RESEARCH INTERESTS

BrianS.BlaisBryantUniversity-ScienceandTechnology1150DouglasPikeSmitheld,RI02917Phone:[phone].Fax:[phone]E-mail:[e-mail]:May1998BrownUniversity,Providence,RIPhD.inPhysicsAdvisor:ProfessorLeonNCooperMay1995Sc.M.inPhysicsSpring1990UniversitatHeidelberg,Heidelberg,GermanyMay1992WesleyanUniversity,Middletown,CTB.A.withHonorsinPhysicsAdvisor:ProfessorDaleDoeringRESEARCHINTERESTS:TheoreticalNeuroscience:learningandmemoryinneuralsystemsvisionspike-timingdependentplasticityBayesianInference:frequentistversusBayesianstatisticsBayesianapproachestolearningandmemoryDigitaltoAnalogComputerControl:autonomousthermalcyclerforPCRexperimentsneuralnetworksandroboticsGlobalResources:DynamicsofglobalresourcesandeconomicsPopulationgrowth,Malthusiantraps,andenergyTEACHINGEXPERIENCE:August2006{presentScienceandTechnologyDepartment,BryantUniversityAssociateProfessor:Taughtcoursesinintroductoryphysics,astronomy,meteorology,machinelearning,articialintelligenceandrobotics,computationalneuroscience1Createdlaboratorymanualstohighlighttheconceptsinexperimentalscience,forphysics,astronomy,andmeteorologyDesignedcoursesinarticialintelligenceandroboticsaswellascomputationalneuroscience,supervisingundergraduateprojectsFall2000{August2006ScienceandTechnologyDepartment,BryantUniversityAssistantProfessor:Taughtcoursesinintroductoryphysics,astronomy,meteorology,machinelearning,articialintelligenceandroboticsCreatedlaboratorymanualstohighlighttheconceptsinexperimentalscience,forbothphysicsandastronomyCreatedanintroductoryprogrammingmanualforMatlab/Octave,forArticialIntelligenceandMachineLearningSpring2000ScienceandTechnologyDepartment,BryantCollegeAdjunctProfessor,IntroductoryPhysicsandLaboratory:DesignedanintroductoryphysicsclassandlaboratoryforbusinessstudentsEmployedlecturesandhands-oninteractiontoteachstudentsCreatedalaboratorymanualtohighlighttheconceptsinexperimentalscience1995PhysicsDepartment,BrownUniversityTeachingAssistant,AdvancedUndergraduateLaboratoryforSeniorMajors:Ledlaboratorysectionsandhelpsessions.Preparedteachingsupplementstoenhancestudentlearning.1994TeachingAssistant,ElectricityandMagnetismforSophomoreMajors:Employedlecturesandhands-oninteractiontoteachstudentsinalaboratorysetting.Preparedtopicalteachingsupplementstoenrichthelearningexperience.Usedthelaboratoryreportstoassessstudentunderstandingandpromotebetterlearning.1993{1994TeachingAssistant,IntroductoryPhysicsforNon-Majors:Preparedlecturestomotivatelaboratorymaterial.Usedweeklyteachingsessionstoaugmentthein-classlearningCraftedspecicsupplementsgearedtowardthenon-physics{majorstudents1997RecipientoftheCenterfortheAdvancementofCollegeTeachingCerticate:ParticipatedinseminarsonpedagogyReviewedavideorecordingofmyownteachingsessionReceivedfeedbackonmyteachingfromobserversfromtheCACTandthephysicsdepartment1991PhysicsDepartment,WesleyanUniversityUndergraduateTeachingAssistant:Introductoryphysicsfornon-majors.Newtonianmechanicsandspecialrelativityforadvancedmajors.2Ledhelpsessions,madeandgradedbothhomeworkandtestquestions.Fall1990MathDepartment,WesleyanUniversityUndergraduateTeachingAssistant:Introductiontocomputers(Pascal)fornon-sciencemajorsPreparedlecturesforandimplementedextraclasssectionsUsedexamples,createdspecicallyfornon-majors,tohighlightpossiblydicultideasMadeandgradedbothhomeworkandtestquestions.Spring1991PhysicsDepartment,WesleyanUniversityShortCourseInstructor:DesignedandtaughtacourseinPascalprogrammingforphysicsundergraduates.RESEARCHEXPERIENCE:2006{presentDepartmentofScienceandTechnology,BryantUniversityAssociateProfessor:InstituteforBrainandNeuralSystems,BrownUniversityAdjunctProfessor:AnalysisandsimulationsofneuralsensorysystemsSynapticmodicationinspikingneuronsBayesiandataanalysisDynamicsofglobalresourcesandeconomics2000{2006DepartmentofScienceandTechnology,BryantUniversityAssistantProfessor:InstituteforBrainandNeuralSystems,BrownUniversityAdjunctProfessor:AnalysisandsimulationsofneuralsensorysystemsSpike-timingdependentplasticityDynamicsofglobalresourcesandeconomicsBuildinghardwarecomputerinterfacesforautomateddatacollectingandanalysis1998{2000InstituteforBrainandNeuralSystems,BrownUniversityPost-doctoralResearchAssociate:Performedanalysisandsimulationsofneuralsystems.Studiedfeatureextractioninhighdimensionaldataandthestatisticsofnaturalimages.Exploredscalinginneuralsystems,forestres,andpercolationsystemsSupervisors:ProfessorLeonNCooperandProfessorNathanIntrator1998{1999InstituteforBrainandNeuralSystems,BrownUniversityResearchSupervisor:Taughtandsupervisedanundergraduatehonorsthesis.3Thesisreceivedthe1999RichardE.WhalenAwardforUndergraduateResearchExcellenceinNeuroscienceandBehavioralBiology.1994{1998PhysicsDepartmentandInstituteforBrainandNeuralSystems,BrownUniversityResearchAssistant:CarriedoutanalyticalandcomputationalworkonmodelsofsystemsofneuronsStudiedthestatisticsofnaturalimagesanditseectonthefunctionofvisualneuronsExaminedbias/variancebalancinginoptimizationpr