BS Students in the Minds and Machines Program/Lab

• Erik Abair || abaire@rpi.edu

  Erik is a freshman Computer Science/Psychology dual major with an interest in computer game programming and the role that games play in the human mind. He plans to start a game company after college and is working on a graphical MUD in his spare time. Erik spends the majority of his free time kayaking, playing paintball, or "wasting time" with computer games.

• H. Allen Adams || haadams@death-star.com adamsh@rpi.edu

  Allen is a freshman at RPI dual majoring in Computer Science and Psychology. His special interest is human/computer interaction and he hopes to design software and computer systems that real people can actually use. Along with his interest in computers, he is active in both the RPI Chorale and his church choir. To learn more about him, visit his homepage at http://wwww.rpi.edu/~adamsh.

• Keith Baker || bakerk@rpi.edu

  New experiences are what Keith is always looking for, and the Minds and Machines Program offers just that, a break from the norm. As a Computer and Systems Engineering/Psychology major, Keith will have the skills to develop new technology in the field of AI and computer/mind interaction. His goal: to make computing intuitive, easy, and less time consuming. To see Keith's already impressive online resume, visit him at www.rpi.edu/~bakerk.

• In-Young Bang || bangi@rpi.edu

  Dreamer, Sn ME concentration in Mechatronics, dual with Psych.

• Craig Bonaceto || bonacc@rpi.edu

  Craig is currently a sophomore pursuing a dual major in Computer Science and Psychology. His primary interest is in creating wholly immersive computer games with incredibly realistic artificial life. These games will cause their players to experience many emotions and force them to make decisions that challenge their moral ideals. He is also interested in making computers more accessible by improving the ways in which humans and computers interact. For example, he envisions the creation of intelligent agents that will tailor operating systems to suit individuals' personalities. Some of Craig's other interests include cars, model building, woodworking, and aviation. He claims he plays computer games not for fun but only to build up his resume.

• Paul Bello || bellop@rpi.edu

  Paul is a junior at RPI who is dual majoring in Computer and Systems Engineering and Philosophy, specifically cognitive science. His majors allow for him to integrate robotics, neural nets and AI into intelligent systems. Paul's current research is developing LISP programs to help people of all ages develop logical reasoning skills through the use of games. You can reach his homepage by clicking here.

• David Bernstein || bernsd@rpi.edu

  Dave is a junior majoring in computer science, computer systems engineering, and psychology. For the past 9 months, he has worked at AutoQuant Imaging, Inc. dealing with 3D image processing. His main interests lie in how we model minds as machines and how to improve this model.

• Jamie Bridge || bridge@rpi.edu

  Jamie Bridge is a systems programer for Computing & Informations Systems (CIS) working in the VCC as well as an undergraduate student persuing a dual Computer Science & Philosophy degree. Currently, he is in actively involved in CUSSP (Campus Unix Systems Support Program) and in the development of a Systems Administration class to expand the Computer Science curriculum. Jamie started working for Rensselaer in 1989, but left RPI during the 1995 to 1996 years to work for IBM in the area of Power Parallel Systems and Systems390 support. Jamie's webpage: http://www.rpi.edu/~bridge

• Zach Brusko || bruskz@rpi.edu

  Zach transferred to RPI from Hobart College in the fall of 1998 in search of a better Computer Science program. However, once he got here he realized that he had essentially given up some of the other areas of study he was interested in. He had for some time been interested in the mind, and how it works; basically, he'd been interested in finding out "what makes people tick." More specifically, his questions were: What makes people behave the way they do? What motivations drive certain actions, and what causes the motivations themselves? In trying to see how he could tie the search for answers to these question with his interests in computer science, Zach discovered the Minds & Machines Program and Lab. He hopes to develop computer systems that model human thought patterns and subsequent behaviors. And he believes, without getting into details, that this can be beneficial in many ways -- not just in the field of AI, but also in certain areas of psychological research.

• Edward Calejesan-Reyes || caleje@rpi.edu

  Ed is currently a freshman triple majoring in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Psychology. He likes computers because, unlike other forms of studying, he can do it for extended periods of time. Ed gets along with computers; his last one was named Bertha. He hopes to give computers true personalities. He is also interested in exploring Artificial Insanity. Extracurricular include RPI Volleyball Club, RPI Ballroom Dance team, Circle-K, and bailando merengue y salsa. ( Ed's Homepage.)

• Clarke Caporale || caporc@prodigy.net

  Clarke is a Senior Electrical Engineer/Psych major and a member of the "core four." His expertise lies in Microprocessor/Microcontroller control systems and sensor systems. In addition to doing pure research in the lab, he is also a member of the New York Army National Guard, and as such has acquired certain managerial skills necessary for dealing with many of the administrative issues in the lab.

• Eric Caraszi || carase@rpi.edu

  Eric is a freshman dual majoring in Computer Science and Psychology. He is interested primarily in the gaming aspect of Minds & Machines, driven by the prospect of his own code someday beating him at his own game. Eric grew up in Madison, Connecticut. He is currently a pledge at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. In his spare time he writes code, plays soccer and ultimate frisbee, and studies Korean Tae Kwon Do here at RPI.

• Mark Chiang || chianm@rpi.edu

  Mark is a junior at RPI, dual majoring in mechanical engineering and psychology. He is currently co-oping at United Technologies, Pratt and Whitney as a manufacturing engineer. He is interested in the ability of telepresence and its applications to enhance teaching for the future. You can reach Mark's homepage by clicking here.

• Micah Clark || clarkm4@rpi.edu

  Micah is working on the Legal Machines Project (specifically on building an intelligent agent able to take and score well on the LSAT; click here to see some of his work on the so-called Menagerie Problem in OTTER and Hyperproof), and has recently been on co-op at JPL. He is dual-majoring in Computer Science and Philosophy. You can reach his homepage by clicking here.

• Mark Cyr || cyrm@rpi.edu

  Since Mark first saw the movie Star Wars, he has been interested in building and designing robots. He is currently specifically interested in the use of fully automated or remote-controlled robots to be used in the areas of law enforcement, underwater exploration, and space exploration. Mark believes that the key to making real progress toward genuine artificial intelligence is learning. A truly intelligent robot, by his lights, should be able to write its own programs based upon information taken in by its sensors. An example would be a robot which shifted its weight in a direction until it fell, and then adjusted its program so as never to shift its weight that far again. Such small learning capabilities could become the building blocks upon which true AI can be erected.

• Michael Dawe || dawem@rpi.edu

  Michael plans to graduate in 2002 with a BS in Computer Science and Philosophy, and hopefully something in Physics as well. He joined the Minds & Machines program as a freshman to further his knowledge and interest in computer gaming and AI. Michael is a member of the Rensselyrics and proud to be a Macintosh user. His oft-out-of-date hopepage is located at: http://www.rpi.edu/~dawem.

• Dave Dombrosky || dombrd@rpi.edu

  Dave will be entering RPI in the fall of 1999 as a freshman. He is currently undecided on exactly what he will study, but will probably settle on a dual major in Computer Science and Psychology. He is very interested in the "Gaming Mind" area of Minds & Machines and hopes to someday help produce the best games on the planet. He would also like to explore ways in which to improve the use of AI in games.

• Erik Dow || dowd@rpi.edu

  Erik is captivated by the intersection of Robotics and AI. He is dual-majoring in Computer and Systems Engieering and Philosophy, with a strong emphasis on extracurricular activities. For the time being, Erik is waiting for a divine message from God to settle his position on the Logicist/Connectionist dilemma. At the moment, he is carrying out research and writing a paper concerning how AI systems might be able to solve problems on the Wechsler IQ test; Tisha Spraggins and Selmer Bringsjord are joining him in this endeavor.

• Rich Dunne || dunner@rpi.edu

  Rich Dunne is a transfer student from Westchester Community College to RPI in the fall of 1996. Originally just a Computer Science major, he decided to enter the Minds and Machines program under the Computer Science/Psychology dual major because of his interest in robotics. Althought he is currently a student at RPI, he is also working part-time for a local company called Webway. Unfortunately, he needs the money and he can't juggle too well. :( If you care to know more, please visit http://www.rpi.edu/~dunner

• Ken Eitelman || eitelk@rpi.edu

  Ken is currently a Computer Science-Psychology duall-major. He's still a freshman, so the major may change (but probably not). In the past he was a management major; now he's a management minor. He also plans to get himself a minor in the German language as well. He's a Leo, loves social gatherings, and when it comes to net games, he's THE MAN. Well, maybe in a general sense.

• Dan Fitek || fitekd@rpi.edu

  Dan is currently a sophmore majoring in IT-Psychology with a minor in Human Factors. He is interested in working with human-computer interaction, user interfaces and games. He is also a brother at Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

• Hank Freund || freunh@rpi.edu

  Hank has been programming since about 9th grade. He and his friends have hopes of starting a game programming company. Aside from "wasting" his life on the computer, he enjoys wasting his life solving the Rubik's cube and playing guitar.

• Stephane Gamard || gamars@rpi.edu

  Stephane is a CS/psychology dual major. He believes that computers will eventually be as rational and intelligent as humans because at bottom, as he sees it, there isn't much difference between the two -- it's just that one is 100% organic and the other is 100% synthetic. By his lights, eventually we will be able to "reconstruct" the marvelous network of our brain in synthetic material.

• Faris Gammoh || gammof@rpi.edu

  Faris is an Electrical Engineering/Psychology Dual Major. His interests lie in the area of human-computer interface, specifically in the communications research area. He aspires to continue on to the graduate level in engineering, where he hopes to integrate knowledge of cognition into intelligent communication systems, which also extends into the biomedical engineering area of cybernetics. His current work in the M&M Lab consists of designing simple cognitive robots that are integrated into the M&M first-year-studies course. He is also involved in the TeleBot project aimed at establishing a physical avatar for an instructor in a Telepresence based course.

• Jim Garretson || garrej@rpi.edu

  Jim Garretson is a freshman dual majoring in Computer Science and Psychology. He is considering writing a novel, but doubts he has the patience to dream up such things as "plot" and "character[s]." He also has a fixation on the concept of "encyclopedic programs" distributed by ISPs that can cut down on the trivial calls to tech support lines. In his spare time he's passable at Quake 3 CTF and, increasingly, C++ programming; he's also into backpacking and hiking when possible. He's not proud of his fairly extensive working knowledge of Windows, and he hopes to slowly forget it all. He gets a thrill from writing bios.

• Brian Gibson || gibsob@rpi.edu

  Hailing from the boondocks of the central coast of California, Brian "wastes" a good deal of time playing computer games; his favorites being "Crono Trigger," "Fallout," and "Deus Ex." He aslo enjoys Sci-Fi (the cheesier the better), Monty Python (being able to recite the entire holy-handgrenade bit), RPGs, and comics like "Scud" and "KODT." Brian wants to become a computer game designer, and possibly start his own company. He will be a CompSci/Psych dual major.

• J.P. Gelb || gelbj@rpi.edu

• Adam Goode || goodea@rpi.edu

  Adam is interested both in the gaming aspect of Minds and Machines as well as the human-computer interface/interaction side of things. He comes from Meriden, CT, where he was nurtured and educated for most of his life. He watched Dr. Who as a child, read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series of books in middle school, and is now a great fan of Babylon 5. He enjoys science fiction, computers, and video games, along with history, English, and philosophy. He's not too bad at in-line skating, either. See his trendy web page. Adam is a Computer Science/Psychology dual major.

• Alex Harris || harria4@rpi.edu

  Alex Harris is a meathead, but yet a smart guy. This lively 18-year-old male from San Diego Ca is at the prime of his life. He attends RPI in Troy, New York, and is aiming his college career at mastering computer programming, AI, and robotics. He lives to play ice hockey, for he is a crazy goalie. He spends his free time playing hockey, party at Pikes, hanging out with girls, and just having fun. Yes this freshman is one weird guy.

• Steven Hay || wintermute_77@yahoo.com

  Steven Hay will be a freshman at RPI in the Fall of 1999, dual majoring in computer science and philosophy, with study in music. It is his belief that the exploration of connections between language and computer science will result in a more "intelligent" machine. By expanding the elements of language to include the fundamental elements of music (harmony, rhythym, phrasing, theme, etc.), a different perspective on computer-thought theory can be gained. Upon graduation, Steven will become an Ensign in the US Navy.

• Sean Kelsey || hardcorestymie@hotmail.com

  Sean is a transfer student from Gateway Community Technical College in New Haven CT where he graduated in the top of my class. He grew up in the subburbs of New Haven CT, and is a Comp Sci/Psych major with the Psych portion focusing on Human Factors and Human Computer Interface. Sean got his first computer 6 months before his AS in Comp Sci and is now a junior at RPI learning how to use it. He likes video games and music, and when he graduates will either become a game designer/programmer, software engineer, or a consultant.

• Brian Kimball || kimbab@rpi.edu

  Brian is a sophomore dual majoring in Computer Science and Psychology. He is interested in both AI and human-computer interaction. As a student in the Minds and Machines Program/Lab he will be able to learn more about both of these subjects in the next few years. Away from the computer, his interests include rollerblading and snowboarding. He enjoys solving problems of all kinds, whether it be logic problems, writing a program, or discovering how to beat a new computer game.

• Dustin Kirk || kirkd@rpi.edu

  Dustin Kirk of Class 2004 is obtaining a Computer Science/Psychology dual major. Coming from Custer, South Dakota, he has been a technology-crazed kid since 3rd grade and is excited about the future of robotics, human/computer interfaces, and AI. Current passions include Frisbee, Soccer, Juggling, Gaming, Programming, and of course watching the MATRIX! After college, Dustin plans on using his creativity to advance technology and make money. Find out more about this kid at: http://www.rpi.edu/~kirkd.

• Erik Klaubert || klaube@rpi.edu

  Erik is a freshman dual majoring in computer science and psychology. He has a strong interest in human/computer interaction aspect of the Minds and Machines Program. Erik grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire, and is currently involved with the Outing Club and the RPI Ambulance in which he hopes to be taking EMT training next semester. He also enjoys wasting enormous amounts of time playing video games and loves to play soccer at any conceivable time and place.

• Phil Lam || lamp2@rpi.edu

  Phil is a sophomore dual majoring in Computer Science and Psychology. He's from Albany, NY, just across the river. He is a brother at Phi Mu Delta Fraternity, and enjoys playing sports and video games.

• Wendy Leung || leungw3@rpi.edu

  Wendy Leung is in her second year at RPI studying Computer Science and Psychology. Her focus was on Computer Science and Psychology ever since Freshman year but she finally decided now to join the Minds and Machines community. Her main interest lies in programming and human factors. She is from NYC and enjoys hanging out with her friends.

• James Mccaskill || mccasj@rpi.edu

  James is a Comp Sci & Pych dual major. He's interested in programming for video games, and has been interested in games since his Atari 2600. He also enjoys watching Japanese Animation. His web page is http://www.rpi.edu/~mccasj

• Mike McGrath || mmcgrath@ix.netcom.com@rpi.edu mcgram2@rpi.edu

  Mike McGrath is a senior at RPI. He is pursuing a dual major in computer science and psychology, with an interest in the social psychology. This seems to stray from the Minds and Machines Program, but computers and machines in general are ever becoming a part of our society. Mike is also thinking of graduate school and would like to get a MS in computer science. After graduation in spring '99 he has aspirations for employment in computer programming/software engineering and especially anything involving intelligent agents and/or their impact on society.

• Don McNeil || mcneid@rpi.edu

  Donald is a freshmen Computer Science/Psychology dual major and he entered the Minds and Machines Program/Lab in order to study the interaction between software and its users.

• Noel Morin || morinn@rpi.edu

  Noel is a freshman at RPI aiming for a dual major comp sci and philosphy. He's primarily interested in the AI portion of Minds and Machines. He's currently a pledge at the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, and extracurricular activities include intramural softball, floor hockey and ice hockey. He also enjoys paintballing, and writing code in "obsolete programming styles" (his favorite C++ error).

• Jason Negrette || negrej@rpi.edu

  Jason is currently a freshman dual majoring in Computer Science and Philosophy. He is interested in the Minds and Machines Program/Lab, primarily due to it's focus on Artificial Intelligence and AI software applications. He has experience with C++ programming and Basic, and has written some applications of his own. Jason has always been interested in gaming, and has developed an interest in writing game software. Recently his interests have turned toward developing a sophisticated AI for gaming that is able to act and respond just like another human player would. This would allow for more realistic games and competitions against computer opponents.

• Joshua O'Sullivan || osullj2@rpi.edu

  Josh is a sophomore Computer Science/Psychology dual major interested in the Gaming Mind and Human Computer Interfaces. He is a Navy Midshipmen, but when not concentrating on the Navy he will be doing some of his other interests such as paint balling, skiing, SCUBA diving, precision drill, watching movies, video games, or camping.

• Birju J. Patel || patelb@rpi.edu

  Birju is a freshman dual-majoring in Computer Engineering and Psychology. Some of his interests in this field include robotics and really smart immobots (e.g., HAL9000). He wants to be involved with the building and "training" of a intelligent robot in the future. All right, enough of the nerdy stuff. In his free time (which is very limited), he roller blades, practices the martial arts, plays hockey, football, and volleyball. Along with all that he also enjoys playing video games (a lot) and likes to surf the net.

• Michael Rabbitt || rabbim@rpi.edu

  Michael is a sophomore Computer Science/Psychology dual major. He believes that computers can be used to improve the quality of human life if we keep the human being (not the computer) at the center of the picture. He hopes one day to create computer systems that will help people to learn and communicate more effectively. Michael spends most of his spare time working on the Gorgon (RPI's Art and Literary Magazine), as well as running, writing poetry, and listening to music. You can visit his website here.

• Michael Rafferty || raffem@rpi.edu

  Michael is a triple major in Computer Science/Math/Philosophy. Yes, that's right, three of them.

• Joseph Sack || josephsack@usa.net

  "Perfection is expected, excellence is tolerated." The computer is a deterministic system which does *exacatally* what you tell it to do... no room for error. Joseph is presently a Freshman on a Philosophy/Comp Sci dual major tract (possible minor in Psychology). He loves pure philosophy with a passion, and tends to forget to sleep if he gets involved in something... be it a program or a thought process. Joseph's present interests include exploring what can be determined by direct observation of one's own mind.

• Andy Shane || andy@andyland.org

  Andy is an open-minded and optimistic Computer Science/Philosophy dual-major studying in our undergraduate Minds and Machines program. "It is my intention to use my skills and experience in a team environment to repeatedly accomplish challenging and relevant goals, helping advance and apply existing and emerging areas of AI in ways not previously imagined. With open-mindedness, skill, and innovation, we can develop AI techniques and applications that will amaze our peers and easily push AI to the forefront of relevant technology within our lifetimes." Andy's web site, Andyland.org, can be found here.

• Jonathan Sheldon || sheldj@rpi.edu

  Jonathan first became interested in the Minds and Machines program through his class, "Minds and Machines." Jonathan is studying to become a computer systems engineer, and a psychologist. People look at him funny when they hear this. But he'll show them all.  Jonathan has a passion for Star Wars. It's actually more of a love affair. To read more about this marvel of the modern world, go here: www.rpi.edu/~sheldj.

• Justin Sonnekalb || ryvar@illuminatis.com

  Justin is a freshmen at RPI and a Computer Science/Psychology dual major. He is particularly interested in three areas: computer games, their effect on humans, and attempts to create machine sentience. Justin has been playing the current top-of-the-line games since the age of 3, and continues this tradition with fervor. Having spent the summer of '97 coding for Timesink, Inc.'s multiplayer Internet game, Warsport, he now divides his time between working for M&M and designing graphical artwork for his unfinished domain, illuminatis.com.

• James Sowder || sowdej@rpi.edu

  Jamie will be a freshman at RPI in August of 2000, and will be pursuing a dual major in computer science and psychology. He lives to play computer and console games, and there is nothing that he enjoys more. Well, maybe eating and sleeping. Actually, not eating, since he tends to eat only once or twice a day when game servers are up and functioning properly. He looks forward to working with AI and computer games in his future, since that is really the only aspect of gaming that has yet to be perfected. Outside of gaming, eating, and sleeping, he enjoys.. well, watching TV and videos, watching others play games, or working with others on the computer.

• Jake Stevens || stevej3@rpi.edu

  Previously an architecture major, Jake was introduced early to concepts of virtual reality and treatment of interactions in space. This exposure will hopefully be fostered through design applications in the Minds and Machines program. His architecture background provides a base for the interests he wishes to pursue in his new computer science/psychology dual major, focusing mainly on environment development, game design and related topics. Visit Jake at his creative web site, using self-taught knowledge of html and web design, at www.rpi.edu/~stevej3.

• Matt Streit || mstreit@together.net

  Matt is going to be a freshman at RPI in August and is planning on pursuing a dual major in computer science and psychology. He hopes to learn more about programming AI, robots, and virtual reality. He hopes to be able to create virtual worlds, for a more realistic approach to gaming as well as a more interactive way of surfing the 'net. His interest stems from years of computer programming and gaming.

• David Strong || strond@rpi.edu

  David is a freshman computer science/psychology dual major. He is particularly interested in the gaming and artificial intelligence aspects of the Minds and Machines program. When he isn't studying, he enjoys hiking, science fiction in all its forms, computer games, and pencil & paper role-playing games. He has a web page at http://www.rpi.edu/~strond.

• Wilson Su || suw2@rpi.edu

  Wilson is currently participating a Computer Science-Psychology dual-major in the Minds and Machines Program. He is very interested in the program because it deals with the gaming industry, which has been a passion of his for as long as he can remember. Ever since he had his Commodore 64, he has been fascinated by games in general. He is an avid gamer and is always looking for a game that both interests and challenges him. He is currently a freshman, and so his major may change; however, it does not seem likely. In the past he was a chemistry major, but upon actually attending some chemistry classes, he quickly realized that chemistry was not his thing. He then moved to the strict Computer Science major, and luckily he happened to take a course called Minds and Machines, which ultimately led him to enroll in the program of the same of the same name.

• Jeremi Sudol || sudolj@rpi.edu

  Jeremi is a sophomore Computer Science and Psychology dual major interested in Artificial Intelligence. He joined Minds and Machines with hopes of making a "creative" computer, capable of producing either original pictures or original music. Although computers are his primary interest, his life is not limited by them. He's a crazy skier, a weird photographer, a funky traveler, an interesting reader, who likes experimental films.

• Paul Swiatocha || swiatp@rpi.edu

  Paul, along with Michael, is a triple major in Computer Science/Math/Philosophy. Yes, that's right: two of them doing three of them! Paul enjoys exploring the connections between computer science and mathematics through numerical methods and computation. However, his main interests lie in the connections between computer science and philosophy: logic and artificial intelligence. He especially enjoys working with artificial systems which emulate natural systems, such as with genetic algorithms and neural networks.

• Ken Verrastro || verrak@rpi.edu

  Ken Verrastro is a freshman computer science/psychology major. He is from Waterbury, Connecticut, and is interested in the gaming/human-computer interface/interaction portion of the Minds & Machines program. He enjoys literature, computers, and playing videogames.

• Andy Visser || vissea@rpi.edu

  Andy, Class of 2002, is a Computer Science/Philosophy dual major. He sees the Minds & Machines program as the perfect way to combine two of his interests, computers and the mind. He specifically is interested in AI, an interest most traceable to HAL 9000 of 2001/2010 fame. When not studying, which is often, Andy plays baseball, tennis, and basketball, and enjoys a nice game of Quake over the internet now and then.

• Christopher Werner || cjw@ManetherenWeb.com wernec2@rpi.edu

  Chris is a freshman at RPI with 28 credits already and is planning on taking 21 credit semesters. He's pursuing a dual major in Computer Science and Psychology and hopes to maybe sneak Math and Physics in their too because he loves Theoretical Physics and Hyper Dimensionality. He is very interested in programming Video Games, AI, Robots, and Virtual Reality. His dream is to own his own software company, but he'd love to program video games just as much. He wants to be on the forefront of any new technologies that develop and would like to see Virtual Worlds filled with Artificial Agents to see how the numerous agents will interact with one another and how they'll define 'their' world. Also, he hopes to use Computer Programming to develop a Virtual World with more Spatial Dimensions than our own, to further study Hyper Dimensionality. His first computer was a Tandy Color Computer that he received when he was 3 and on which he mastered BASIC and secured his interest in programming for the rest of his life. He owns his own computer consulting firm called Manetheren Web Gurus that specializes in LAN, NT administration, and web development/consulting. The site is currently pretty sparse and is designed for the online game Archmage; it can be reached at www.ManetherenWeb.com.

• Aaron Westendorf || westea@rpi.edu

  Aaron is a sophmore and is currently pursuing a dual major in Electrical Engineering and Psychology. He came to Rensselaer on the Science and Math Medal Scholarship, and the Alumni Scholarship, and was salutatorian in his graduating high school class. He plans to research artificial intelligence in robots upon graduation, with the goal of creating an artificial life. He enjoys programming and reading, and spends much of his time listening to live music of his favorite band, Phish. At present he is carrying out a research project called Dynamic Music and the Gaming Mind. Home page: http://www.rpi.edu/~westea.

• Jason Wodicka || wodicj@rpi.edu

  An entering freshman at RPI in the fall of 1999, Jason is an avid strategy game player, internet addict, and proud to be a geek. He aspires to develop more intuitive ways for people to communicate through computers, and more intelligent computers to aid in communication. That, or write the next hit video game. Money also wouldn't hurt. He can be reached via his obsessively-checked inbox at wodicj@rpi.edu anytime.

• Michael Yatsevitch || yatsem@rpi.edu

  Michael is a freshman Computer Science/Psychology dual major. He hopes to learn more about 3D programming, Creative Agents, and Gaming AI. In the future he would like to work in some segment of the computer entertainment industry. HIs interests in this field probably stems from watching sci-fi movies (mainly Star Wars and 2001), and from countless hours of video/computer games. This interest was strengthened by attending the Minds & Machines Public Lecture Series (and associated M&M class) which he found to be very exciting.