Signature
Prof Emeritus H. Roumani, PhD
3M National Teaching Fellow
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
Email: roumani <at> yorku <dot> ca
Incoming subdomains: cs, cse, and
eecs
URL: https://www.eecs.yorku.ca/~roumani/
Courses
The following courses were designed, and sometimes taught, by professor Roumani (link active when taught):
- The Introductory Sequence, Data Structures, and Algorithms:
EECS1011,
EECS1012,
EECS1020,
EECS1021,
EECS1022,
EECS1030,
EECS2030,
EECS2011,
EECS3101.
- Computer Organization:
EECS2021,
EECS2021L.
- Scientific Computing:
ECS1540,
EECS2501.
- Web Programming and eCommerce:
EECS2041,
EECS4413.
- Computer Security:
EECS3481,
EECS4481.
- Quantum Computing:
EECS4141.
Projects
The following projects are brainchildren of professor Roumani:
- The Apple Gedanken (quantum superposition)
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- The Astro Gedanken (quantum entanglement)
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- The Abstract Stock Exchange
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- The York Programming Environment
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- Scientific Computing with Fortran
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- Secure Grade Reporting
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- Rethinking Computing Education
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- How Do Computers Work?
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- A Development Walkthrough
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- Cyber Physical Systems
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Selected Publications & Lectures
- "Introduction to Quantum Computing [No Physics Background]" (2023)
An online textbook.
Site.
- "Experiential Pedagogy" (2020)
A presentation at the Department Meeting of Nov. 2020.
Link.
- "Introduction to Computer Science with Android" (2018, 2020)
A textbook on Amazon.
Site.
- "Resource Hints in HTML5: A New Pandora's Box of Security Nightmares" (2017)
The International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Link.
- "The Double Life of Your Browser: Implications on Privacy and Forensics" (2017)
The 12th International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security, Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Link.
- "A Brief Encounter With Information Security" (2016)
A lecture given to first-year students (EECS1001).
Link.
- "Cross-Site Request Forgery" (2015)
A book chapter in "Emerging Trends in ICT (Information and Communication
Technologies) Security" with N. Vlajic and M. Andrade, Morgan Kaufmann, Elsevier.
Link.
- "Optimal Cascade Block Size in BB84 Quantum Key Distribution" (2014)
Capstone thesis of student: Abdulaziz Busbate.
Link.
- "XBANK: Test Bed Platform for Cross-Site Request Forgery" (2014)
Mater thesis of student: Maria Angel Marquez Andrade.
Link.
- "Cloud Security and Insider Attacks" (2013).
Capstone Project of student: Frank Warnock.
Link.
- "VLUS: Visual Location-Based URL Screening Tool for Improved WWW Security" (2012)
with A. Naumov and N. Vlajic. Proceedings of the IEEE World Congress of Internet Security.
Link.
- "Good Teaching & Good Learning" (2011)
Presented at the EECS Departmental Retreat, Kettleby, Ont,
Sept 16, 2011.
Link.
- "The iShare System" (2009)
iShare enables an instructor to demonstrate a technique to all
students in the lab by actually performing the technique on the instructor's machine
and have students watch the process on their screens. Sept. 2009.
Link.
- "How Scientists Teach" (2009)
Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Number 53, Fall 2009.
Link.
- "Address Based Memory Diagrams" (2008)
with Franck van Breugel, Feb. 2008.
Link.
- "The Science in Computer Science: A Journey Through
Abstractions" (2007)
Presented at the Royal Canadian Institute, Macleod Auditorium, Medical Sciences Building,
University of Toronto on Sun Oct. 28, 2007.
Link, press
article,
and footage:
Optimized for Windows streaming and
Cross-Platform Flash.
- "The ePost System" (2007-present)
A Secure Web-Based Grade Posting System for EECS@York. The latest version supports
impersonation, http authentication over SSL, and automatic production of
the course performance summary forms. Sept. 2007
Link.
- "Separation of Concerns in CS1/CS2" (2006)
Presented at the York/EECS Seminars, March 24, 2006.
Slides, Programs.
- "Practice What You Preach" (2006)
Published in the proceedings of the 37th ACM SIGCSE
technical symposium on Computer Science Education, pp 491, 2006. Presented in
Houston, TX.
PDF
- "We Don't Need Arrays" (2005)
Presented at the 7th
ACSE conference (2005).
Link.
- "Java By Abstraction" (2005-2016)
A textbook published by Pearson Education
Canada, Addison-Wesley (2005).
Site and press
article.
- "HCW: A Lab Handbook on Assembly and Hardware Design Languages" (2004-2017)
A series of labs in MIPS and Verilog on how computers work.
Link.
- "A Guided Tour of Unix" (2004)
A hand-on introduction to the Unix/Linux environment @EECS. Intended for newcomers to
the department including EECS1020 and transfer students, grads, and new faculty.
Published in July 2004.
Link.
- "Fortran@York" (2003)
A comprehensive site on Fortran and the SLATEC library. Includes software downloads, resources,
and a set of labs.
Published in June 2003.
Link.
- "Design Guidelines for the Lab Component of Objects-First
CS1" (2002)
Published in the proceedings of the 33rd ACM SIGCSE
technical symposium on Computer Science Education, pp 222, 2002.
Presented in Cincinnati, OH.
PDF
- More Publications
Follow this link
.
Biography
Dr. Roumani received his Ph.D. degree
in Theoretical
Physics from the
University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1980. He has since been in academia
and has also undertaken numerous consulting projects in the software development
field.
Awards
Dr. Roumani is the recipient of several distinguished awards, including:
- The Canada-Wide 3M Fellowship
in 2009,
Citation.
Media:
3M,
York
STLHE.
- The Province-Wide LIFT
(Leadership in Faculty Teaching) Award (
LIFT)
in 2007, Province of Ontario.
Press
article.
- The University-Wide Award for Teaching
Excellence
in 1996, York University.
President's list.
- The Faculty-Wide Excellence
in Teaching Award
in 1995 and 2000, Faculty of Pure and Applied Science.
- The Lassonde
Educator of the Year Award
in 2017, Lassonde School of Engineering.
- The Departmental Mildred Baptist
Award
in 2000, 2001, and 2004, Dept of Computer Science & Engineering.
Teaching Philosophy
It is my belief that concentrating on the general ideas and the Big Picture without
worrying about details will produce an individual who may be computer-literate but certainly
not a productive computer professional. At the other extreme, an individual who masters the
intricate details of a particular environment without being able to abstract will be obsolete
as soon as the technology that underlies that environment becomes obsolete (which happens quickly
in the computing field).
A blend of the two approaches is essential for confronting today's ever-changing state of this
field which is nothing short of "evolution in action" with an "adapt or die" paradigm.
Luckily, while technological details are changing rapidly and in a revolutionary manner,
abstract concepts are evolving slowly and incrementally. Hence, by understanding how today's
details fit in the general abstract scheme, we should be able to easily adapt and quickly
comprehend tomorrow's technologies.
We can achieve this blend by observing two prime directives that tell us how to
orchestrate the topics within a course and how to choreograph the discovery of concepts
so that students can explore what can be rather than imitate what is. Here are simple
yet enlightening depictions of the two directives:
- What is the relation between driving a car and the combustion engine? Do I need to known
one in order to learn the other? And more to the point, why did you keep referring to spark plugs
when you were showing me how to accelerate?
- Try as you may but I don't think your lectures will ever teach me how to skate. You have
explained the techniques really well, even made me an expert in the physics of skating, but I
still fall flat on my face every time I set foot in the rink!
For more on Roumani's philosophy, follow this link
.
My Links
Search My Site:
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Attended Quantum Days, Toronto, Jan 2023
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Roumani's online book on Quantum Computing. 2023
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Attended the IBM Educator Summit on Quantum Computing. August 2022
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Roumani's new course: EECS4141--Quantum Computing, Fall 2022
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Attended Quantum Days, Toronto, Feb 2022
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Attended Quantum Days, Toronto, Jan 2021
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Roumani's Take on Experiential Learning, Nov 2020
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The 2nd ed. of Roumani's paperback/eBook, 2020
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Attended the Quantum Computing Workshop, Providence, RI, 2019
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Roumani's Introductory Videos on Cyber Physical Systems, 2018
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The first edition of Roumani's new book, May 2018
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Roumani Wins a L'OSCARS: Educator of the Year Award, 2017
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The Android Development Site, 2017
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Roumani is one of the Best Professors At York University, 2016
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The JR Project: Rethinking Computing Education, 2014-16
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Quantum Cryptography: Cascade Optimization in QKD, 2014
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The 4th edition of Roumani's book, 2014.
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Master Thesis: Cross-Site Request Forgery, 2014
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Book Chapter 20, Elsevier Morgan Kaufmann 2013
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Cloud Security through Cryptographic Secret Sharing
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New thematic course on web computing. Jan 8, 2013.
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Imagine What's Next" event at Casa Loma. May 10, 2012.
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A Toast to Teaching Excellence" at Queen's Park. April 2012.
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Academic Spotlight at us.blackberry.com Feb. 2012.
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Trick-Or-Treating in York Lanes, Oct 31, 2011.
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Quantum Information Summer School, July 2011.
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NanoFab Centre, Université de Sherbrooke, June 2011.
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The 3rd edition of Roumani's book came out Sept 2010.
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Postcard to 3M, June 2010
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The What-How Phenomenon, 2010
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The 3M Ceremony, Fredericton, NB, June 2009
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Roumani becomes a 3M Fellow, Feb 5, 2009
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Retirement party of Prof. Eshrat Arjomandi, Oct. 16, 2008
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Toronto during Earth Hour, March 29, 2008
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Video of this 2007 lecture is available in two format:
Windows Streaming and
Cross-Platform Flash.
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With the CSE Tech Team, Dec. 2007
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Roumani receives the Province-Wide LIFT Award
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The LIFT Award Ceremony with York President Dr. Mamdouh Shoukri (left)
and FSE Dean Dr. Nick Cercone. Nov. 2007.
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With Physics Nobel Laureate Dr. Carl Weinman. Oct. 2007.
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Wireless Sensor Networks Project with
Hamdi, 2007.
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Real Time Mono2Stereo Synthesis, ENG4000, April 2007.
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Roumani's Java textbooks. The 2nd Ed came out Jan 2008.
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With the Honorable NDP Leader Jack Layton. June 2006.
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Roumani's Java textbook and news article. 2004.
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A Hands-On-Approach. 2004.
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Roumani's Assembly Language Book. 1989.
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