Professor Room 6010 Jonsson Engineering Center Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York 12180 Tel: (518) 276-6314 Fax: (518) 276-6261 E - Mail: jennings@ecse.rpi.edu Home Page: http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/homepages/jennings

Departments:

Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering

Education:

Ph.D., 1969, Rensselaer

Research Interests:

Plasmas, Lasers and Microwaves.

Dr. William C. Jennings joined the Rensselaer faculty in 1969 following receipt of his Ph.D in Electrical Engineering, also from Rensselaer. He has been an active researcher in the development of heavy ion beam probe plasma diagnostic techniques for measuring space potential, density and fluctuation phenomena in magnetically confined, fusion-oriented plasmas for over 25 years. He has participated in the design, development and operation of diagnostic systems which have been installed in such major laboratories as UTRC, LLNL, ORNL and UT-Austin. Dr. Jennings served as Associate Dean of the Graduate School for 1983-1987 and was appointed Rensselaer's first Dean of Continuing Education in 1987. He led the effort to launch a major new initiative in distance learning, now known as the Rensselaer Satellite Video Program (RSVP). RSVP received the award for the Best Distance Learning Program-Higher Education for 1993 from the United States Distance Learning Association and Teleconference Magazine.. Dr. Jennings added the additional responsibilities of Vice Provost for Computing & Information Technology in 1989. He coordinated the activities of academic computing, administrative computing, telecommunications and the Rensselaer Libraries, in addition to distance learning and traditional continuing education programs, from 1989-1994. He was instrumental in launching a major campus-wide initiative in Interactive Learning. He assumed his position as Department Chair for Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering (ECSE) in September, 1994. He is currently concentrating on revitalizing the undergraduate curricula, developing professional Master's programs, strengthening the MS/PhD program and developing a strategic plan for faculty renewal which will lead ECSE into the 21st century.

Professor Jennings is actively involved with the Interactive Learning Module research project with Professors Art Sanderson and Don Millard which is developing multimedia-based educational materials for electronics and electronics manufacturing. He is also actively involved with the Circuits/Electronics Studio Project which is developing new studio versions of the introductory circuits and electronics courses, to be taught in a new facility that will integrate the learning of concepts and practical skills.

"Performance of an Electrostatic Energy Analyzer in the Presence of Intense Ultraviolet Radiation", J. Mathew, W.C. Jennings, R.L. Hickok, G.A. Hallock, and K.A. Connor, IEEE Trans. Plasma Science, PS-13, 45 (1985)

"Comparison of Radial Potential Profile Measured in a Tokamak to Predictions of Stochastic Magnetic Field Theory", P.M. Schoch, R.L. Hickok, and W.C. Jennings, Phys. Rev. Letters, 55, 2417 (1985)

"TEXT Heavy Ion Beam Probe System", P.M. Schoch, J.C. Forster, W.C. Jennings and R.L. Hickok, Rev. Sci. Inst., 57, 1825 (1986)

"Space Potential Distribution in the ISX-B Tokamak", G.A. Hallock, W.C. Jennings, R.L. Hickok, A.J Wootton and R.C. Isler, Phys. Rev. Letters, 56, 1248 (1986)

"Study of Density and Potential Fluctuations in the TEXT Tokamak with a Heavy Ion Beam Probe", J.C. Forster, P.M. Schoch, W.C. Jennings and R.L. Hickok, IEEE Trans. Plasma Science, PS-22, 359 (1994)