The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association
January 2023
Letter from the Guest Editor
ECE Conversations, Power, CHIPS, Future Faculty

Dear ECEDHA Members, Industry Partners, and Colleagues,

Hope your Spring semester is off to a good start, and some much-needed calm has returned to your department. It is now time to start tackling the world's biggest challenges!

First, in this issue of the ECEDHA Source, we are delighted to feature ECE Conversations, a new video format in which we invite an ECE thought leader to a conversation. We are delighted to feature our first such conversation with Professor Ned Mohan at the University of Minnesota on the topic of scaling up electric power education, especially in the context of a rapidly electrifying world that is facing new dangers, and thereby creating a massive demand for electrical engineers. Would you like to be part of the next conversation?

In our traditional format, we are delighted to spotlight Purdue University's efforts in meeting yet another challenge - the need for re-shoring semiconductor manufacturing in the face of a rapidly changing world. Interestingly, this challenge must be met with a surge in highly-trained ECE talent. We are especially delighted to spotlight our former iREDEFINE Scholar Sylmarie Davila-Montero who has started her faculty career at the Citadel.

We look forward to seeing you in person at the 2023 ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo Conference: March 17-20, 2023, and ECExpo: March 18-19, 2023 in scenic Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.

Remember that the Electric Power Engineering workshop on the topic of "Building a Robust Workforce in Electric Power Engineering" will also be co-located alongside ECEDHA in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico during March 16-17, 2023.

Calendar of Events
January 26, 2023
Planning for the 2023-24 ABET Accreditation Cycle

March 16-17, 2023
Building a Robust Workforce in Electric Power Engineering

March 17-20, 2023
2023 ECEDHA Annual Conference & ECExpo - Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

New Programs added daily!
Check the calendar for updates.
NEW! ECE Conversations
Ned Mohan
University of Minnesota
A Conversation with Ned Mohan, University of Minnesota

Badri Roysam, University of Houston, and Barry Sullivan, ECEDHA, share a conversation with Ned Mohan regarding his upcoming NSF-sponsored workshop: Building a Robust Workforce in Electric Power Engineering.

The workshop will be co-located with the 2023 ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo, March 16-17, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya in Santa Ana Pueblo (Albuquerque), New Mexico. >> Workshop Registration












Featured Articles
Chips Changing the World
By: Vijay Raghunathan, Muhammad M. Hussain, and Dimitrios Peroulis, Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University

The modern world as we know it runs on semiconductor chips. The worldwide shortage of semiconductors exacerbated by pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions has brought into sharp focus the need for more design, engineering, and manufacturing capacity, both worldwide and domestically in the USA, to keep pace with the drive to put digital smarts into everything and everywhere.

The primary focus has been on the chip manufacturing stage of the semiconductor supply chain, more specifically about re-shoring manufacturing capacity to the USA catalyzed by the passage of the CHIPS Act. However, as far as the future of chips is concerned, the ultimate supply chain in undoubtedly that of human talent.
Co-sponsored by:
Featured Program
NSF-sponsored workshop: Building a Robust Workforce in Electric Power Engineering
March 16-17, 2023
Hyatt Regency Tamaya - Santa Ana Pueblo (Albuquerque), NM
Co-located with the ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo

This NSF-sponsored workshop, co-sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering, is intended to discuss a very important question:

How can we quickly build a robust workforce in electric power engineering to combat climate change through clean energy, EVs, etc. by home-grown manufacturing, utilizing hundreds of billions of dollars in public investments - once in a lifetime opportunity?

We need hundreds of thousands of such engineers in the next five years while the enrollments in power-related courses are sharply declining nationwide.
ECE Spotlight
Sylmarie Davila-Montero
The Citadel
A Conversation with former iREDEFINE Scholar: Sylmarie Davila-Montero

Meet Sylmarie Davila-Montero, former Michigan State University PhD student, iREDEFINE* Scholar, and now Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering at The Citadel.

*The goal of the iREDEFINE program is to diversify electrical and computer engineering (ECE) faculty by motivating and preparing PhD students who are women or from underrepresented minority groups to pursue faculty positions at US universities.

What motivated you to pursue a degree in ECE?
My parents' careers motivated me to pursue a degree in ECE. My dad is an electrical engineer and my mom always worked in the healthcare industry. Inspired by them, I always felt attracted to both fields: engineering and healthcare. I wanted to be an expert in how to apply engineering to medicine and, more importantly, how to use that knowledge to help those in need. When I learned that areas of electrical engineering, such as control systems and signal processing, were essential for the design of medical devices and assistive technologies, I knew this was the field I wanted to join.
Now Available on Demand!
ECEDHA Summit Series: The CHIPS Act and You: Challenges and Opportunities for the ECE Community

The CHIPS and Science Act has become a focal point for conversations on the future of science and technology in the US. On Tuesday, November 15, ECEDHA members convened with a distinguished group of academic and industry leaders to address opportunities for the ECE community stemming from the Act. We are pleased to present the recording of this engaging Summit.
ECE in the News
Addressing the Urgent Need for Electric Power Engineers
University of Minnesota and ECEDHA Announce Partnership

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) and The University of Minnesota are pleased to announce a new partnership. A faculty/industry workshop organized by the University of Minnesota on the topic of "Building a Robust Workforce in Electric Power Engineering" in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during March 16-17, 2023. It will be co-located with ECEDHA's Annual Conference and ECExpo.

"We are excited for the opportunity to co-locate this workshop at the 2023 ECEDHA Annual Conference. ECEDHA brings together the brightest minds in academia and industry to collaborate for the advancement of electrical and computer engineering; it's an ideal place to collaboratively incubate solutions to the urgent problem we are facing with a significant lack of qualified electric power engineers," ECEDHA Executive Director John Janowiak said.
Partner Announcements
EPICS in IEEE Call for Service Learning Project Proposals

Want to help your students make a difference in your local community through engineering? Create a team to design and develop an impactful solution using engineering and technology. EPICS in IEEE funds student teams up to 10K to use the engineering design process to create solutions that help their local community in the areas of Environment, Access and Abilities, Education and Outreach, and Human Services. Submit your service learning proposal by March 1st to be considered in the next round of funding.

Need some inspiration? Hear from two of our current EPICS in IEEE teams about their projects.
Association Announcements
Register Today!

2023 ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo
Conference: March 17-20, 2023
ECExpo: March 18-19, 2023
Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

The ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo is the only meeting of its kind bringing together the largest concentration of ECE academia and industry throughout the United States and Canada.

This year's Annual Conference is one of the strongest programs to date with innovative programming in a truly unique destination.

This premier annual gathering features:

  • An intensive conference program of Keynotes, Plenary Panels, and Breakout Sessions

  • CHIPS and Science Act Roundtable Session

  • Plenary Panel: Future Challenges/Direction of the Internet

  • National Laboratories Plenary Panel

  • Deans' Perspective: Keys to Success in Transitioning from ECE Chair to Dean

  • ECExpo technology exhibition

  • Full-day Workshops

  • Ample opportunity for networking
ECEDHA Annual Survey
Now open for data collection!

We are pleased to announce that the ECEDHA Annual Survey is now open for participation!

Information to participate has been sent to each department chair.

Please note that your institution's ECEDHA membership must be in good standing in order to participate.

For more information, or for assistance in accessing the survey, contact Michelle Klein at mklein@ecedha.org.

The survey will remain open until January 27, 2023. You must submit your responses by this date in order to gain access to the survey results.
Now Renewing:
2022-2023 ECEDHA Academic Membership

Renew your membership today to continue receiving ECEDHA member benefits, including:

  • Access to the 2022 ECEDHA Summit Series, a virtual program
  • The opportunity to attend the 2023 ECEDHA Annual Conference & ECExpo
  • The opportunity to participate in the ECEDHA Annual Survey, a valuable tool in benchmarking data.
  • Complimentary job posting service via the ECEDHA website
  • And much more!

Looking for your membership packet? Please contact
Sinais Alvarado at salvarado@ecedha.org
Have an article you would like to share?

Articles of interest to ECEDHA members for the ECEDHA Source are always welcome. Email your article for consideration to information@ecedha.org. 

On-Demand Webinars
Previously recorded webinars are now available for your on-demand viewing!

Sponsored by Tektronix

Sponsored by Digi-Key Electronics

A Little Engineering Humor
To the optimist, the glass is half full.

To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.

To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
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