: An automatic teaching device,” IRE
Transactions on Education, E-4, 157-161 (Dec 1961).
Bitzer, D.L., W.
Lichtenberger & P.G. Braunfeld, “PLATO II: A multiple-student computer
controlled teaching machine,” Programmed Learning and Computer-based
Instruction, ed. by Coulson, John Wiley & Sons, NY, 205-216 (1962).
Bitzer, D.L. & P.
Braunfeld, “A computer-controlled teaching system (PLATO)” New Media in
Higher Education, ed. by Brown and Thornton; National Education
Association, Washington, D.C., 108-110 (1963).
Bitzer, D.L. & J.A.
Easley, Jr., “PLATO: A computer-controlled teaching system,” Computer
Augmentation of Human Reasoning, ed. by Sass and Wilkinson, Spartan Books,
Washington, D.C., 89-103 (1965).
Bitzer, D.L., E.R. Lyman
& J.A. Easley, Jr., “The uses of PLATO: A computer-controlled teaching
system,” Audiovisual Instruction, 11(1), 16-21 (1966).
Bitzer, D.L., "The
PLATO teaching system,” Automated Education Letters, 1(2). 13-15 (Nov
1965).
Bitzer; D.L. & H.G.
Slottow, “The plasma display panel - A digitally addressable display with
inherent memory,” Proceedings of the Fall Joint Computer Conference,
(Nov 1966).
Bitzer, D.L., B.L.,
Hicks. R.L. Johnson & E.R. Lyman, “The PLATO system; current research and
developments,” IEEE Transactions on-Human Factors in Electronics, 8,
64-70 (1967).
Bitzer, D.L. & H.G.
Slottow, “The Plasma Display Panel - A New Device for Direct Display of
Graphics,” Emerging Concepts in Computer Graphics, ed. by D. Secrest and
J. Nievergelt, W.A. Benjamin, Inc, NY, 2-28 (1968).
Bitzer D.L. & D.
Skaperdas, “Plato IV: An economically viable large scale computer-based
education system,” Proceedings of the National Electronics Conference,
Dec. 9-11, 1968, Chicago, IL, pp. 351-356 (1968).
Alpert; D. & D.L.
Bitzer, “Advances in computer-based education,” Science, 167, 1582-1590
(Mar 1970).
Bitzer D.L. & R.L.
Johnson, “Plato. a computer-based system used in the engineering of education,”
Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 960-968 (1971).
Bitzer, M.D. & Bitzer, D.L., "Teaching
nursing by computer: An evaluative study", Computers in Biology and
Medicine, Vol. 3, Pp. 187-204, Great Britain, Pergamon Press (1973).
Bitzer, D.L., “PLATO, An adventure in learning
with computer-based education,” Seventh Australian Computer Conference,
Vol. 4, 1-46, Australian Computer Society; Inc. (1976).
Bitzer, D.L, "Uses
of CBE for the handicapped," American Annals of the Deaf, Vol. 124,
No. 5, 553-559 (Sept 1979).
Bitzer, D.L. “The PLATO
project at the University of Illinois,” Engineering Education, 77,
175-180 (1986).
Bitzer D.L. & Vouk,
M.A., “A table driven (feedback) decoder,” Proc. IPCCS '91, pp 385-392
(1991).
Koorapaty H., Bitzer
D.L., Dholakia A. & Vouk M.A., “Table-driven decoding of convolutional
codes with soft decision," Coding and Quantization, R. Calderbank,
G.D. Forney, Jr., and N. Moayeri, ed., pp. 199-206, American Mathematical
Society, Providence, RI (1993).
Dholakia A., Vouk M.A.
& Bitzer D.L., “A lost packet recovery technique using convolutional coding
in high speed networks,” Proceedings of the IEEE Military Communications
Conference, pp. 318-322, Boston, MA (Oct 1993).
Dholakia
A., Vouk M.A. & Bitzer D.L., “A lost cell recovery technique using
convolutional coding at the ATM adaptation layer in B-ISDN/ATM”, IFIP-Transactions-C
(Communication-Systems), vol.C-21, pp.141-59 (1994).
Dholakia A., Vouk M.A.
& Bitzer D.L., “Table based decoding of rate one-half convolutional codes,”
IEEE Trans. on Communications, Vol. 43 (2-4), pp. 681-686 (1995).
Gibson, E.J., Brewer,
P.W., Dholakia, A., Vouk, M.A. & Bitzer, D.L., “A comparative analysis of
Web-based testing and evaluation systems. Proceedings of the 4th
WWW Conference, Boston, MA, Available: http://renoir.csc.ncsu.edu/MRA/Reports/WebBasedTesting.html
(1995),
Dixit P., M.A. Vouk,
D.L. Bitzer & C. Alix, “Availability of NovaNET - A wide-area network-based
education system,” ISSRE96, IEEE CS Press, pp. 213-218 (Oct 1996).
Dixit P., M.A. Vouk & D.L. Bitzer,
“Reliability behavior of a large network-based education system,” 8th
International Symposium on Software Reliability Engineering, Case Studies,
pp. 43-56 (Nov 1997).
Rodman, R.D.,
McAllister, D.F. & Bitzer, D.L. “Toward speaker independence in automated
lip-sync,” Proceedings of Compugraphics ’97, pp 10-15 (1997).
Rodman, R.D., McAllister, D.F. & Bitzer,
D.L., “Lip synchronization of speech,” Proceedings of the Audio-Visual
Speech Processing Conference ’97, pp 133-136 (1997).
Rodman, R.D., McAllister, D.F. & Bitzer,
D.L., “Lip synchronization as an aid to the hearing disabled,” Proceedings
of the American Voice Input/Output Society, pp 233-248 (1997).
McAllister, D.F.,
Rodman, R.D. & Bitzer, D.L. “Lip Synchronization for Animation,” SIGGRAPH
97 Visual Proceedings, pp 225-226 (1997).
Bitzer D.L., A.
Dholakia, H. Koorapaty & M.A. Vouk, “On locally invertible rate-1/n
convolutional encoders,” IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Vol.
44 (1), pp. 420-422 (Jan 1998).
McAllister, D.F Rodman,
R.D., Bitzer, D.L. & Freeman, A., “Speaker independence in automated
lip-sync for audio-video communication,” Computer Networks & ISDN
Systems, Vol. 30, No. 21-22, pp 1975-1980 (1998).
Vouk M.A., R.L. Klevans
& D.L. Bitzer, “Workflow and end-user quality of service issues in
Web-based education,” IEEE Transactions on Knowledge Engineering, Vol.
11(4), pp. 673-687, (July/Aug 1999).
Fu, H., Rodman, R.D.,
McAllister, D.F., Bitzer, D.L. & Xu, B., “Classification of voiceless
fricatives through spectral moments,” Proceedings of the 5th
International Conference on Information Systems Analysis and Synthesis,
Skokie, IL: International Institute of Informatics and Systemics, pp 307-311,
(1999).
May E.E., M.A. Vouk,
D.L. Bitzer & D.L. Rosnick, “Coding model for translation in E. Coli K-12,”
Proceedings of the First Joint BMES/EMBS Conference, Atlanta, GA, pp.
1178 (Oct 13-16, 1999).
Rosnick D.L., D.L.
Bitzer, M.A. Vouk & E.E. May, “Free energy periodicity in E. Coli K-12,” Proceedings
of the First Joint BMES/EMBS Conference, Atlanta, GA, pp.1216 (Oct 13-16,
1999).
May E.E., M.A. Vouk,
D.L. Bitzer, & D.L. Rosnick, “Coding theory based maximum-likelihood
classifier for translation initiation regions in Escherichia Coli K-12”, Annals
of Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 28, Supplement 1, pp. S-26 (Oct 2000).
May E.E., M.A. Vouk,
D.L. Bitzer, & D.L. Rosnick, “Analysis of the fractal scaling properties of
Escherichia Coli K-12 using the wavelet transform modulus maxima method”., Journal
of Computational Biology, Vol. 7, Nos. 3/4, p.643 (Nov 2000).
Taylor, J., Bitzer,
D.L., Rodman, R.D. & McAllister, D.F., “Achieving speaker independence in
automatic lip synchronization,” Proceedings of the Applied Voice
Input/Output Society, San Jose, CA: AVIOS, pp 163-171 (2001).
Selected Publications Under Review
Rodman, R.D., McAllister,
D.F., Bitzer, D.L., Cepeda, L. & Abbitt, P, “Speaker identification using
isophonemic sequences,” submitted to International Journal of Speech
Technology.
May Eni, M.A. Vouk, D.L. Bitzer & D. Rosnick, “Analysis of coding theory based models for
initiating protein translation in prokaryotic organisms,” submitted to IEEE
Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine.
GRADUATE STUDENT
ADVISORY COMMITTEES
6 Ph.D. and 16 M.S. students
as either Chair or Co-Chair (North Carolina State University)
13 Ph.D. and 39 M.S. students as either Chair or
Co-Chair (Univ. of Illinois -
Urbana-Champaign)
RECENT
PUBLIC SERVICE
NRC National Laboratory Associateship Program, Member of the Reviewing
Committee
Laboratory Review Committee for NRC, Member of the Reviewing Committee
West Point Laboratory Review Committee for NRC, Member of the Reviewing
Committee
IEEE TAB on Strategic Planning and Review Committee (SPARC)
Army Research Laboratory Associate Program Review
National Research Council, Associate Programs Advisory
Committee