School of Engineering and Applied Science Professor George Pappas is leading the way in the study of computer technology and systems engineering.
Earlier this month, Pappas received a 2002 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President George W. Bush. He is one of 57 researchers from around the country to receive such recognition.
"The PECASE program recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers who, early in their careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of knowledge," according to the National Science Foundation Web site.
"This Presidential Award is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers."
The award -- announced on May 4 -- was given to only 19 other researchers working under grants given by the National Science Foundation.
"It is a very, very prestigious award," said Deputy Dean of the School of Engineering Vijay Kumar, who observed that Pappas is the only hybrid systems researcher to receive the recognition.
Kumar directs the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception Lab at Penn where Pappas conducts his research.
The GRASP lab "is a focal point for research and robotics," Kumar said. "It brings together three different threads of research": control, perception and learning.
"Hybrid systems had started about a decade ago," Pappas said. "But it has become a much more hot area of research in the past 5 years or so."
Pappas' work on hybrid systems examines the integration of two different kinds of computing control systems.
"This research focuses mostly on the integration of high level algorithms with low level algorithms," Pappas said. He offered the example of integrating the high level system of an air traffic controller with the lower level system of an aircraft's autopilot system. The low level algorithm offers feedback control and helps to navigate and stabilize the aircraft, while the high level algorithm at work in the air traffic control center schedules takeoffs and landings.
Pappas' work focuses on integrating the two systems in an effort to create wholly automated systems.
"A lot of the things about embedded systems or hybrid systems are really about the interaction of software and logic and discrete decision making on one side and continuous environments on the other," Pappas said. "Software engineering practice has completely changed for the future."
Pappas works to integrate the discrete world of computers with the continuity of the physical world. Though computers process data in discrete quantities, the physical world is continuous.
"Computers interact with the world at periodic instances," Kumar said. "Time goes on continuously, and so when you want to bring discrete and continuous systems together sometimes they're called hybrid systems, because they're neither discrete nor continuous."
In addition to bridging the gap between the fragmented and the continuous, Pappas must overcome the challenge of working between multiple departments in systems engineering and computer science.
"One has to live across departments," Pappas said. "It's not really the type of research that fits in with one particular department."
The award comes after Pappas received a $375,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development program. In addition to research, the grant allowed Pappas to develop courses. He will create courses for undergraduates over the next two years.
"To educate future engineers in this area one really has to think outside the box," Pappas said. His course will focus on "educating future engineers across departments rather than within departments."
As part of his development for coursework, Pappas is working to create airborne robots to put theory into practice.
"Now I'm developing certain vehicles that will fly in the air so that we can have all kinds of ground robots and aerial robots where we can illustrate these concepts," Pappas said.
Though he has only been at Penn for four years, Pappas has already attracted significant attention to both the GRASP lab and the School of Engineering.
"Everybody invariably knows of George Pappas," said School of Engineering Dean Eduardo Glandt. "He's highly respected already everywhere."
In addition to his widely recognized work in the field of engineering, Pappas finds time to develop his other interests as well. Kumar cited some of these interests as wine, fine dining and travel.
Fellow Engineering Professor and GRASP lab researcher Konstantinos Daniilidis described Pappas as "a moving encyclopedia."
"He knows everything about sports, movies, politics (both US and Europe), and TV trivia," Daniilidis said in an e-mail interview.
His colleagues also praised Pappas' personality.
"In addition to being an outstanding researcher with expertise and credibility in a wide range of technology related issues, George is a wonderful person to have around the school and a delightful colleague," Kumar said in an e-mail interview.
According to Glandt, Pappas is already a central figure within both his department and the School of Engineering.
"In addition to being a super scientist he is an amazing human being in terms of thoughtfulness and wisdom," Glandt said. "He's the mainstay of electrical and systems engineering."
The award brings recognition not only to Pappas but also to the School of Engineering.
"It tells the world we have a superstar here," said Dean of the School of Engineering Eduardo Glandt. "This is the crŠme de la crŠme.
