3/12/98
ATHENS, Ohio -- James M. Rankin, professor and chair of electrical engineering at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., has been named director of Ohio University's Avionics Engineering Center. He took over the position in December.
Rankin has spent the last 20 years doing avionics research in academic and industrial settings. In addition to his tenure at St. Cloud State University, Rankin also operated his own avionics consulting company, Karanna Systems Plus. Through that company, he helped develop a graduate program in avionics systems engineering for Iowa State University and Rockwell International. Prior to that experience, he was an avionics designer for Rockwell's Collins Avionics Division in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
While at St. Cloud State University, Rankin's research interests included Kalman filtering, control systems, digital signal processing and systems engineering. He also has been the principal investigator on an air traffic controller workstation that featured voice-recognition.
"Jim brings the center a background that is appropriate for leading the center into the next century," says Richard McFarland, the center's director emeritus and chief engineer.
Rankin is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Institute of Navigation, Air Traffic Control Association and American Society of Engineering Educators. He holds a private pilot's certificate with instrument rating.
His research activities have included several NASA-funded projects and his professional honors include two summer faculty fellowships sponsored by NASA and the American Society of Engineering Educators.
"I had heard good things about the program and personnel at the center," says Rankin, explaining his attraction to the Ohio University avionics center. "It has a worldwide reputation."
The Avionics Engineering Center, founded by McFarland in 1963, conducts research in the areas of navigation, landing systems and radio frequency interference. Since its creation, the center has received more than $20 million in research contracts from national and international agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Modeling, simulation and ongoing research in instrument landing systems, microwave landing systems, global positioning systems, and radio frequency interference will remain the main focus of the center, Rankin says, adding that he also hopes to conduct research in airport surface movement and guidance.
Rankin succeeds Robert W. Lilley, who retired from Ohio University after 35 years of service and now is employed by Illgen Simulation Technologies in California.