Russ Meier, Ph.D., FIEEE

Professor, Program Director

  • Milwaukee WI UNITED STATES
  • Walter Schroeder Library L349
  • Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Dr. Russ Meier is an educational expert focused on how computational thinking impacts student enculturation to the engineering profession.

Contact

Education, Licensure and Certification

Ph.D.

Computer Engineering

Iowa State University

1998

M.S.

Computer Engineering

Iowa State University

1994

B.S.

Computer Engineering

Iowa State University

1992

Biography

Dr. Meier is the undergraduate Computer Engineering Program Director and a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. His computer engineering specialty is Computer Architecture. He is a member of IEEE, IEEE-HKN, and the IEEE Computer, Education, and Professional Communications societies. He joined IEEE as a student and has an extensive history of membership and service. He also has a professional service record as a member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and its Educational Research and Methods Division (ERM), Electrical and Computer Engineering Division (ECE), and First-Year Engineering Education Division (FYE).

Dr. Meier grew up on a farm on a Sioux Indian reservation in Nebraska. Agricultural machines fascinated him. He loved examining and fixing tractor engines, augers, combines, automatic livestock feeders, and other equipment. He liked solving problems using tools and determination. While in high school, the personal computer era dawned and fantastic new machines running software changed the world. These machines used ceramic chips and electricity to do cool things! The Apple II and TI-99/4a were simple compared to modern computers, but they became his platforms to explore automation and control using the BASIC and Pascal programming languages. He quickly discovered his passion for computing and enjoyed helping his classmates learn about how computer hardware and software work. By the end of high school, it was clear that a professional career in engineering and engineering education was his future. He enrolled as a first-generation college student and had an amazing freshman year because he got to learn Fortran, a language he stills writes programs in today.

At MSOE, he mentors future engineers in digital logic, computer architecture, digital electronics, and computer networking. His 30-year history of teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple teaching excellence awards. The IEEE elevated him to Fellow for contributions to global online engineering education. The International Society for Engineering Education awarded him the title International Engineering Educator Honoris Causa for outstanding contributions in the field of engineering education.

His engineering education research focuses on computational thinking, first-year experience, and enculturation to the engineering profession. His technical research interests focus on computer architecture, embedded systems, and evolvable hardware.

Areas of Expertise

Engineering Enculturation
First-Year Experience
Evolvable Hardware
Higher Education
Electrical Engineering
Computer Engineering
Embedded Systems
Computer Architecture
Engineering Education
Computational Thinking

Accomplishments

Meritorious Service Award

American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), Electrical and Computer Engineering Division, 2022

Meritorious Service Award

Learning with MOOCs Conference (LWMOOCs), 2022

Fellow

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), For contributions to global on-line engineering education, 2018

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Affiliations

  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) : Member
  • IEEE: Fellow
  • IEEE Computer Society: Member
  • IEEE Education Society: Member
  • American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) : Member
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Social

Event and Speaking Appearances

Applying for a First Time Tenure Track Position – Making your Case as a Candidate

IEEE Academic Career Toolbox Webinar Series  Online, 2022

Making Labs Effective with Remote Learning

IEEE Effective Remote Instruction Webinar Series, Available on-Demand at https://tinyurl.com/ieee-remote-instruction  Online, 2020

Using eLearning to Support Distance Learning

IEEE Educational Activities Board Webinar  Online, 2020

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Research Grants

Computational Thinking in the Formation of Engineers, a Multi-institution Initiative

National Science Foundation

June 2019
Mendoza, N., Meier, R., and Trytten, D.

ICCD Detector Readout Development Project Extension

U.S. Department of Energy

July 2000
Sobering, T.J., Meier, R.D.

Post-delivery Support for ICCD Detector

U.S. Department of Energy,

April 2001
Sobering, T.J., Meier, R.D.

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Selected Publications

A Comparative Analysis of Worldwide Trends in the Use of Information and Communications Technology in Engineering Education

IEEE Access

Martin, S., Lopez-Martin, E., Moreno-Pulido, A., Meier, R., Castro, M

2019

This paper forecasts learning technologies that are predicted to impact the practice of engineering education according to the perceptions of engineering education researchers and practitioners. These forecasts were derived from three worldwide surveys carried out in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The responses were analyzed to know the technologies that will have an impact in the short, medium and long term. In turn, differences in forecasts according to area of specialization and geographical region were studied. Moreover, this paper applies social analysis (Google Trends) and bibliometric analysis (Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science) to these predictions in order to discover which technologies were successful and really impacted in engineering education, and which ones failed to have the predicted impact and why.

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Do MOOCs Sustain the UNESCO’s Quality Education Goal?

IEEE

Tovar, E., Tabuenca, B., Alzaghoul, A., Kloos, C.D., Sluss, J., López-Rey, Á., Ruiz, E., García-Loro, F., Sancristóbal, E., Artacho, M.R., Martin, S.

2019

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of UNESCO establishes goals and targets in areas of critical importance for humanity. Recently, members of the eMadrid network have organized the Conference Learning with MOOCs (LWMOOCS 2018), the leading worldwide global conference, inspired by this year's theme “MOOCs for All - A Social and International Approach”. This paper analyzes the main outcomes of this conference organized around the “Quality Education”, the Sustainable Development Goal 4.

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The Impact of Prior Programming Experience on Computational Thinking in First-Year Engineering Experience

Proceedings of the 2022 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD) Conference

Mendoza Diaz, N. V., Trytten, D. A., Meier, R., and Moore, J. M.

2022

This paper contributes to the literature by showing how computational thinking can exacerbate existing equity problems in engineering by allowing students with privilege to accrue additional advantages that ease the transition into engineering early in their academic programs. These accrued advantages may diminish the opportunities for success of students with less privilege, who may incorrectly view themselves as having less merit.

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