Paul Allen

Paul Allen is an Instructor II in the U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), specializing in the Department of Computing & Software Engineering. He holds a position as a retired Chief Warrant Officer III from the Florida Army National Guard with 23 years of service as a helicopter pilot, including combat and humanitarian missions. His professional background includes roles as a software developer, manager, and trainer across private and public sectors.

Education: Currently pursuing a Doctorate in Engineering and Computing Education at Florida International University's School of Universal Computing, Construction & Engineering Education (SUCCEED).

Research & Teaching Focus: Emphasizes hands-on learning in Software Engineering, including programming methodologies (C++, Java), computer architecture, embedded systems, and data engineering. Courses taught include COP 2006 (Programming I), CDA 3104 (Computer Organization), CDA 3200 (Digital Systems), COP 3530 (Data Structures), and special topics in embedded programming with Arduino.

Advising & Engagement: Advisor for the FGCU Software Engineering Club. Current projects include qualitative research methods in engineering education and foundations of computing teaching strategies.

Labs/Teams: Involvement in classroom labs focused on AVR microcontrollers, digital logic design, and embedded system development through Arduino platforms.