Robert W. Hecht

 

Education                   (All degrees earned at the University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois)

 

            B. S. -  Degree in Electrical Engineering, 1965 (with honors)

            M. S. - Degree in Electrical Engineering, 1967 (Thesis - Storage Allocation Module For A Time Sharing System.)

            Ph.D. - Degree in Electrical Engineering, January, 1972.

 

Dissertation

R. W. Hecht, "Algorithms For Min-Max Problems In Hilbert Spaces," Report R-548, Coordinated Science Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, January, 1972.

 

Dissertation Abstract

 

The problem considered is the minimization of a functional in Hilbert spaces, where the functional being considered is the maximum of a set of N functionals for each point in the Hilbert space.  Two algorithms are presented.  One is a gradient, or steepest-descent, method.  The other is a Newton-Raphson method.  It is shown that the two algorithms are to be used together.  The steepest-descent method is to be used first and then the Newton-Raphson method.  To use the Newton-Raphson method, convexity is assumed.  Both the theoretical and the numerical aspects of the algorithm are discussed.

 

Dissertation Advisors

 

Formal Advisor: William R. Perkins

Other Faculty Consultants: J. Medanic (Authority in Min-Max Theory), J.B. Cruz, Jr. and P. Kokotovic.

 

Professional Experience

 

            1991-1992                   Contracted with the United States Navy to design an advanced radar antenna.

 

            1988-Present               Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at California State University Fresno, Fresno, California.  Teaching undergraduate Electrical Engineering classes and laboratories.  Subjects taught include:  Electromagnetic Field Theory, Signals and Systems, Control Theory, Communication Theory, and a Transmission Line and Microwave Laboratory.

 

            Summer 1989              Consultant for Integrated Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Designed a microwave system which simultaneously and independently measures both electric (E) fields and magnetic (H) fields and their relative phases.  This system operates from 10 MHz to 10 GHz.

 

            1979-1988                   Staff Engineer in the Guidance and Performance Analysis

Department, Missile Systems Group, Hughes Aircraft Company, Canoga Park, California.  Responsible for modeling the radar and the threat environment for use in three and/or six degree of freedom (6-DOF) trajectory simulations and for providing hardware and/or software solutions to a variety of threat situations.  Worked on AMRAAM, Phoenix, and WASP missiles.  Some typical assignments included modeling glint for AMRAAM and WASP and developing an algorithm to minimize its effects.  Developed a radar clutter model for use in the three and six DOF's.  Designed a Kalman angle tracker for Phoenix missile.  Designed a hardware and software invention to solve a secret threat scenario.

 

            1977-1979                   Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.  Taught undergraduate and graduate Electronic Engineering courses and laboratories and was student course advisor and senior and graduate student project advisor.

 

            1974-1977                   Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Technology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.  Developed and taught junior and senior Electrical Engineering Technology courses and laboratories and was student course advisor and senior project advisor.

 

            1973-1974                   Control Systems Analyst at Sargent and Lundy Engineers, Chicago, Illinois.  Developed mathematical models of the various analog control systems used in nuclear and fossil fuel electric power plants.  These models were part of a transient analysis program of a power plant.  Also, performed qualitative analysis of malfunctioning control systems.

 

            1972-1973                   Postdoctoral Fellow at the Energy and Environmental Systems

Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois.  Worked on the Argonne Airport Vicinity Air Pollution Program.  Developed major modifications to Gaussian Plume Dispersion Model used in this project.  Evaluated the model using data gathered at both O'Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois, and Orange County Airport, Orange County, California.  Using this verified model, analyzed various pollution control strategies to assess environmental impact in the airport vicinity.

 

            1968-1972                   Research Assistant in the Coordinated Science Laboratory,

University of Illinois. Developed an algorithm for solving minimum-maximum problems in Hilbert spaces.  Using this algorithm, found the optimal solution to several problems where all the system variables could not be determined.

 

            1967-1968                   Research Assistant, Department of Computer Science, University

of Illinois.  Worked on Fortran IV Compiler.

 

            1965-1967                   Research Assistant, Department of Computer Science, University

of Illinois.  Worked on Time-Sharing System for Illiac III, a university-built computer.

 

            Summer 1965              Engineer at Sargent and Lundy Engineers, Chicago, Illinois. 

Worked on plans for a Transmission Line Switchyard.

 

Reports

 

            While teaching at California State University, Fresno, Dr. Hecht contracted with the Navy to design an advanced radar antenna.  His final report is :

 

Hecht, R. W., "Design of Low Side Lobe Antennas", March 1992.

 

            While teaching at California State University, Fresno, Dr. Hecht consulted for a small company during the summer of 1989, namely: Integrated Sciences, formerly of Camarillo, California and presently Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He designed a microwave system which simultaneously and independently measures both electric (E) fields and magnetic (H) fields and their relative phases.  This system operates from 10 MHz to 10 GHz.  Dr. Hecht documented this work in Appendix 7 of the final report to Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

 

Dutcher, Clinton, Ph.D., "Shield Threat Field Sensor Analysis, Phase I Final Report", July, 1989.

 

            While working at Hughes Aircraft Company, Dr. Hecht wrote numerous memos, called Interdepartmental Correspondences (IDC's).

 

            While teaching at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, Dr. Hecht presented the following conference paper:

 

R. W. Hecht, Rick Gavazza, Michael Gorman, "A Microcomputer Motor Control System," Proceedings First International Symposium on Mini- and Microcomputers in Control, San Diego, California, January, 1979.

 

            While working at Argonne National Laboratory, Dr. Hecht contributed to the following report:

 

D. M. Rote, I. T. Wang, R. W. Hecht, L. E. Wangen, R. R. Cirillo, and J. Pratapus, "Airport Vicinity Air Pollution Study", Argonne Report No. FAA-RD-73-113, Energy and Environmental Systems Division, Argonne, Illinois, August, 1973.