The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association                                                                               January  2019
Letter from the Editor
Badri Roysam,
University of Houston
Dear ECEDHA Members, Industry Partners, and Colleagues,

Welcome to the new academic year! It is a pleasure to spotlight two new ECE Department heads in this issue of the Source. This time it is quite personal. My former colleague John Wen is the new head of the ECSE department at Rensselaer (my first and former employer). John and I have taught Studio-style courses together. My former classmate from Washington University, Chrysanthe Preza, has been named the new ECE Department Chair at the University of Memphis.

Our discipline has always been enriched and supported by industry collaborations. In this issue, we are pleased to feature articles from industry experts. Aleksi Paaso and Shay Bahramira (ComED) discuss the smart grid of the future, and the importance of Industry-University partnerships. Carlo Manfredini, a familiar industry colleague at the annual ECEDHA ECExpo discusses the advantages of remotely accessed hardware labs over computational simulation tools.  Finally, we are delighted to spotlight the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at New Mexico State University headed by Steve Stochaj, one of the hosts of the upcoming ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo.

On a separate note, I hope that you, and your department have not been harmed by the partial federal government shutdown. In my department, several of our students who had new jobs lined up with federal agencies and federal contractors have faced an unexpected setback. We all pray and hope that this shutdown ends soon, so our future technical leaders are not unfairly harmed at the very start of their budding careers. They have worked so hard, and we have invested so much in them. May the future be kind to our students.
ECE in the News
Building the Grid of the Future through University Partnerships


Aleksi Paaso,
ComEd

Shay Bahramirad,
ComEd

The electric power industry is accelerating the pace of innovation to meet the needs of customers ever more dependent on reliable electricity in our digital world. This comes amidst challenges on many fronts, from the growing potential of cyber-attacks against the infrastructure and weather events that are increasing in frequency and severity, to the growing demand for smart city solutions that are emerging at the intersection of energy and technology.

These new solutions that aim to provide the higher level of service that customers and our society demand must be built on the rigorous foundation of theoretically sound engineering as well as successful field testing. This is what is driving ComEd, the electric utility serving 4 million customers in Northern Illinois and Chicago, to remain on the cutting-edge. The key to this innovation are partnerships, and in particular, the university partnerships that help tackle many of ongoing and emerging challenges. The result is for the state of Illinois to be recognized in 2018 - for the fourth consecutive year -- as a top state in grid modernization.
Remote Access Hardware Laboratories: Are these useful and why not just use simulation?
Dr. Chrysanthe Preza Announced as New ECE Department Chair at University of Memphis

Chrysanthe Preza,
University of Memphis
Dr. Preza is the Kanuri Professor and Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Memphis, where she joined in 2006. She also has a secondary appointment in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Memphis.
 
Dr. Preza received her degrees from Washington University in St. Louis as a Fulbright scholar: B.S. degrees (cum laude) in Electrical Engineering (EE) and Computer Science (CS) in 1987, M.S. degrees in EE (1990) and in CS (1991), and a D.Sc. degree in EE in 1998. Her doctoral research was under the direction of Donald L. Snyder who is renowned for his contributions to estimation theory and its applications to communications and medical imaging. From 1998 to 2000 she was a Research Associate at the Institute for Biomedical Computing at Washington University, and in 2000, she joined the faculty at Washington University as an Instructor in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering and a Research Associate in the Electronic Systems and Signals Laboratory, a position she held until August 2006.
>> Read more
Special Announcements
Renew Your 2018-2019 Membership Today!

Renew your membership today to continue receiving ECEDHA membership benefits, including:
  • The opportunity to participate in the ECEDHA Annual Survey, a valuable tool in benchmarking your organization in lab and office space, faculty and department head salaries, research budgets, student retention, graduation rates, and much more.
  • The opportunity to attend the 2019 ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo
  • Complimentary job posting service via the ECEDHA website
  • Complimentary registration for ECEDHA's ECE Webinars
  • And much more!
Looking for your membership packet?  Pl ease contact Megan Bekolay at  mbekolay@ecedha.org  or 312.559.3724
Conference Corner
Host University Spotlight: New Mexico State University


Steve Stochaj,
New Mexico State University

History
Since its beginning in 1888 as a land-grant institution, the College of Engineering at NMSU has been a leader in preparing students for rewarding careers and performing cutting-edge research. Today, we offer 23 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and continually update our curriculum to meet the changing needs of the high-tech world.

One of our greatest strengths is our extensive research program and our work in several areas have gained widespread recognition and garnered millions of dollars of funding.

Building on our strengths, we are actively pursuing projects that contribute toward engineering solutions that will help people and the planet thrive.

Register Today for the
2019 ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo!

March 22-26, 2019 at the Hilton El Conquistador Tucson
in Tucson, Arizona


Register today and take advantage of the early bird rate!

The ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECE xpo is the largest gathering of ECE department heads from throughout the United States and Canada.

This year's program is hosted by Arizona State University, New Mexico State University, the University of Arizona, and the University of New Mexico. Join us March 22-26, 2019 at the  Hilton El Conquistador Tucson in Tucson, AZ.

The 2019 Pr ogram Committee has assembled a world-class educational program focusing on the most pressing issues facing academia and ECE today.  This year's program features:
  • A fantastic lineup of speakers from both academia and industry
  • Specialized pre-conference workshops, including a brand new ERC Workshop
  • Sessions focusing on the future of ECE - including Renewable Energy, AI, Cybersecurity, Multidisciplinary Design, Revolutionizing ECE Curricula, Robotics and Makerspaces
  • Ample networking time to connect with old friends and new acquaintances 
  • The ECExpo, with more than 40 industry leaders on hand to show the latest technologies in the field
Corporate Features
ECE Insights

ECE Insights offer in-depth interviews with leading industry executives.

Featured ECE Insights:
In This Issue
Calendar of Events
March 22, 2019
ABET Workshop
Presented at the ECEDHA Annual Conference
Hilton Tucson El Conquistador - Tucson, AZ
March 22, 2019
ERC Workshop
Presented at the ECEDHA Annual Conference
Hilton Tucson El Conquistador - Tucson, AZ
March 22-26, 2019
ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECE xpo
Hilton Tucson El Conquistador - Tucson, AZ
On Demand Webinar
In partnership with Tailfin Marketing
On Demand Webinar
Sponsored by Keysight Technologies
On Demand Webinar
A Case Study on Connected Maintenance Reliability
Sponsored by Fluke Corporation
On Demand Webinar
Rethinking Electronics Fundamentals
Sponsored by National Instruments
ECEDHA Member and Partner News
Petition for IEEE Annual Election Ballot
By: Stephen M. Phillips

I am writing to ask for your support to add Prof. S. K. Ramesh (former ECEDHA member) to the 2019 IEEE annual election ballot for the position of IEEE President-Elect for the 2020 term.  This petition is to add him to the ballot, not necessarily to vote for him in the election.

You can sign the petition electronically using your IEEE account at www.ieee.org/petition.

>> Read more
Franklin Institute Awards: Call for Nominations in Neural Networks for Machine Learning

The Franklin Institute seeks nominations for the 2020 Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science.

Individuals are encouraged to submit nominations for those who have made significant contributions to the development of neural networks for machine learning-hardware or software systems designed as networks of artificial neurons that can be given raw data and trained to automatically discover abstract features that are relevant to detection, classification, or translation, resulting in desired outputs.

Deadline: May 31, 2019
Prize: $250,000 USD

>> Learn more
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: ESIF Visiting Scholars User Call

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has recently announced its Visiting Scholars User Call.  The Visiting Scholars User Call allows faculty and students to conduct research in state-of-the-art laboratories in the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF). The ESIF contains a collection of interconnected laboratories that can accommodate megawatt-scale R&D at full power. By immersing visiting researchers into the ESIF ecosystem, the hope is that they will carry valuable insights and new capabilities back to their home institutions.

Applications for the ESIF Visiting Scholars User Call are accepted throughout the year. Meritorious applications will be granted on a rolling basis. More information and application requirements can be found at the link below.

>> Learn more
Contact the Editor  

At the ECE Source, we strive to cover topics that are relevant and timely to ECE  department heads.  We welcome your comments, feedback, and suggestions of topics t o cover in our next issue.  Thank you.

  
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