Mouser Electronics and Altium Team Up to Advance Electronics Education and Careers Worldwide

Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorized global distributor with the newest electronic components and industrial automation products, and Altium LLC, a global leader in software and solutions for the electronic industry, recently announced a new partnership to support electronics education and careers worldwide. This collaboration seeks to empower the next generation of electronic design engineers by providing expanded access to state-of-the-art design tools and resources, thereby nurturing a community of innovators poised to shape the future.

The Altium Educator Center, a hub for innovative teaching and learning in electronics design and PCB development, together with the Student Lab, provides a comprehensive program designed to prepare university students with industry-ready skills. This program equips educators with essential tools and resources to teach professional electronics design, ensuring students receive hands-on PCB design experience and a solid introduction to electronics.

Neurodiverse Interns Showcase Their Talent in Tech by Mika Ono

Enthusiasm, hard work and talent were on display at the end-of-summer Neurodiversity in Tech internship showcase at UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute’s (QI) Atkinson Hall. The 18 interns presented their summer’s work creating educational video games to a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, clients, family members and funders.

“You might ask, ‘Why are we doing this?’” said Pamela Cosman, the program’s director and professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. “Neurodiversity, which encompasses autism spectrum condition, ADHD and learning differences, is a growing population, and there can be really high unemployment, particularly for people on the spectrum. The need, as we see it, is for both training on durable hard skills and tools for tech jobs, and also trying to support soft skills needed for employment.”

The nine-week Neurodiversity in Tech internship at UC San Diego is a rare opportunity for neurodiverse young adults to develop both sets of professional skills in a supportive environment. On the technical side, the interns learn programming, design and project management software as they take on a role common in video game development, such as artist, designer, programmer, project manager and sound designer.

A Modern Upgrade for a Historic Engineering Hub by Lynne Powers

Renovations to Halligan Hall, completed this summer, advance electrical and computer engineering teaching and research at Tufts

First built in 1925 and acquired by Tufts in 1930, Halligan Hall has seen its fair share of changes over the decades. Now it has a fresh look and upgraded infrastructure as renovations made this summer refreshed the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s home of more than 80 years. 

ISU Experts Offering Free Training in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to the Public

by Mostafa Fouda & Tadesse Wakjira

Now’s your chance to learn the latest and greatest when it comes to artificial intelligence and machine learning from a pair of experts at Idaho State University.

Starting October 1, Mostafa Fouda, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Tadesse Wakjira, adjunct faculty member in the civil and environmental engineering department, will host a free hands-on training in applied artificial intelligence and machine learning. Classes will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. from October 1 to November 21 in person at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, 995 MK Simpson Boulevard, in Idaho Falls, and via Zoom/Teams. The course is designed for university faculty, students, researchers, and industry professionals and will cover the fundamentals and practical applications of machine learning, developing robust and reliable models, implementing diverse AI/ML techniques, and more.

Article Submissions

ECEDHA members are encouraged to submit articles of interest for inclusion in the ECEDHA Source. Email your article for consideration to information@ecedha.org. 

Pamela Cosman

Distinguished Professor & Chair, Department of Electrical

& Computer Engineering

University of California, San Diego

Life story in 47 words: Raised in LA, French school, Caltech undergrad, Stanford PhD, Minnesota postdoc (brr, cold!), 29 years on ECE faculty at UC San Diego (warm, yay!), 1 husband, 4 sons, research in video compression, signal processing, plus some social science side projects on gender in engineering, now Chair, yikes!

Q. What inspired you to take on the role of department chair?

A. I’m interested in the challenge, and I thought I’d be good at it because I’ve had other administrative roles on campus. I absorbed a number of Student Affairs issues as Associate Dean for Students and as ECE Vice Chair. And three years on the campus-wide Committee on Academic Personnel showed I could parse the convolutions of the Policy and Procedure Manual while writing clear prose which avoids them. And, let’s face it, I also received some… gentle encouragement… from colleagues carrying truncheons.

Q. In your role as department chair, what did you find to be the most surprising or unexpected?

A. I’ve only been in the role two months, so I’m sure more surprising things will pop up. But what I found surprising so far is that people expect you to instantly be an expert on the department—the people, operations, budget, space, etc. Of course I’ve heard there are training sessions distributed throughout the first year, but that is cold comfort on the first day when ten things land on your desk that you’ve never seen before. So there have been some brisk learning opportunities.

EPICS in IEEE is excited to launch our upcoming call for proposals that will fund applications of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. We encourage teams to explore technical applications of machine learning, fuzzy systems, evolutionary computing, embedded intelligent systems, generative AI, hybrid intelligent systems, robotics, drone technologies, and assistive technologies. EPICS in IEEE proposals should address specific applications of AI in industries such as healthcare, agriculture, education, environmental improvements, and other applications for societal benefit.

Students are encouraged to think creatively about these technical areas that can result in direct societal benefit from a solution that will be adopted by the community partner. The projects should be able to be completed in 1 year or less. All projects must have IEEE members involved. We encourage teams to partner with local IEEE sections, chapters, societies, and affinity groups as well as IEEE student branches for projects.

Selected projects will receive up to $10,000 USD, mentorship, and resources. The deadline to submit a proposal is October 15th, 2024

Meet Taylor Baum

iREDEFINE is a workshop funded by the NSF with the goal of increasing the representation of women and underrepresented minorities in ECE faculty positions. The iREDEFINE Fellows participate in dedicated programming to support their academic career paths, attend ECEDHA sessions, present their research, and take part in mock interviews.

My name is Taylor Baum, a rising 6th year graduate student at MIT in the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. In general, I solve both problems impacting patients in the operating room and students in underserved communities. My PhD thesis focuses on developing a complete, autonomous system for arterial blood pressure regulation. This system is designed to ensure adequate end-organ perfusion — oxygenation of vital organs — during surgical procedures and in intensive care settings. By automating blood pressure control, I aim to significantly enhance the precision and effectiveness of current manual methods used in clinical practice. My passion project, Sprouting, is a social impact initiative where I create accessible curricula designed to spark interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among students who have limited access to these opportunities. Through Sprouting, I have organized events across the U.S. and Puerto Rico that consistently boost participants' confidence and inspire them to pursue their passions.

Meet Cristian Gutierrez Altamira

The IEC 2to4 program is an IEC initiative focused on supporting first-generation, underrepresented minority community college students in their transition to completing four-year ECE degrees. In Fall 2024, the first cohort of 2to4 students received scholarship funds. We invite you to share in their academic journey. 

Learn more about the IEC 2to4 program.

My journey in school started with a deep interest in engineering, although I didn't have a clear direction at first. After graduating from high school during the pandemic in 2020, I decided to attend my local community college in El Paso. Initially, I declared civil engineering as my major, influenced by family members already in the field. However, as I progressed through my core classes, I began questioning whether civil engineering was the right path for me. A turning point came when I met a friend who was an electrical engineering student interning at NASA, which reignited my passion for aerospace and inspired me to switch my major to electrical engineering.

Once I transferred to the University of Texas at El Paso, I faced challenges adjusting to the new environment and coursework. Despite these hurdles, I pushed forward, managing to balance my courses and catch up on what I missed. This past summer, I joined the MSI Connect Fellowship Program as an undergraduate intern at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This opportunity gave me hands-on experience and allowed me to apply the skills I’ve developed, all while being surrounded by like-minded individuals passionate about engineering and science. The experience further solidified my decision to pursue electrical engineering, and I’m excited about the possibilities ahead.

ECEDHA Annual Conference & ECExpo Update

Due to member feedback, the 2025 ECEDHA Annual Conference dates have shifted, with the pre-conference workshops beginning on Thursday and the Annual Conference kick-off on Friday.

2025 ECEDHA Annual Conference & ECExpo

Thursday, March 20th - Monday, March 24th, 2025.

2025 Schedule Overview

ECEDHA

Annual Conference

Friday, March 21st - Monday, March 24th

ECE Summit: What is the Role of ChatGPT in ECE? How will Generative AI Drive Innovation?

Webinar produced in partnership by:

ECE Foundation & NVIDIA

Professional Growth Series: Interview Like a Pro

Webinar produced in partnership by:

Texas Instruments &

Inclusive Engineering Consortium