Motivation, Requirements, Elements, and Scenarios

• Industry demand for our graduates
– Training the next generation of “systems integrators”
• Cross-disciplinary approach is key to future success in science careers
– true for contemporary industry as well as for grad school prospects

• Clarify essentials of imaging science
– Rapidly changing field demands graduates with a forward-looking, relevant education
• Enable flexibility within undergraduate program in both directions:
– CIS students can minor in other sciences
– Other majors can choose electives from CIS
• Make our graduates more competitive
• Make our program more accessible

• The revised core delivers the material essential to every Imaging Scientist
– general introductory sequence
– linear math for imaging
– computing for imaging
– optics for imaging
– digital image processing
– interaction between light & matter; radiometry
– image systems analysis
– image statistics (microstructure)
– vision, color, & psychophysics
– research practices
– Professional Seminar

• Revised curriculum facilitates wide variety of scenarios and outcomes
– range of potential undergraduate and graduate program scenarios/outcomes is far broader than is enabled by the present Img Sci curriculum

• Industry will be more interested in students w/ B.S. that includes concentration in specific subdiscipline of imaging science
• B.S. students interested in CIS as grad school can obtain direct training in faculty field of specialty
• Students interested in external grad schools can obtain minor/concentration in related subdiscipline

• New curriculum facilitates:
– more direct interaction with the College of
Science and local colleges/universities
• revised introductory sequence, elective opportunities more appealing to “undeclared” COS students
• easier to accommodate transfer students
– B.S./M.S. degrees
– Image Science as a minor
• made possible through revised introductory sequence and condensed core courses

• We are now fleshing out specific examples of each of the following:
– B.S. leading directly to industry
• w/ specific concentration(s) or elective sequence(s)
– e.g., image processing, materials & sensors, remote sensing, medical imaging
– 5-year B.S./M.S. degree
• Imaging Science or Color Science
– B.S. leading to graduate study
• Minors in Astronomy, Physics already on the books

• Calculus I-IV, Differential Equations , Stats
(28)
• University Physics I-III, Modern Phys (16)
• Chemical Principles, Intro. Organic Chemistry ( 9)
• Liberal Arts, General Education
– Writing and Literature I, II, Freshman Seminar (9)
– 2 Courses each in Hum, SocSci, 1 elective (20)
(29)
• Imaging in Physical Science
• Imaging Core
• Independent Research Project
• Professional Electives
(12)
(32)
(5-9)
(24)
• Free Electives
• Imaging Science Professional Seminar
(24)
( 2)
• TOTAL 181-185

• Calculus I-IV, Differential Equations , Stats
(28)
• University Physics I-III, Modern Phys (16)
• Chemical Principles, Intro. Organic Chemistry ( 9)
• Liberal Arts, General Education
– Writing and Literature I, II, Freshman Seminar (9)
– 2 Courses each in Hum, SocSci, 1 elective (20)
(29)
• Imaging in Physical Science
• Imaging B.S. Core
(12)
(32)
• Professional Electives
• Free Electives
(12)
(20)
• Imaging M.S. Core (includes Lab and Seminar) (26)
• M.S. Electives
• Thesis
• TOTAL
(36)
(6)
226 (181 + 45)

• Calculus I-IV, Differential Equations , Stats
(28)
• University Physics I-III, Modern Phys (16)
• Chemical Principles, Intro. Organic Chemistry ( 9)
• Liberal Arts, General Education
– Writing and Literature I, II, Freshman Seminar (9)
– 2 Courses each in Hum, SocSci, 1 elective (20)
(29)
• Imaging in Physical Science
• Imaging Core
• Independent Research Project
• 5 courses in minor field
(12)
(32)
(5-9)
(20)
• Professional Electives
• Free Electives
(12)
(16)
• Imaging Science Professional Seminar
( 2)
• TOTAL 181-185

• How do we measure our success?
– Can we develop a “litmus test” for the young Imaging Scientist?
• Small enrollments in electives
– Initially, must rely on other College of Science programs (e.g., most astronomy minor course options offered by Physics)
– Must grow Img Sci undergraduate population to justify initial investment of faculty time in low-enrollment courses
– Again, must make our program more accessible! (e.g., through Img
Sci minor)
• Transition plan needed
– Can model after previous curriculum revisions (most recent: ‘98)
• Long lead time to implementation
– Fall ‘04 is target

• One potential example:
– Assemble a simple optical system (optics, filters, detectors, computer) to take and store image data
– Empirically determine MTF of assembled system
– Model the observed scene, determine noise sources, and calculate signal-to-noise ratio
– Determine optimum image rendering scheme

• University of Rochester
• Rensselaer Polytechnic University
• Clarkson University
• St. Lawrence University

• 3 Areas: Humanities, Social Sciences,
Natural Sciences (including Mathematics and Engineering)
• Students select “clusters” of three courses in each of the two areas other than major
– Humanities examples:
• “Modern & Contemporary Literature”
• “Japanese Language”
– Social Sciences examples:
• “Applied Economics”
• “African-American History”

• 6 three-credit semester course electives in
Humanities or Social Sciences

• 2 Courses in Mathematics
• 2 Courses in Sciences
• 1 Course in Computing
• 1 Course in Engineering
• 1 Course in Business
• 6 Courses in Liberal Arts

• Admitted Fall 2001 and later:
– 1 Course in “Arts/Expression”
– 1 Humanities course
– 1 Social Sciences course
– 1 Mathematics or Foreign Language
– 2 Natural Sciences/Science Studies
– 2 “Diversity” ( “engaging participants in critical study of sameness and difference”
)