Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost

Faculty Spotlight

Sean J. Barbeau

Name

Sean J. Barbeau

College

Engineering

Department

Center for Urban Transportation Research

Undergraduate Degree

Computer Science, Minor in Electronic Music

From

University of South Florida

Graduate Degree

Currently pursuing a Ph. D. in Computer Science at USF

Previous Post(s)

I worked as a computer technician before beginning my formal studies in Computer Science. As an undergraduate at USF I worked as a research assistant through the Research Experience for Undergraduates program in several areas, including a CUTR project. After graduating, I worked as a software engineering consultant before returning to CUTR at USF as a faculty member.

Selected Published Works

• David P. Aguilar, Sean J. Barbeau, Rafael A. Perez, Miguel A. Labrador, Philip L. Winters, “A Comparison of Fix Times and Estimated Accuracies in Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for GPS Enabled Mobile Phones”, Proceedings of the 11th World Conference on Transport Research, Berkeley, USA.  June 2007.
• David P. Aguilar, Sean J. Barbeau, Miguel A. Labrador, Alfredo Perez, Rafael A. Perez, and Philip L. Winters, “Quantifying the Position Accuracy of Real-time Multi-Modal Transportation Behavior Data Collected using GPS-Enabled Mobile Phones”, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 2007.
• David P. Aguilar, Sean J. Barbeau, Miguel A. Labrador, Alfredo Perez, Rafael A. Perez, and Philip L. Winters, “Quantifying the Position Accuracy of Real-time Multi-Modal Transportation Behavior Data Collected using GPS-Enabled Mobile Phones”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ Transportation Review Board conference, January, 2007.
• Sean J. Barbeau, “Using GPS-enabled Mobile Phones and Location-Aware Technology to Meet Transportation Challenges,” Proceedings of the Transpo2006 Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference, November, 2006.
• Sean J. Barbeau, Miguel A. Labrador, Philip Winters, Rafael Perez and Nevine Labib Georggi, “A General Architecture in Support of Interactive, Multimedia, Location-based Mobile Applications”, IEEE Communications Magazine, Vol. 44, No. 11, pp. 156-163, November 2006.
• Sean J. Barbeau, Philip Winters, Nevine Labib Georggi, Miguel A. Labrador, Rafael Perez, “Using GPS-enabled Cell Phones to Improve Multimodal Planning and Facilitate Travel Behavior Change,” Proceedings of the GIS in Transit 2006 conference by the National Center for Transit Research, November, 2005.
• Philip Winters, Sean J. Barbeau, and Nevine Georggi, “Automating the Collection and Processing of Household Travel Patterns to Deliver Personalized Feedback to Change Travel Behavior,” Proceedings of the 2005 Association of Commuter Transportation (ACT) conference, September 2005.
• Tiffany Burrell, Sean J. Barbeau, Philip Winters, Nevine Labib Georggi, Miguel A. Labrador, Rafael Perez, "Real-time, Personalized Path Prediction and Automobile Accident Detection System", Proceedings of the 16th Annual SEA Student Technical Conference October 4–7, 2006.

Area of Specialization / Research

Software systems for GPS-enabled cell phones and other mobile devices; Location-Based Services; Intelligent, distributed location-aware systems

Current Course Offerings

I will be teaching a new Computer Science undergraduate course Mobile Information Systems in upcoming semesters.

How and when did you first become interested in your field of study?

When I was in 7th or 8th grade, I remember having an interest in playing with the family computer. It started with video games, and then my curiosity (and low budget) lead me to use and tweak my computer as a recording device for music played on my guitar and keyboard. Then, in college, I began developing software for cell phones as an undergraduate research assistant at USF. I enjoyed working with cutting-edge cell phones, some before they are even available on the consumer market, and pushing the limits of what can be accomplished by using these devices in everyday life. Cell phones have become an important communication tool in society, but we’re just beginning to discover how to best use this tool as not only a phone but also as a miniature computer. Cell phones are the Internet of the 21st century, and it is exciting to imagine the possibilities ahead.

What made you decide to pursue a career in higher education? 

I enjoy research and the challenges that it brings. It is exciting to have an idea and try to make that idea a reality. The fact that no one has tried what you’re about to attempt is very scary, but also very rewarding when you complete the task. I also enjoy working in a team atmosphere that includes students. Often, some of the best ideas come from open minds that are approaching a field without bias and energetically waiting to tackle a new problem. Higher education provides the ideal environment to conduct cutting-edge research as well as engage extremely bright students.

Why did you choose to be a part of the academic community at USF?

I enjoyed working at CUTR as an undergraduate, so when I was given the opportunity to work there as a faculty member it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. CUTR has provided me with the support to pursue my area of research as well as mentor students in the Computer Science field. USF is a strong advocate of interdisciplinary research, and this allows CUTR to work hand-in-hand with the Department of Computer Science on our research projects. This collaborative research model produces many innovative concepts that contribute to the frontier of both the transportation and computer science fields. USF is a fast-growing university with many areas of strength, and I’m proud and honored to be part of this institution.

What do you enjoy about teaching the students of USF?

I enjoy working with students because I believe we often learn as much from them as they do from us. Students always have fresh ideas on a topic and force you to think about a problem from a different angle. Keeping up with fast-moving technology trends can be difficult, but having new minds continuously bringing their unique experiences and knowledge to USF makes this task much easier.

What do you like about the university community?

I enjoy the open and diverse environment that is present with the students, faculty, and staff at USF as well as in the surrounding community. The Tampa Bay area has much to offer, and USF has taken the opportunity to engage the local area whenever possible. This process has benefited both the university community and USF, which are both thriving in this environment. Not to mention the football! As an alumnus, our team has kept me proud. Go Bulls!