Don Millard
Dr. Millard is the director of the Mobile Studio project [1] and the co-developer of the Mobile Studio project's IOBoard. In 1999 he started thinking about a way to enable students to perform experiments anytime, anyplace—specifically experiments that use an oscilloscope, function generator, digital control, and some form of power supply. He started the Mobile Studio project by looking at commercially available solutions, which were prohibitively expensive, and he wanted to involve students in bringing the project’s vision to reality. Jason Coutermarsh, then a student at Rensselaer, joined the project in the summer of 2004 and developed a complete functional input/output board (IOBoard) hardware/software prototype.[2] With the support of several technology companies and the National Science Foundation, the Mobile Studio Project is now being utilized to enhance science, math, engineering and technology education around the world.[3]
He currently directs the Academy of Electronic Media [4] at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), which specializes in the development and use of engaging interactive electronic media and educational technology. The Academy's developments have won a number of national awards, such as the distinguished 2003 Premier Award for Excellence in Engineering Education Courseware.
Life
Born in Chicago, Illinois to Harold and Shirley Millard on November 28, 1955, Don grew up in Skokie, Illinois and began playing guitar at age 10. He traveled with the musical group Up With People in 1973-1974, after which he attended college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). He obtained a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from WPI and attended graduate school at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), in Troy, NY. He did his doctoral work in the areas of plasma physics and electrical testing; generating a patent for the development of a laser-induced, plasma-based "Non-Contact Electrical Pathway," which is used to functionally test ultra fine-pitch electrical components.
He first joined RPI as an Instructor in 1983 (while a graduate student) and began teaching courses and performing manufacturing related research within the school of engineering. Prior to joining the university, he spent two years as a biomedical engineer at Veteran's Administration Hospital in Albany, NY; two years involved with cardiac monitor design at Electronics for Medicine, in Sudbury, MA.
During his many years at RPI, he served as an award-winning faculty member of the Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering Department; while having several administrative roles. He has been a member of Rensselaer's Center for Integrated Electronics (including five years as the director); served as assistant director of the Design and Manufacturing Institute, and was a senior project manager for the Center for Manufacturing Productivity and Technology Transfer. He currently teaches courses involving Circuits, Electronics, Engineering Design and Multimedia Development.
Music
He has continued his involvement in music, often playing in various bands (e.g. Carriage House, Deuce) and serving as a studio guitarist for other artists. He has written a number of songs and has compiled them in an album that is titled "Alternatives." A number of his songs have been available via the internet since the mid-90's and have been used in a variety of his multimedia performances.