John R. Hackworth is an Associate Professor in the Engineering Technology Department at ODU, and is the Electrical Engineering Technology Program Director. He has been teaching at ODU since 1988. His areas of interest include digital systems, programmable machine controls, factory automation systems, and test engineering. Prof. Hackworth was previously employed as a Senior Test Automation Engineer at General Electric Co. Published works include the textbooks Programmable Logic Controllers: Programming Methods and Applications, published by Prentice-Hall, and Fundamantals of Electrical Engineering and Technology, published by Delmar Learning. Prof. Hackworth holds a B.S. degree in Engineering Technology (Electrical), and a Master of Engineering Degree in Electrical Engineering, both from Old Dominion University.