Students walking along Ho Plaza
Duffield Hall at sunset.
Woman taking a photo of a mumified bird
Two students working on a autonomous plane
Two students walking on Engineering Quad towards Duffield

K-Y Daisy Fan

Senior Lecturer
Computer Science

Biography

Dr. Daisy Fan teaches in the areas of programming, scientific computing, and optimization. Her co-authored book, “Insight Through Computing: A MATLAB Introduction to Computational Science and Engineering,” is a culmination of years of teaching programming and scientific computing using MATLAB, Java, and Lego MindStorms robotics. Fan’s interests include collaborative learning methodologies and technologies in computer science and engineering education, application of systems-analysis techniques for water resources and environmental problems, and development of numerically efficient optimization methods for engineering applications. Problems she has investigated include optimal control of multiple-reservoir operation using stochastic dynamic programming and river basin water quality management.

Dr. Fan was selected to attend the National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium in 2014. She is the recipient of the Michael Tien ’72 Excellence in Teaching Award (2019), the Kendall S. Carpenter Memorial Advising Award (2016), the Douglas Whitney ’61 Excellence in Teaching Award (2011), the Zellman Warhaft Commitment to Diversity Award (2008), and the Cornell Society of Engineers Achievement Award (2004). Fan obtained her Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering at Cornell University (2002). She was a research scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria (1995).

Research Interests

My interests include collaborative learning methodologies and technologies in computer science and engineering education, application of systems-analysis techniques for water resources and environmental problems, and development of numerically efficient optimization methods for engineering applications. Problems I have investigated include optimal control of multiple-reservoir operation using stochastic dynamic programming and river basin water quality management.

Selected Publications

  • Blended Instruction in a Programming Course: Lessons Learned. In Proceedings of the 2014 Frontiers in Education Conference, Madrid, Spain, October, 2014.
  • Teaching Computer Programming to First-Year Undergraduates with a MATLAB Based Robot Simulator. MATLAB Newsletter, July, 2012.
  • Using the Matlab-based iRobot Create Simulator to Engage Introductory Computer Programming Students in Program Development and Observing Computational Errors. In Proceedings of the 2011 Frontiers in Education Conference, Rapid City, South Dakota, October, 2011. With K. Conway Dimiduk.
  • Insight Through Computing: A MATLAB Introduction to Computational Science and Engineering. 2010. Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics. With C. Van Loan.
  • A New Start: Innovative Introductory AI-Centered Courses at Cornell. In AAAI Symposium on Using AI to Motivate Greater Participation in Computer Science (AAAI tech report SS-08-08), Palo Alto, California, March, 2008. With E. Breck, D. Easley, J. Kleinberg, L. Lee, J. Wofford, and R. Zabih.
  • A comparison and evaluation of personal response systems in introductory computer programming. In Proceedings of the 2006 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, June, 2006. With C. Van Den Blink.
  • First Programming Course in Engineering: Balancing Tradition and Application. Computers in Education Journal, Vol. 13, No. 3 (July-September), 2004, pp. 55-60. With D. I. Schwartz.
  • Introductory Programming Using MATLAB. MATLAB News & Notes, October, 2002. With D. I. Schwartz.
  • The CURIE River Basin: Introduction to Engineering in a Social Context. In Proceedings of the 2001 ASEE Annual Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, June, 2001. With K. S. Athreya and R. J. Burt.
  • Stochastic Multiple-Reservoir Optimization Using Regression Dynamic Programming. In Proceedings of 2001 World Water & Environmental Resources Congress, Orlando, Florida, May, 2001. With C. Shoemaker and D. Ruppert.

Education

  • M.Sc. (Mathematics and Informatics), University of Warsaw, 1975
  • Ph.D. (Informatics), University of Warsaw, 1981