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Senior Thesis
Thanksgiving is on the horizon, leaving about three weeks left in the semester. Currently, I'm sitting in Starbucks, at Top Dog Cafe (formerly the PC Ballroom) on campus enjoying a peppermint mocha (I know it's probably more than you wanted to know, but it's a really good cup of coffee, and if you ever get the chance try one). Classes are going well. I've been very busy with software development, and learning how to code Active Server Pages (ASP). These pages are often used in eCommerce websites, like www.dell.com or www.microsoft.com. Each allows the code to be processed by the web server that the browser is requesting the site from. The end result is a website that can be displayed by the browser in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language). To code the ASP we are using VBScript which is similar to Visual Basic that I've learned previously. The class continues to be very interesting.
In my Biotechnology Lab last week we ran Gels of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) that we purified in previous labs, to check to see if we have been successful in isolating the protein.
Yesterday, I took my 3rd History of Rock exam, which covered Funk, Disco, Art Rock, Glitter Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Jazz Rock and Fusion. It was very straightforward, however I was disappointed that the exam didn't focus more on the material covered in lecture; instead a large portion was devoted to questions about Jazz Rock and Fusion, both of which were not lectured on, only notes were given. In any case I am anxiously awaiting the score results (which will be emailed to me when it is graded because it was a ScanTron test - one with the pencil and bubbles).
Telecom required more attention this past week, as I had a paper due today. I worked on the issues and stakeholders in the requirements for E911 in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP or telephone over the internet). Basically, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated that all VoIP providers (like Packet 8 or Vonage) have to meet certain requirements. These requirements include making sure 911 operators can get the location or address of the caller, and that the caller is aware that the service shouldn't be the user's only means to contact emergency services, as the service may be disrupted if the internet connection is down.
This afternoon I attended the 1st meeting this year of the Research Advisory Committee in which Dr. Doug Brown, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, attended to give feedback about a report we submitted last spring. The meeting was very interesting and I found out that the student enrollment of JMU has reached 17,000 and the number of faculty employed by the university has reached over 900. We are working as a committee to increase scholarship among those 900 faculty members.
At Fairfield Language Technologies (work) I have been continuing to work with Tech Services, fulfilling internal user requests, meaning working on computers around the building. I've done everything from complete system setup, to phone extension creation. I'm preparing to meet with the Director of Information Technology with the company after Thanksgiving to begin working on server diagrams using Microsoft® Visio.
I am beginning to contemplate my Senior Thesis, which every ISAT major must complete as the capstone to the curriculum. I am considering working on creating a program at JMU in ISAT for juniors and seniors in high school to attend to enhance their understanding and interest in Science and Technology. This is important because from what I've noticed, many people considering coming to JMU for ISAT turn away because it's not a traditional engineering program. What is not understood however is that the ISAT degree is just as valuable as the engineering degree. The program produces graduates who work in teams, understand technical communication, and are truly project oriented. This graduate fulfills the need of many companies in America, in all types of industry. Something I've learned in my time at JMU is that college isn't always about what you learn in the classroom; it's also about learning how to be a lifelong learner, an individual who can balance a schedule on their own, and succeed under any circumstance.
Posted by Matt on November 16, 2005 07:00 PM | Link | Email Matt
