Thomas Hemminger, Ph.D.

Tom Hemminger
Professor Emeritus, Electrical and Computer Engineering
[email protected]
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Mailing Address:
PENN STATE BEHREND
GLENHILL FARMHOUSE
ERIE PA 16563

Dr. Thomas Hemminger is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Penn State Behrend. He earned the B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1985 at Cleveland State University, the M.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1988 at Clarkson University, and the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1992 at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Hemminger was named chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department in January 2012. He held this role until December 2020.

Dr. Hemminger was the recipient of the Penn State Behrend Council of Fellows Faculty Research Award in April 2006. He was recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE as the service award recipient for section chair in 2000 and the Outstanding Member Award from the Erie Engineering Societies Council, 1999. He was nominated for the Penn State Behrend Council of Fellows Faculty Research Award in Spring 1996 and Spring 1998. Dr. Hemminger was the second runner-up with Dr. Robert Farrell for the paper, Improving blow molding machine performance with neural networks, at ANNIE '97, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering, November 1997 where they received the Novel Engineering Application Award for this work. He also received the Merl K. Miller Award for the outstanding COED journal paper on Teaching/Instructional Methods, Computers in Education, Division of American Society of Engineering Education in 1993. Dr. Hemminger is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE, Tau Beta Pi, and a past member of the American Society of Engineering Educators ASEE.

Prior to employment at Behrend, Dr. Hemminger was an instructor during 1985-1986 at Lorain County Community College, a teaching assistant from 1986-1989 at Clarkson University, a graduate teaching assistant in 1989 at Case Western Reserve University, and a graduate research assistant from 1990-1992, also at Case Western.

Teaching

Courses Taught

  • Circuits and Devices
  • Communication Systems
  • Communications Systems I
  • Digital Design Lab
  • Electrical Circuit Analysis
  • Engineering Design and Graphics
  • Engineering Design and Graphics Lab
  • Introduction to Engineering Design
  • Senior Design
  • Signal and Image Processing
  • Signals and Systems

Teaching Awards

  • Nominated, Council of Fellows Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring 1996, Spring 1997, and Spring 2002.

Research 

Completed Research Projects

  • Loker, D. [Principal Investigator], with T. Hemminger, R. Sprang, and J. Roth [Co-PI], and G. Schneggenburger [Project Advocate] "EOC/NAVSEA Radar Systems Project - Phase 1," Penn State Electro-Optic Center (EOC) & Naval Sea Systems Commend (NAVSEA), $45, 779, July-October 2010.
  • Gray, R., and Hemminger, T. L. [Co-Investigators], “Great Lakes Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) Systems Testing,” Pennsylvania Transportation Institute/Center for Navigation, Communication, and Information Systems (PTI/CNCIS), Center for eBusiness and Advanced IT (eBizITPA), $87,000, October 2004-2006.
  • Hemminger, T. L. [Principal Investigator], “Investigating alternative methods of testing diamond edged cutting blade integrity and reliability,” Diamond Products Inc., $96,296, July 2002-June 2004.
  • Hemminger, T. L. [Principal Investigator], Ford, R., and Ahmed, F., “Integration of digital signal processing into the undergraduate curriculum,” NSF Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement, $61,914, July 1, 1998-July 30, 2001.
  • Hemminger, T. L., and Ford, R. [Co-investigators], “Optical techniques for base inspection of plastic beverage container,” AGR International Corporation, $25,480, August 1999-February 2000.
  • Hemminger, T. L. [Principal Investigator], “High resolution measurement of liquid parisons by computerized axial tomography,” Blow Molding Consortium, $15,000, April 1996-April 1998.

Honors and Awards for Scholarship or Professional Activity

  • Nominated, Council of Fellows Faculty Outreach Award, 2007.
  • Recipient, Council of Fellows Faculty Research Award, April 2006.
  • Nominated, Council of Fellows Faculty Research Award, 1998.
  • Nominated, Council of Fellows Faculty Research Award, 1996.
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Service award for section chair, 2000.
    • Outstanding Member Award, Erie Engineering Societies Council, 1999.
    • Nominated, Council of Fellows Faculty Research Award, Spring 1996 and Spring 1998.
  • Novel Engineering Application Award, Second Runner-Up, presented to Thomas Hemminger and Robert Farrell for the paper, “Improving blow molding machine performance with neural networks,” ANNIE ’97, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering, November 1997.
  • Merl K. Miller Award for the outstanding COED Journal paper on Teaching/Instructional Methods, Computers in Education, Division of American Society of Engineering Education, 1993.

Service 

Organizing conferences, service on conference committees

  • American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE)
    • Session Chair, North Central Section Conference, Erie, PA, April 9, 1999.
  • Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE)
    • Session Chair, 1996, 1998, 2002, and 2009.

Active participation in professional and learned societies

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

  • Arranged tour for forty people, including 20 Behrend students, of the NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH, March 31, 2006.
  • Chair, October 2005-present.
  • Vice-Chair, October 2004-2005.
  • Coordinated the Region 2 student research paper, hardware competition, and leadership conference held at Penn State Erie. Acquired $1,500 from the EESC and local IEEE to help sponsor the event. Total budget approximately $20,000, primarily from Region 2, April 16-17, 1999.
  • Chair, Erie Chapter, 1998-2000.
  • Organized sponsored V.I.P. tour of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, April 26, 1997.
  • Organized sponsored tour of Behrend plastics center, March 24, 1997.
  • Organized student paper contest, March 19, 1997.
  • Organized student paper contests at Behrend College, 1996-present.
  • Vice-President, Erie Chapter, Spring 1996-1997.
  • Judge, student paper contest at Gannon University, Erie, PA, March 13, 1996.
  • Student Branch Counselor, 9/1995-present.

Service to public and private organizations

  • Judge, Gannon University Student Paper Competition, Spring 2005 and Spring 2006.
  • United Way volunteer, 2003.

Service to educational institutions

  • College for Kids, Penn State Behrend, Division of Student Affairs
  • Presented, "Op-Amp Camp: Introduction to Electronics," each summer, 2006-2009.

Contributions to the University's programs to enhance equal opportunity and cultural diversity

  • Presented two programs, 21st Century Kids, June 21, 2006.
  • Presenter, Women in Engineering, September 2006.
  • Participated, Minority College Experience/Women in Science and Engineering (MCE/WISE), 2003, 2004, and 2005.
  • Presented GPS demonstrations, Math Options, 2003-present.

Service to student organizations

  • Tau Beta Nu, co-organizer and advisor, 2008-present.
  • Attended, Cleveland State Conference, April 23-24, 2004.
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Student Section
  • Branch counselor, September 1995-present.
  • Organized, Behrend College, IEEE Student Paper Competition, Logan House, March 16, 2005. First place winner Andrew Sobotka traveled to Rowan University to compete in the Region II event.
  • Organized the Behrend College IEEE Student Paper Competition, Logan House, March 17, 2004. First place winners, Troy Tancraitor and Mohammed Hoque, traveled to Cleveland State University to compete in the Region II event.
  • Organized student paper competition, March 5, 2003.
  • Acquired outside funding for the student robot competition at Penn State Harrisburg, totaling approximately $1000, 2000.
  • Organized a satellite video conference through NASA and PBS discussing the future of the space station and current research opportunities at NASA, April 11, 1996.
  • Student Branch Counselor, 1995-present.
  • Active in fund raising and recruitment, 1995-present.
  • Presented, “Introduction to image recognition,” October 1993.
  • Presented, “Multipath target localization using neural networks,” April 1993.
  • Presented, “Neural computing,” October 1992.

Neural networks, pattern recognition, neural control, and signal processing.

A High-Precision Low-Cost Analog Acceleration and Vibration Amplifier using PVDF Piezoelectric Sensors - August, 2021

Using Neural Networks to Design Transistor Amplifier Circuits, Global Journals - April, 2018

A Neural Network Approach to Transistor Circuit Design, Global Jounal of Computer Science and Technology - January, 2017

Low Power Applications of Truncated Matrix Multipliers

Reducing Hearing Aid Power Consumption using Truncated-Matrix Multipliers, Global Journal of Researhes in Engineering Electrical and Electronics Engineering - July, 2013
Collaborator: Eugene Walters, Secondary Author

Alternative Method for Electrostatic Discharge Stress Testing of Individual System Components, IET Science, Measurement, and Technology - 2010
Collaborators: Kathleen Muhonen; E Grund; N Peachey

A Moving Average Non-homogeneous Poisson Process Reliability Growth Model to Account for Software with Repair and System Structures, IEEE Transactions on Reliability - 2007
Collaborators: Wen-Li Wang; M-H Tang

A User-oriented Reliability Modeling Approach for Web Systems, International Journal of Web Engineering and Technology - 2007
Collaborator: Wen-Li Wang

A Microcontroller-based Neural Network for DTMF Decoding, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - November, 2007
Collaborators: David Loker; Shouling He

Simulation of Neural Network DTMF Decoder, IASTED International Conference on Modelling and Simulation - May, 2007
Collaborator: David Loker, Co-Author

A Neural Method for Identifying Transmission Source Locations, Proceedings, 17th Annual IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communication (PIMRC’06), Session TA4-4 - 2006
Collaborators: David Loker; C Pomalaza-Raez, Co-Author

A Moving Average Modeling Approach for Computing Component-based Software Reliability Growth Trends, INFOCOMP Journal of Computer Science - 2006
Collaborator: Wen-Li Wang

A Neural Network Based DTMF Decoder, Proceedings of the Artificial Neural Network in Engineering Conference (ANNIE 2006) - November, 2006
Collaborator: David Loker, Co-Author

Antenna Impedance Matching with Neural Networks, International Journal of Neural Systems - 2005

A New Method to Determine Transmitter Localization using Neural Networks, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering - November, 2005
Collaborators: David Loker; C Pomalaza-Raez

Event Driven Reliability Modeling for Distributed Systems, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering - November, 2005
Collaborator: Wen-Li Wang, Co-Author

Reliability Modeling of Software using History Dependent Markov Models, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering - November, 2005
Collaborator: Wen-Li Wang, Co-Author

Understanding Transmission Line Impedance Matching with Neural Networks and PowerPoint, Frontiers in Education - November, 2005

An Equivalent Circuit Model of a Plasma Core Inductor, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science - June, 2005
Collaborators: Sudarshan Nelatury; M.N. Sadiku

A Hands-on Navigation Technology Workshop to Support the Math Options for Girls Program, 60th Annual Institute of Navigation Conference - 2004
Collaborator: Robert Gray

Modeling the Local Bending Reflex of the Leech, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 2004
Collaborators: Chris Coulston, Author; S Scharf; T Vitolo

A Neural Control Method for Impedance Matching of Antenna Systems, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 2003

A Neural-based Method of Determining Aircraft Landing Paths from DTED, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 2002
Collaborator: Robert Gray

A Unified Approach to Dynamic TDMA Slot Assignment and to Distributed Routing for Multi-hop Packet Radio Networks, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 2002
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez, Co-Author

Digital Signal Processing in the Undergraduate Curriculum, American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition - 2002
Collaborator: Ralph Ford, Co-Author

Transmission Line Impedance Matching with Neural Networks, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 2002

Routing Strategies for Multicast Packet Radio Networks, International Journal of Smart Engineering System Design - 2002
Collaborators: Chris Coulston; C Pomalaza-Raez

Validating Digital Terrain Elevation with Neural Networks, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 2001
Collaborator: Robert Gray

Using Neural Networks and Computerized Tomography to Measure Wall Thickness of Industrial Plastics, International Journal of Smart Engineering System Design - 2000

Introduction of Design Concepts in the Freshman Year, ASEE 1999 North Central Section Conference - 1999
Collaborators: Kathryn Holliday-Darr; J Young; William Lasher, Co-Author; John Beaumont; Ralph Ford; Amir Khalilollahi; Array Array

Enhanced Dimensional Analysis of Semi-Liquid Plastics Using Neural Networks, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering - 1998

Improving Blow Molding Machine Performance With Neural Networks, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 1997
Collaborator: R Farrell

Signal Estimation with Neural Networks for Multipath Mobile Communications, IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks - 1997

High Resolution Measurement of Translucent Plastic Wall Thicknesses by Computerized Tomography and Neural Networks, International Journal of Neural Systems - 1997
Collaborator: R Farrell

A Neural Network Solution to the Multicast Packet Radio Transmission Problem, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 1996
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez

Algorithms for Routing in Multicast Packet Radio Networks, Tactical Communications Conference - 1996
Collaborators: C Pomalaza-Raez; E Whitehill

Determining the Minimum Number of Transmissions in Multicast Packet Radio Networks, IEEE International Conference on Neural Networks - 1996
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez, Co-Author

Two Novel Approaches for Determining the Minimum Number of Transmissions in Multicast Packet Radio Networks, IEEE Fourth International Symposium on Spread Spectrum Techniques & Applications - 1996
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez, Co-Author

Determination of Dependent and Independent Communication Paths using Neural Networks, International Journal of Neural Systems - 1996
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez

Rotation and scale independent pattern recognition through optimization, Pattern Recognition Journal - 1996
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez

Using Neural Networks to Solve the Multicast Routing Problem in Packet Radio Networks, International Journal of Neural Systems - 1996
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez

An Innovative Approach to Incorporating Design into the Freshman Year, Proceedings, 1995 ASEE Annual Conference - 1995
Collaborators: Kathryn Holliday-Darr, Co-Author; Jack Young; William Lasher; Edward Evans; John Beaumont; Ralph Ford; Amir Khalilollahi

Determining the Number of Dependent and Independent Paths Through Packet Radio Networks Using a Hopfield Net, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 1995
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez

Using a Hopfield Network for Rotation and Scale Independent Pattern Recognition, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers World Congress on Computational Intelligence - 1994
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez

Detection and Classification of Underwater Acoustic Transients using Neural Networks, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Transactions on Neural Networks - 1994
Collaborator: Y-H. Pao

Acoustic Transient Identification Using Neural Networks, Artificial Neural Networks in Engineering (ANNIE) - 1993

An Illustration of Convolution through Animation, Computers in Education Journal - 1993

A Real-time Neural-net Computing Approach to the Detection and Classification of Underwater Acoustic Transients, The Fifth Conference on Neural Networks and Parallel Distributed Processing - 1992
Collaborator: Y-H. Pao

An efficient hierarchical neural network architecture for discriminating time-varying underwater signals, Proceedings, Government Neural Network Applications Workshop - 1992
Collaborators: D Adams; S Clary; Y-H. Pao; P Yip

Determination of Source Position in Multipath Environments Using Neural Networks, 1992 International Conference on Communications Technology - 1992
Collaborator: Y-H. Pao

Trains of transients: What to expect and how to measure similarity, 14th International Congress on Acoustics at the Invited Structured Session on Underwater Sound Signal Processing - 1992
Collaborator: Y-H. Pao

Polygonal Representation: A Maximum Likelihood Approach , Computer Vision, Graphics, and Image Processing - 1990
Collaborator: C Pomalaza-Raez

Ph D, Electrical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University

MS, Electrical Engineering, Clarkson University

BS, Electrical Engineering, Cleveland State University