Two researchers from the Texas Center for Applied Technology (TCAT) have been named 2015 Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Center Fellows. Dr. Keith Biggers, director of computing and information technology, and Dr. Dean Schneider, director of manufacturing operations, were recognized for their outstanding individual initiative and performance in support of the TEES mission of research, workforce development, technology development and transfer, and international outreach and collaboration.
Biggers’ research focus is on the development of simulation to support large-scale training exercises, tools for supporting command and control and the decision-making process, and visual analytics. He has led the development of the Emergency Management Exercise System (EM*ES), a constructive simulation that has been used to train more than 10,000 responders from around the United States. He has also led the development of various information dashboards helping to provide decision support and enhance situational awareness of end-users. Customized dashboards have been developed for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Agriculture and other organizations.
Schneider’s research projects include process improvements for various industry sponsors, development and implementation of water and power distribution technologies to improve conditions in border communities along the Texas/Mexico border, as well as teaching high school students about engineering by helping them design and build eight-foot wind turbines. Previously, Schneider was chief of the Technology Requirements Branch for the U.S. Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command, leading a team of information and training technology experts in the evaluation of existing and emerging training and educational technologies, and evaluated them for inclusion into the Air Force’s learning processes.
Photo, from left: Dr. Jim Wall, executive director of TCAT; Biggers; Schneider; Dr. Costas Georghiades, associate agency director for strategic initiatives and centers; and Dr. Dimitris Lagoudas, deputy director of TEES.