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Dr. Yanjun Yan

Bio

Dr. Yan obtained her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology, China. Her M.S. project was a collaboration between Harbin Institute of Technology and Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan, and she lived in Nara (the old capital city located between Osaka and Kyoto) when she worked on her M.S. thesis. She then went to Syracuse University and obtained both a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. degree in Applied Statistics. She worked at ARCON Corp. in Boston for a bit more than three years before she joined Western Carolina University as an assistant professor in Fall 2013.

Curriculum Vitae

Research

  • Swarm robotics and swarm intelligence (such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO))
  • Prognostics and diagnostics, such as in wind energy systems
  • Statistical signal processing, applied in detection and estimation, tracking, fusion, wireless communications, and pattern recognition
  • Engineering education

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Awards

  • 2018-2019, WCU Faculty Scholarship and Creative Activities Award, 2nd time, one of five recipients per year at WCU.
  • 2017-2018, the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) Board of Governors Distinguished Teaching Award, one recipient per year at CET.
  • Spring 2018, WCU Coulter Endowment Grant on COACHE and Faculty Fit Project.
  • 2016-2017, the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) Distinguished Research and Scholarly Engagement Award, one recipient per year at CET.
  • Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2016, WCU Provost’s Internal Funding Support Grant.
  • 2015-2016, WCU Hunter Scholar Award, one recipient per year at WCU. See Hunter’s Clarion Newsletter Page 6.
  • 2014-2015, the Kimmel School Outstanding Early-Career Faculty Award, one recipient per year at Kimmel School (renamed to be CET now).
  • 2014-2015, WCU Faculty Scholarship and Creative Activities Award, 1st time, one of five recipients per year at WCU.

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Publications (Published and Accepted)

The copyright of each article belongs to the corresponding copyright holder.
2019:

2018:

2017:

2016:

2015:

2014:

2013 and Earlier:

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Students

Graduate Advisees:

On Thesis Committees of other Graduate Students:

Capstone Teams:

  • 2019-2020: “Revising the Kilobot for Large-Scale Shape Formation”, sponsored by Dr. Yanjun Yan.
    • Riley Ward (EE)
    • Ryan Kozak (ECET)
    • Colby Shope (ECET)
  • 2018-2019: “Automated Inventory Cycle Counting”, sponsored by Continental Auto.
    • Scott Herrick (ECET)
    • Ruslan Kram (EE)
    • Yang Xiong (EE)
    • Robert Hendrik (ET)
    • Tyler Mitchell (ET)
  • 2018-2019: “Shape Formation Using Kilobots”, sponsored by Dr. Yanjun Yan.
    • Sinjon Stringfellow (ECET)
    • Marshall Murphy (EE)
  • 2017-2018: “Self-Assembly and Self-Disassembly for Shape Formation Using Kilobots and AERobots”, sponsored by Dr. Yanjun Yan.
    • Lai Lee (ECET)
    • Griffin Kenneydy (EE)
  • 2016-2017: “PLI Cards Tool Punch Count System – Tagging/Reader System”, sponsored by PLI Cards, Asheville, NC.
    • Moua Lor (ECET)
    • Suliman Algfary (EE)
    • Ahmed Alghamdi (EE)
  • 2016-2017: “Collective Behavior of Swarm Robotics Using Kilobots”, sponsored by Dr. Yanjun Yan.
    • William Honeycutt (ECET)
    • Jason LaQuerre (ECET)
    • Brandon Letchworth (EE)
  • 2015-2016: “Barrett’s Map – Development of Reliable Image Mapping of the Esophagus for Pre-Cancer ID”, sponsored by Philip Stack, MD, Sylva NC
    • Jordan Joseph (EE)
    • Jonathan Powers (EE)
  • 2014-2015: “Automated Eye Drop Dispenser”, sponsored by Medical Tool and Technology, Florida.
    • Adam Huggins (ECET)
    • John Gosnell (ET)
    • Josh Wahl (ET)
  • 2013-2014: “Vacuum Leak Detection for Cancer Fixation Bags”, sponsored by Shands Hospital, Florida.
    • Ryan Smith (ECET)
    • William Kimsey (ET)
    • Paul Jagannati (EE)
Undergraduate Student Researchers:
 

  • 2018-2020: Jesse Sarver (NSF LEARN Alum)
  • 2018-2021: James Nelson (Honors College)
  • 2018: Mariah Dunn (NSF LEARN Scholar)
  • 2015-2019: Matthew Hill (NSF SPIRIT Scholar)
  • 2015-2016: Zachary Frizzell and Jacob Spurling (NSF SPIRIT Scholars)

Honors Contracts that are successfully finished:
 

  • Fall 2018: ENGR199 (Introduction to Engineering Practices and Principles I):
    • James Nelson, on “Touchboard projects”
  • Spring 2018: ENGR402 (System Dynamics & Control):
    • Matthew Hill, on “Control system parameter tuning using the fireworks algorithm”
  • Spring 2017: EE200 (Computer Utilization):
    • Oliver Adcox, on “GUI creation to calculate resistance of a resistor network”
  • Spring 2016: EE200 (Computer Utilization):
    • Dylan Shook, on “Generating control charts in Matlab/Octave”
    • Charles Detweiler, on “Visual display for triboelectric nanogenerator research”
  • Spring 2015: ECET242 (Electronic Circuits):
    • Wesley Dixon, on “DC to AC conversion using a 555 timer”
    • Moua Lor, on “Darlington pair composite transistor analysis and experiments”
  • Fall 2014, ECET231 (Circuit Analysis I):
    • Bryson Shannon, on “Light alarm built with photoresistor and Arduino board”
    • Moua Lor, on “Theoretical analysis and experimental measurements of resistor network with an LED and a potentiometer”
  • Fall 2014, EE200 (Computer Utilization):
    • Moua Lor, on “Simulating LED lighting of robots when approached by various number of objects”
  • Spring 2014, EE200 (Computer Utilization):
    • Ashley Fisher, on “integration approximation” and “naughty bunnies”
    • Bryson Shannon, on “conducting student survey with extensive analysis of the actual survey results”
    • Rachel Shinskie, on “GUI construction to solicit user input and plot 3D shapes”
    • Derrick Miller, on “resistance calculation of a resistor network”
    • Jesse Curtis, on “various unit conversion”

Teaching & Advising

Next advising day (Oct 29, 2019):

  • The most preferred way to make an appointment is to click the Advising Campaign link in the email that Dr. Yan send you.
  • Or, you can make appointments at gradesfirst.wcu.edu, or go to myWCU and select Advising/Tutoring.
  • Follow the steps on how to make an appointment.

Current office hours:

You can plan your next semester’s schedule by exploring the list of classes at:

You can find a suggested eight-semester plan by clicking on the appropriate link for your major:

You also need to satisfy liberal studies requirement (Core and Perspective):

You could substitute some introductory engineering courses and liberal arts courses:

Other helpful information:

The courses that I have taught or am teaching:

  • Undergraduate Courses:
    • ECET 211 Digital Integrated Circuit Lab
    • ECET 231 Circuit Analysis I
    • ECET 242 Electronic Circuits
    • ECET 321 Circuit Analysis II
    • ECET 464 Instrumentation
    • EE 200 Computer Utilization
    • ENGR 199 Introduction to Engineering Practices and Principles I.  Fall 2018 photo/video link
    • ENGR 365 Global Engineering and Technology
    • ENGR 402 System Dynamics and Control
    • ENGR 493 Special topics on Arduino Programming
  • Graduate Courses:
    • ET 593 Special topics on Digital Image Processing
    • ET 593 Special topics on Technical Problem Solving
    • ET 593 Special topics on Data Acquisition and LabVIEW Programming
    • ET 644 Advanced Digital Signal Processing
    • ET 645 Random Variables, Signals and Waveforms

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Services

Serving in Technical Program Committees

  • International Conference on Information Fusion 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010
  • SSIAI (IEEE Southwest Symposium on Image Analysis and Interpretation), 2018, 2016
  • SDPC (International Conference on Sensing, Diagnostics, Prognostics, and Control) 2018, 2017
  • IEEE ICPHM (IEEE International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management) 2018, 2017, 2016
  • ANTS (International Conference on Swarm Intelligence) 2016, 2014
  • ICCAIS 2015 (The International Conference on Control, Automation and Information Sciences)
  • I4CT 2015 (International Conference on Computer, Communications, and Control Technology)
  • VTC 2014-Spring (Vehicular Technology Conference) and VTC 2012-Spring
  • ICMCE 2014 (International Conference on Mechanics and Control Engineering)
  • BDM (Biological inspired techniques for data mining) workshop in PAKDD, 2013, 2011
  • On Multi-media Communications Networks in the Session of Sensor Networks & Distributed Computation in the Complex Adaptive Systems Conference, 2011
  • WAC 2008 (IADIS International Conference on Wireless Applications and Computing 2008)

Reviewer for Journals

  • IEEE Transactions on Reliability (TR)
  • IEEE Transactions on Image Processing (TIP)
  • Journal of Electronic Imaging by IS&T and SPIE (JEI)
  • Soft Computing Journal
  • Swarm Intelligence Journal
  • International Journal of Prognostics and Health Management (IJPHM)
  • IEEE Transactions on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence (TPAMI)
  • IEEE Sensors Journal
  • Machine Vision and Applications Journal
  • IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing (TSP)
  • IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics & Security (TIFS)
  • IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems (TAES)
  • IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid
  • IEEE Communications Letters
  • Optical Engineering
  • International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics
  • International Journal of Signal and Imaging Systems Engineering
  • International Journal of Image and Graphics
  • International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks

Reviewer Manager or Reviewer for Other Conferences

  • North American Power Symposium (NAPS) 2017
  • Asia Pacific Conference of the Prognostics and Health Management Society 2017
  • IEEE SouthEastCon 2017
  • PHM Conference (International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management) 2015, 2011, 2010, 2009
  • European Conference of the Prognostics and Health Management Society 2014
  • ACC (American Control Conference) 2014
  • IEEE WCNIS2010-Communication Theory and Signal Processing 2010
  • GC’09-WNS (IEEE GlobeCom Conference 2009 Wireless Networking Symposium)
  • SIS 2008 (IEEE Swarm Intelligence Symposium Conference) 2008

WCU Campus Service

  • WCU Faculty-led Committee, 2016-2019
  • WCU Council on Inclusive Excellence, 2018-2019
  • WCU Liberal Studies Committee, 2016-2019
  • WCU Graduate Council, 2017-2022
  • WCU Institutional Review Board, 2018-2021
  • WCU International Faculty and Staff Council, 2017-2019
  • WCU Math Tutoring Center’s Assessment Team, 2017
  • University Budget Committee, 2016-2017
  • University NSB Planning: Pedagogy Committee, 2016-2017
  • WCU CET Strategic Direction Taskforce, 2016-2017
  • Department Scholarship Coordinator, 2014-2019
  • WCU First Year Experience (FYE) Cabinet, 2015-2017
  • WCU One Book Selection Committee, 2014-2016
  • Department Peer Review of Teaching Materials committee, 2013-2016
  • Department Collegial Review Document Committee, 2015-2016
  • Provost Office’s Student Community Ethics Committee, 2013-2016
  • Kimmel School Dean’s Advisory Committee, 2015-2017
  • Kimmel School Technology Advisory Committee, 2014-2016
  • University Scholarship Committee, 2013-2014, 2017-2018

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