George Mason Univ School of Engineering

CS 491, otherwise known as the Industry-Sponsored Senior Design Project, is a two-semester course in which students have the opportuni- ty to work in small teams on “real-world” projects specified by an indus- try partner. The course not only provides students with a capstone expe- rience in which they can pull together and build on technical concepts they have learned in their previous computer science courses, it also exposes them to teamwork and professional skills that are expected in the workplace. In addition, the course acts as a bridge between the com- puter science department and our industry partners, contributing to the department’s strategic goal of greater engagement with local industry. This is the second year we have offered CS 491, and once again I would like to thank Professor of Practice Gino Manzo for making it possible. I would also like to thank Professor Larry Bailey for co-teaching the course with Professor Manzo. With the help of the department’s Industrial Advisory Board (and thanks to Professor Manzo’s persuasive powers), we were able to recruit seven industry partners for this offering of the course. We also recruited a computer science faculty sponsor — Professor Huzefa Rangwala — for one project. The 28 students who signed up for the class were split into eight teams of three or four students each and assigned to the project that best matched their interests and academic preparation. Each industry-spon- sored project had a mentor provided by the industry partner, as well as a faculty member who acted as a subject matter expert and gave technical guidance as appropriate. I think you will agree with me that the projects described in this program have provided a great learning experience for the students. I would like to thank Professor Manzo and Professor Bailey for their dedication and hard work in teaching CS 491, and the computer sci- ence department’s faculty (especially Professor Rangwala) for their help in shaping the course. Thanks also to our industry sponsors and the subject matter experts for their tremendous support.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the students for signing up for CS 491 and congratulate them on their achievements in this course.

Sanjeev Setia, PhD Chair, Computer Science Department

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY COMPUTER SCIENCE

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