Researcher to entrepreneur: Professor launches virtual lab platform for computing research and education
What started as a way for an Arizona State University professor to help enhance lab access to his students has launched into an entrepreneurial venture to improve hands-on computer science education and research capabilities worldwide.
When Associate Professor Dijiang Huang first joined the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering in 2005, a physical laboratory with 20 computers was a workable solution for hands-on computer networking and cybersecurity coursework for around 20 students. As enrollment rapidly increased over the next few years and cybersecurity interest grew among computer science and engineering students, a physical lab was no longer feasible. There was no way for an instructor to schedule lab time for more than 100 students in one class each working on five lab projects per semester, nor was there a way to keep a large enough lab equipped and maintained.
Researcher to entrepreneur: Professor launches virtual lab platform for computing research and education
What started as a way for an Arizona State University professor to help enhance lab access to his students has launched into an entrepreneurial venture to improve hands-on computer science education and research capabilities worldwide.
When Associate Professor Dijiang Huang first joined the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering in 2005, a physical laboratory with 20 computers was a workable solution for hands-on computer networking and cybersecurity coursework for around 20 students. As enrollment rapidly increased over the next few years and cybersecurity interest grew among computer science and engineering students, a physical lab was no longer feasible. There was no way for an instructor to schedule lab time for more than 100 students in one class each working on five lab projects per semester, nor was there a way to keep a large enough lab equipped and maintained.