David A. Rice, P.E.

My research interests include biological systems modeling, medical instrumentation, and the teaching of biomedical engineering design using assistive technology. Specific interests include using measurements of thoracic sound transmission to determine noninvasively some physical characteristics of the lungs and great vessels. Recent instrumentation projects include the measurement of surgeons's hand tremor, development of a soft tissue shear force sensor, and determination of foot forces in the ballet pointe shoe. Using real clients in both individual and team projects we have developed a number of devices to help people with disability.

Honors and Awards

• Young Investigator Award, National Institutes of Health (1977-1980)
• Teacher of the Year, Alpha Eta Mu Beta (1989, 1997) Louisiana Engineering Foundation
• Faculty Professionalism Award (1991) George Washington Award. Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge (2001)
• President's Teaching Award for Undergraduate Teaching (2003)
• Lifetime Achievement Award, New Orleans CityBusiness (2003)

Selected Publications

A simple model of the human cervix during the first stage of labor. Rice, D.A., Yang, H.T., Stanley, P.E. J. Biomechanics 9:153-163, 1976

Central to peripheral sound propagation in excised lung. Rice, D.A., Rice, J.C., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 82(4):1139-1144, 1987

How cats purr. Frazer Sissom, D.E., Rice, D.A., Peters, G. Journal of Zoology (London) 223(4):67-78, 1991

Rice, D.A., Hirko, R., Hoffman, A., Ault, H.C., Anderson, R.C. Assistive technology transfer and the NSF Bioengineering Research to Aid the Disabled (BRAD) program. Technology and Disability 7:47-54, 1997

Flannery, M.A., Butterbaugh, G.J., Rice, D.A., Rice, J.C. Reminding technology for prospective memory disability: A case study. Pediatric Rehabilitation. 1(4):239-244, 1997.

Stephanidis, D, Korndorffer, J, Jr., Black, FW, Dunne, JB, Sierra, R, Touchard, CL, Rice, DR, Markert, RJ, Kastl, PR, Scott, DJ. Psychomotor testing predicts rate of skill acquisition for proficiency based laparoscopic skills training. Surgery. 140(2):252-62, 2006