Michael Peshkin, professor of mechanical engineering at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, uses his eye for efficiency and his passion for politics to make sure students get a chance to have their say in the upcoming election.

Peshkin created VoteBackHome.com, a web site where he compiled enrollment data showing how many students come from each swing state. The site offers a detailed kit for organizing a ground campaign to reach swing state-voters on non-swing-state campuses, like Northwestern's, which has 1800 students from swing states.

The effort is in conjunction with NU Decides, a student voter outreach group.