Helping Xalter find and apply for R&D funding to support their development of next generation intelligent immersive technical training systems to help colleges and vocational schools prepare more members of underserved communities for rewarding careers and fill the current large gaps in the workforce for crucial industrial sectors.

RDSI was founded to create advanced software tools to facilitate and accelerate affordable high quality research. Seeking R&D funding through SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) Programs to collaborate with researchers to further develop and evaluate these tools so these services can be offered to research organizations (B2B) and included as budget items in their future research proposals.Currently defining requirements for tools to help with crucial decisions researchers must make throughout the entire research process. Working with researchers at UTSA and UTHSCSA on the specification and initial design of intelligent software tools to support key tasks in the research process and to develop proposals for funding the development and evaluation of such tools. This collaboration is seeking to identify the critical points at which a researcher could most benefit from specific research decision support tools. Current effort focuses on use of AI and NLP in tools for research design, data modeling and database design, tools that could be especially useful for less experienced researchers, or researchers entering a novel area of research, but could also save time for more experienced researchers. Other AI assisted tools under consideration include guided creation of surveys and other data collection instruments to ensure they are consistent with the research design and database rules, intelligent data analytics and data visualization, intelligent support for data sharing/publication, research replication, meta studies and for the design of follow-up or repeat studies. To this work I bring my training and experience in strategic data modeling, intelligent databases, NLP, UX, learning management through standardized metadata and experience data, data analytics/visualization techniques, and a detailed understanding of the processes and data requirements to be found in Research and in R&D.

My role was to assist Dr. Thomas (MD, MPH) in the documentation of results for evaluation of the activities conducted through the Healthy Neighborhoods Program, funded to SAMHD through the Center for Disease Control (CDC). This evaluation focused on the potential contributions of these activities to dimensions of health improvement within each of the Healthy Neighborhoods Program's neighborhoods. I assisted in site visits, discussions with the health department representative for each of the 11 neighborhoods, and written and visual documentation of results. As a team, we identified 20 success stories to promote, and I wrote about half of these "Community Health Impact Stories" and edited other ones. We prepared a final presentation for the relevant SAMHD staff of about 20 persons. It was very well received with plans to publish these stories to encourage the communities involved to continue in their health promoting activities as well as SAMHD plans to use our results to seek further funding for the program.

Worked with James Bower, CEO of Numedeon, and Jen Sun, President, to develop technical proposals from Numedeon to NSF and NIH for federal R&D funding to extend the educational activities in Whyville, a children's virtual world to explore science and other STEM/STEAM areas. Proposals to NSF for math education activities were awarded funding through Phase II, and I also helped with budget development and contract negotiations. I was paid consulting fees for this work.

Worked with the Graphics and Animation team to develop technical proposals to NSF, NIH, and DoD for federal funding to support further R&D to extend their animation software into a system for educational games to support cognitive behavior rehabilitation and for cognitive testing environments. Co-designed system using strategic data modeling and AI(artificial intelligence) techniques for a close interoperability between domain knowledge, data access and virtual reality.

Contributed to proposal development and contract fulfillment for winning proposal. Wrote the technical sections proposing a novel Cognitive Testing Environment, including 3D Topographic Memory Testing, as part of SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) proposal to NIH's National Institute on Aging. Project aimed to determine relative contributions and cross co-relation of results of various cognitive tests to evaluation of cognitive status in older adults with a view to predicting Alzheimer's dementia risk. Since some tests were not readily available or had usability problems, we developed several novel computerized versions of classical tests. When the project was funded, I was assigned a subcontract to develop several new topographical memory tests including a novel version of the "four mountain" test and a virtual 3D Pond Maze that was a reinterpretation of the Morris "water maze" widely used with animals. Combined test results evaluated topographical memory in older adults. The designed tests were implemented by team member Sam Washburn using 3D modeling and animation in the Unity Game Development Environment. I designed and led the development of these tests, their online user training with embedded interactive examples from the tests, and a simple browser application to collect demographics and keep track of these and other testing scores. The software was successfully used in a small clinical trial conducted by Biomedical Dev Corp psychologists and medical researchers. We reported our work and results in these publications: Previc, F.H., Krueger, W.W., Ross R.A., Roman, M.A. and G. Siegel. 2014. The relationship between vestibular function and topographical memory in older adults. Frontiers of Integrative Neuroscience 8:46; Previc, F.H., Ross, R.A., and G. Siegel. 2019. The relationship between measures of topographical memory and nontopographical function in older adults. Journal of Neurophysiology and Rehabilitation.

Developed R&D plan. Analyzed federal procurement opportunities and created a number of “white papers” for internal use in proposal development. Completed and submitted four SBIR research proposals from Learnitec to the Department of Defense including two that won research funding: Office of Naval Research (awarded August 2006) to extend SCORM standards for online learning environments to include intelligent tutoring with online learner modeling; Air Force Research Office (awarded March 2007) to develop a software framework and tools for research decision support in medical informatics to support clinical trials of in vitro diagnostics.

Information technology and learning technology contracting manager. With the loss of federal R&D funding, RCR had turned to local contracting. Listed with the State of Wisconsin, prepared bids for their announcements and also for those of private companies. Won three contracts with the State of Wisconsin and five with private companies. Managed the contracts for RCR employees as well as my own. Contracts that I personally filled included the enhancement of MySQL databases and user interfaces (in Perl) for Carnival Cruise user website; Unix systems support for Alliant Energy and development of intranet Website with real-time monitoring of distributed data communications devices; GIS mapping of dairy herd data for Hoards Dairyman; Web interfaces to IBM 3270 screens for ClientSoft; database design for State of Wisconsin (BCPL-Public Lands) completing the requirements, data model and initial design of Oracle tables for a Forest Management System. Also assisted in R&D proposal development for the Instructional Materials Center (Milwaukee) to NIH; internal R&D proposal development to DARPA and NSF

Consultant on learning system standards, learning object metadata standards and translation, repository technologies. The focus of my work was to investigate how technologies based on subfields of artificial intelligence (AI) such as intelligent tutoring systems, intelligent testing systems, intelligent system composition and documentation, intelligent databases, and natural language processing could be integrated with and leverage SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) metatdata which has been used as a standard for online education in the DoD and other federal agencies. I helped evaluate and compare several course management systems (Blackboard, Desire2Learn, WebCT), created typology of online courses and helped develop research and infrastructure development proposals to the National Science Foundation and U.S. Departments of Labor, Commerce and Education.

Information Systems Consultant(Unix, Oracle) placed at Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer. As part of the Procurement Systems section of Information Systems, I worked on a large expert system that included over 100 Oracle database tables and daily knowledge-based (AI) processing of data that was then used for data analytics by the meat procurement analysts to guide weekly procurement decision making. I was also assigned tasks as needed in interface design, screen and web software development, database redesign, system test, defect removal, and user documentation.

Senior Instructor (IBM WebSphere, Java, XML, Javascript). This was full-time direct hire (50-60 instructing hours per week plus much travel time). Traveling every week, especially from a small city without a major airport with direct flights, became too exhausting and I decided to change back to local projects. But it was an interesting experience.

In 1998, I started working with Neurological Associates on a set of new proposals that would use artificial intelligence techniques including intelligent data modeling and cognitive task analysis to create AI-based cognitive rehabilitation for persons who had suffered brain injury. One of these was funded by and completed for the US Department of Education(ED/OSERS) in 1999. This grant funded our research to develop web-based environments using 2D and 3D interactive graphics for cognitive and vocational rehabilitation after brain injury or stroke. The development of the Virtual Job Explorer (VJE) included cognitive task analysis, data modeling, database design, and design of an intelligent database-driven “coach” as well as cognitive task simulation and evaluation. Related internal development also included the design and creation of a clinical data management system for neurological testing. I personally created much of the content of the VJE and also designed interactive online forms for evaluation by rehabilitation clients and as well as forms for therapists.Also developed sample curricula and lesson content for game-based learning activities in Earth Science (DOE), an interactive lab manual for undergraduate geoscience courses (NSF), an interactive calculus course (NSF), an interactive system to evaluate pilot alertness and situational awareness(USAF), an interactive ethics course for NCOs(ARMY), a Web 2.0 based lessons-learned exchange for Army officers(ARMY), an interactive music enrichment course for special education students (ED), K12 science education activities demonstrating effects of seatbelt use (DOT), information fusion technologies for command and control in Air Operations Centers (USAF).

Created proposals, negotiated and administered contracts/grants, managed R&D, and filed reports as required for RCR. I wrote and submitted twelve full research proposals from RCR to federal agencies and six RCR subcontract proposals to accompany proposals from firms such as Orbital Technologies, Instructional Materials Depot and Cybernet. Also helped these firms write their other proposals. RCR won three SBIR research and development Phase I awards directly and a fourth as a subcontract to Cybernet Systems’ NASA SBIR award (1991). Descriptions of the directly funded projects follow:RCR’s EarthLab Learning Environment Project was funded in 1994 by a US Dept. of Energy research grant to develop an interactive learning environment for K-12 Earth Science education. In 1995 an adaptable digital library was added for earth science education and science reading improvement. I helped design the online curriculum and wrote a number of the lessons at three levels of difficulty. In 1996 the US Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) awarded RCR an SBIR research contract to fund our proposed knowledge-based geo-statistics capabilities in GIS systems.

Served on Computing Policy Committee, managed student employees, developed two instructional labs including proposal writing to NSF for funding, technology acquisition and vendor negotiations. Created IT architecture; installed, configured, and maintained Unix file servers and weather data management software and networks; Unix systems programming across many computers; developed instructional computing to leverage scientific visualization in AOS courses. Wrote technical specifications for research proposals. Created a network-based instructional system to allow students to manipulate, display, and archive weather data. Redesigned data ingestion, storage and access systems to better serve departmental instruction and research activities. Set up AOS's first Web server; trained instructors and graduate teaching assistants in HTML and instructional use of the web.

Designed, created, tested databases and software (Oracle, SQL+, C, Unix shell script job submission) to implement and support information systems for American Paging's wristwatch pagers (accounting/billing, sales reporting, inventory, customer information and comment follow-up). In Telephone Network Operations, converted a set of legacy COBOL programs from file access to Oracle database access and created new COBOL programs as needed in the areas of trouble calls and maintenance scheduling. For U.S. Cellular, developed Quality Assurance standards and testing procedures for client/server CIS and Billing system in a Unix environment while working closely with users to evaluate the software and identify defects. Retested after defect removal.

Led development of several SVL research proposals for Federal (NIH, NSF, DOE) and for Texas Research Funding support. Basic research areas: application of artificial intelligence (AI) to data visualization and visual computing, architectures for distributed computing(DS); knowledge-based environments(KBE) for scientific visualization; human-computer interface design and usability assessment (HCI, CHI, UI/UX); intelligent database design for brain-mapping; and mechanisms for Computer Supported Cooperative Work(CSCW), intelligent software version control (VC) and intelligent hypermedia system configuration management(CM). Led design team for VUE (Visual Understanding Environment) that created a knowledge-based layer to bring AI into the OSI 7-layer protocol for which standards were being defined at the time [I was member of the OSI standards dev group]. This approach, accommodation of artificial intelligence within the protocol [mostly at layer 7 but possibly a bit in layers 5 and 6] would have embedded artificial intelligence within a network architecture for knowledge and data visual communication to ensure quality and interoperability among distributed UNIX and Windows nodes {see my TAMU tech reports on VUE listed in my pubs]. I also took care of all unix system administration and network management for the Unix, Macintosh, and Windows systems in the Visualization Lab including setup and updates for first generation PIXAR, NeXTs, and Suns. [1987-1989 was an exciting time!]

Taught lab based programming courses in C and Unix programming, data structures and program logic development to undergraduate computer science students. Developed and maintained testing data sets for evaluating accuracy of student programs (DEC VAX-11/780 - Unix).

Worked with a research team on advanced computing technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Generation (NLG), Expert Systems (ES), . Main focus was on intelligent graphical and language interfaces to relational databases, natural language generation from database queries, and AI supported ADA programming environment for some military projects. Co- developed database/information architectures, evaluated usability, and co-developed research proposals to DoD (DARPA) and DOE (with Argonne National Labs). Co-designed object-oriented (Objective C) graphical query database interface (AQUILA) and a knowledge-based visual program development environment (for C and Ada). Developed a Gould corporate relational database for financial planning (Ingres) to test AQUILA.

Consulting systems analyst and programmer/analyst. Developed a programming standards manual; completed analysis and data modeling, designed, implemented and tested database retrieval software in Natural to access ADABAS databases and generate a series of Admissions reports for Registration & Records; and led a programming team to develop NIU Foundation Accounting/Receipting System including user documentation and training.

Taught courses in computer programming (BASIC, COBOL, RPG), systems operation, data structures, and educational computing for teachers.

Projects included technical writing, training, systems analysis, and software testing. Developed application for Student Loans Receivable automating procedures to comply with Federal regulations. Created user training materials, short courses and workshops; helped managers write "requests for proposal"; assessed vendor products and bids.

Taught Freshman English courses that included analysis of selected readings from a variety of genres, instruction in rhetoric, and evaluation and coaching of English composition techniques.

Taught French and English grades 9- 12. Courses included French I, French II, English Literature and American Literature. As yearbook sponsor coached students working on the yearbook as they wrote and edited articles for the yearbook.

Taught courses in Algebra, General Math, and Senior (pre-calculus) Math