Banta, Larry E.

Education

Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1987 
M.S., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1981 
B.A. Physics, Kalamazoo College, 1973

Larry Banta completed a Bachelors Degree in Physics in 1973 at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He worked for Allen Test Products in Kalamazoo, where he designed prototypes of new products for testing automobile ignition systems and exhaust gases. In 1977 he began work as a Research Scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta. He worked in a variety of jobs for GTRI, including design and testing of radar systems, robotics, and extensive field and theoretical work related to industrial energy conservation and alternative energy sources. He has performed numerous energy audits for companies worldwide and has taught training courses on industrial energy management in eight countries. Meanwhile, he completed an M.S. degree in 1981 and a PhD in 1987, both from the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Since beginning his academic career at West Virginia University, Dr. Banta has taught courses in Mechatronics, Automatic Controls, Instrumentation and Measurement, Robotics, Thermodynamics, and several other topics. His research is primarily in the areas of automatic control systems, Mechatronics and Industrial Energy Conservation. Dr. Banta is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of West Virginia.

Research Focus Areas

Controls, Automation, and Mechatronics

Research Interests

Instrumentation and control of industrial processes and machinery
Robotics and factory automation
Machine Vision

Teaching Interests

Instrumentation and measurement
Automatic controls
Mechatronics
Design

Special Interests

Educational strategies and methods
Electronic and internet-based learning tools
Writing to Learn; Writing Across the Curriculum

Professional Societies

ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)
ASEE (American Society of Engineering Educators)