The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association |
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Dear ECEDHA friends and family,
Happy new year 2021. One thought everyone agrees with, is that we are glad to see 2020 gone.
Still, against our deepest hopes, several of the challenges from 2020 remain, in academia and in broader society alike. Fatigue has set in and we are not beginners any more in dealing with the new realities, nor are we unaware of how bad or even worse things can be.
I hate to say it, but in some ways 2021 will be a tougher and more crucial year than 2020. We have placed super high expectations on ourselves and on the system overall, to beat the virus and to turn the economy and our own domain around for good. Delivering on these expectations is within our reach but not guaranteed. So, we will be walking in the “valley of the shadow of death” for a while longer, if you excuse me the biblical reference and the dark mood.
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January 20, 2021 at 12pm CT
ECEDHA Category 2 Institutions Virtual Meeting
January 26, 2021 at 1pm CT
ECEDHA Category 4 Institutions Virtual Meeting
January 27, 2021 at 12pm CT
ECEDHA Category 1 Institutions Virtual Meeting
January 28, 2021 at 12pm CT
ECEDHA Category 3 Institutions Virtual Meeting
February 25, 2021 at 1pm CT
ECE Webinar
Presented by MathWorks
March 4, 2021
ECEDHA & IEEE-HKN Town Hall
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But we will stay strong. Besides the obvious hopeful signs from the advent of the vaccines, there are also positive developments in our field: we have grown much more confident in remote delivery of our classes, more efficient in holding everyday meetings and even managed to make some progress in projecting remotely our labs and experimental activities. Many of the new technologies and processes will survive long after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
And we will be inspired by each other’s courage and leadership. And by our commitment to our constituents: our students, our colleagues, our families. ECEDHA has a unique strength and composition that can allow us to remain relevant and impactful. Our expansive and inclusive efforts that started before the pandemic, will come to bear this year, allowing us to draw strength from everyone in our departments: staff and communicators, lab professionals and lecturers, regular and research faculty, undergraduate organizations and diverse graduate students.
In the new year, we continue our efforts to bring meaningful stories to the ECEDHA community. In this issue of the Source we bring a new piece from Elizabeth Zidar, current student at Northwestern University. Elizabeth recently led the Student Panel at the virtual ECEDHA Summit and returns to address a few remaining questions from faculty. Additionally, we are pleased to shine a spotlight on ECEDHA leadership, including Board Member, Agnieszka Miguel (Seattle University) and Corporate Advisory Council Member, Roger Stancliff (Keysight Technologies).
Have a great year, a great month and please stay strong!
All the best,
Michael Devetsikiotis
Professor and Chair, Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of New Mexico
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Student Insights Panel at the ECEDHA Summit
By: Elizabeth Zidar, Student, Northwestern University
As we approach the start to yet another virtual/hybrid semester, I wanted to follow-up on some of the unfinished conversations from the Student Insights on Fall 2020 panel at the December session of the ECEDHA Summit Series. As the Chair and Moderator of the panel, I found our discussion to be very important for both educators and students, and it was clear that this type of collaboration is crucial moving forward. If you were unable to attend the session, I highly recommend you take a look at the on-demand recording.
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Working Toward Better, More Inclusive Engineering
By: Hayley Hanway, Communications Specialist, University of Michigan
In industry and in academia, engineering is known for failing to achieve sufficiently diverse, inclusive, and equitable environments. Women and those who identify as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and/or Indigenous are severely underrepresented and often report discriminatory and exclusionary climates.
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Sponsored Article: Case Study - University of Houston Enhances eLearning with Real World Labs
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Ain't nothing like the real thing - especially when you've gone virtual. Marvin Gaye said it. So did Aretha Franklin, the Supremes, Donny & Marie, and even Vince Gill. It applies to pictures versus people, movies versus real life - and in this case, to students taking classes and labs online rather than in person.
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A Conversation with Our Board Members |
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We sat down with Agnieszka and Roger to tap into their mindset on career paths, the future of ECE, and life in general. Here is what they shared... |
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Agnieszka Miguel
Professor & Chair,
Seattle University
Treasurer, ECEDHA Board of Directors
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Q. What have you found to have been most rewarding in your experience as a Board Member with ECEDHA?
A. As a program chair of the iREDEFINE program, funded by the NSF and supported by ECEDHA, I get to make a difference in an area that I am passionate about: diversity, equity, and inclusion in ECE. The iREDEFINE program is designed to motivate and prepare women and underrepresented minority PhD students for academic positions in electrical and computer engineering.
Q. What is the greatest piece of advice you can offer a student?
A. Look beyond your classes and try to be active in professional societies and student clubs. Participate in events that your department, college, and university organize for you. Professional development, leadership skills, and extracurricular activities is what will make you stand apart from other students when it is time to look for a job.
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Roger Stancliff
CTO, Education Solutions, Keysight Technologies
Corporate Advisory Council Member, ECEDHA
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Q. What are your plans to assist in virtual learning, knowing it will be around for the foreseeable future?
A. We will continue our developments and improve what we already have so schools can invest in solutions that will improve both their on-campus and distance learning. We are collaborating with many universities to ensure what we are doing is relevant and helpful to them.
Q. If you had to choose another profession, what would you choose?
A. Winemaking (I also do that)
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Association Announcements |
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Now Available On-Demand!
Virtual Programming from the ECE Educators Summit & ECE Lab Pros Network Summit
Last month, ECEDHA members gathered for the first two-day, virtual ECEDHA Summit Series. Led by Zhihua Qu, University of Central Florida, and Sid Deliwala, University of Pennsylvania, the initial Summit gathered peers to provide rich content and share lessons learned this fall and plans for the spring.
Session highlights include:
- Industry & University Collaboration
- Lessons Learned in Senior Design
- IEC RAPID Grant
- Project RECET
- Student Insights
- Remote Labs
Save the date for the next ECEDHA Summit, set for March 23-24, 2021.
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Finalize Your 2020-2021 ECEDHA Academic Membership Today!
Renew your membership today to continue receiving ECEDHA member benefits, including:
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The opportunity to participate in the ECEDHA Annual Survey, a valuable tool in benchmarking data.
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The opportunity to attend the 2021 ECEDHA Summit Series, a quarterly virtual program
- Complimentary job posting service via the ECEDHA website
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And much more!
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ECEDHA Member and Partner News |
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Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site on Deep Learning Driven Cybersecurity Research in a Multidisciplinary Environment
Presented by the Center for Cybersecurity Education and Research (CCSER) and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University
Students from all relevant disciplines are encouraged to apply and work on a cybersecurity project, including computer science, electrical engineering, computer engineering, criminal justice, system engineering, psychology and more. The 10-week summer program includes various evens, such as seminars, career/graduate study panels, and field trips to Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command.
Application Deadline: February 26, 2021
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THE BRIDGE Magazine of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN)
The Future of Renewable Energy: Generation, Transmission, Consumption
The magazine of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu is THE BRIDGE, which publishes a variety of features and content relevant to ECE students, faculty, and professionals. The magazine is electronic and open access with PDF versions of the current and prior issues.
The October 2020 issue of THE BRIDGE is available now!
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A Little Engineering Humor |
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So an electrical engineer built a house entirely out of resistors.
The welcome mat said Ohm Sweet Ohm.
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