The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association | | | |
Letter from the ECEDHA Executive Director
Charting the Future of ECE: Connection, Collaboration, and AI
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John Janowiak Executive Director
ECEDHA
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Dear ECEDHA Community,
In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, staying connected and current is more critical than ever for our ECE community. Technologies are advancing rapidly, from artificial intelligence and quantum computing to the expanding intersections of hardware and software systems. ECEDHA exists to help our members not only navigate change but also lead with vision, driving it forward.
This mission is carried out in part through the ECEDHA Summit Series, an ongoing, year-round program designed to bring the latest developments, ideas, and best practices directly to you and your department. The Summits provide department heads, faculty, and industry partners with opportunities to engage in focused discussions on emerging topics, share strategies, and build connections across our network.
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ECEDHA Membership grants your department ongoing, year-round access to the Summit Series for professional development and connection. This is just one example of how ECEDHA delivers sustained value beyond the annual conference. In that spirit, we’re proud to introduce a new AI-focused initiative debuting at the 2026 ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico—an essential opportunity for forward-looking leaders.
Every department is encouraged to take advantage of these offerings. Engage with your peers, join the discussions, and together, let’s shape the future of electrical and computer engineering education. As we navigate uncertainty and embrace change, ECEDHA remains your trusted anchor—a dynamic hub where innovation, collaboration, and leadership continue to shape the future of our community.
Best Regards,
John Janowiak
Executive Director
ECEDHA
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ECEDHA Community Summit Recap
Practical AI Tools for ECE Teaching and Learning
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The ECEDHA Community Summit on Practical AI Tools for Teaching and Learning brought together faculty, researchers, and industry leaders for an engaging discussion on how artificial intelligence is reshaping ECE education. With record participation, the session highlighted innovative strategies for integrating AI into coursework, assessment, and faculty development.
Rich Baraniuk of Rice University shared how OpenStax is evolving into an interactive teaching and learning platform, spotlighting tools like Notebook LM that create personalized and document-based learning experiences. From an industry perspective, Jim Barsaloux of Keysight Technologies showcased how AI is streamlining design education through guided learning modules and smart software assistance. Zach Justice of Cal State Chico introduced the “AI Retrofit” program, empowering faculty to reimagine courses and apply AI across disciplines.
Speakers also addressed key challenges—including assessment integrity, the balance between probabilistic AI systems and deterministic engineering principles, and strategies for combating AI “hallucinations.”
Building on the excitement from this Summit, ECEDHA will launch a new AI Initiative at the 2026 Annual Conference and ECExpo in Santa Ana Pueblo, NM, providing members with an ongoing forum to share ideas and advance AI-driven innovation in ECE education.
| | | Shekhar Bhansali: Challenge and Support for the AI Innovators of Tomorrow By: Vanderbilt University | | | | |
Shekhar Bhansali sees artificial intelligence as a “technological tsunami” that’s pouring into almost every part of our lives. For him, this is inspiring. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a major societal shift is what he and other engineers dream about. As a new faculty member at Vanderbilt and the new chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bhansali is excited to prepare Vanderbilt engineering students to drive this rapidly evolving innovation.
“Every CEO is asking the question, ‘How are we using applied AI?’ and they have middle management with domain expertise but no idea how to infuse AI into their specific industries,” said Bhansali, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “My vision is for our students to innovate ways to use AI and lead businesses of all kinds with the newest AI capabilities as true innovation experts.”
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Shekhar Bhansali, Department Chair and Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor, ECE
Vanderbilt University
| | | New AI tool makes medical imaging process 90% more efficient | | | | Rice approach sets standard for Brain and other medical imaging By: Silvia Cernea Clark | | | |
When doctors analyze a medical scan of an organ or area in the body, each part of the image has to be assigned an anatomical label. If the brain is under scrutiny for instance, its different parts have to be labeled as such, pixel by pixel: cerebral cortex, brain stem, cerebellum, etc. The process, called medical image segmentation, guides diagnosis, surgery planning and research.
In the days before artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), clinicians performed this crucial yet painstaking and time-consuming task by hand, but over the past decade, U-nets ⎯ a type of AI architecture specifically designed for medical image segmentation ⎯ have been the go-to instead. However, U-nets require large amounts of data and resources to be trained.
| | Kushal Vyas is an ECE doctoral student at Rice and first author on a paper presented at the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Society. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow/ Rice University) | | | |
Boise State Researcher Builds Smart Sensors for a Healthier Planet
By: Boise State University
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How can technology help farmers grow more while using less? That’s the question driving Assistant Professor Carol Baumbauer’s research in the College of Engineering at Boise State University.
In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Baumbauer and her team are creating innovative, affordable sensors that can detect changes in soil and water, helping farmers fine-tune fertilizer use and scientists track pollutants.
“We’re excited to have Dr. Baumbauer at Boise State,” Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair Neal Bangerter said. “Her research is poised to have a positive impact on agricultural operations, benefiting both growers and the environment.”
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Dr. Carol Baumbauer
Assistant Professor, ECE
Boise State University
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Call for Articles
ECEDHA members are invited to submit articles of interest for the ECEDHA Source. Please send articles for consideration to information@ecedha.org.
| | | Association Announcements | | | | 2026 Call for Applications! | | | |
Applications are now open for the 2026 iREDEFINE: Impact—Redefining Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty program, an NSF-supported initiative designed to prepare the next generation of ECE faculty.
iREDEFINE provides PhD students and postdoctoral scholars with professional development, mentorship, and invaluable networking opportunities with department chairs and academic leaders. Participants gain insight into the faculty hiring process, strengthen their teaching and research portfolios, and build lasting connections within the ECEDHA community.
The 2026 iREDEFINE program will take place March 21–22, 2026, in conjunction with the 2026 ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. Fellows will also participate in select conference sessions and events.
Each selected Fellow will receive a professional development grant of up to $2,000 to support travel, registration, and lodging.
Applications are due December 1, 2025, with faculty recommendations due by December 12, 2025.
We encourage ECE department heads and faculty to share this opportunity with their students and postdocs.
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Important Dates:
Applications Due: Monday 12/1/25
Faculty Recommendations Due: Friday 12/12/25
Students Notified: Wednesday 1/21/26
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Category Summits - Register Today!
Category Summits foster collaboration among specific membership groups, providing opportunities for benchmarking and addressing issues relevant to like-sized institutions.
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Category 1 - Wednesday, November 5th, 1:00-2:00 pm CT - Register
Category 2 - Thursday, October 30th, 12:00-1:00 pm CT - Register
Category 3 - Monday, November 3rd, 1:00-2:00 pm CT - Register
Category 4 - Tuesday, October 28th, 1:00-2:00 pm CT - Register
For information on your institution's category, please reach out to membership@ecedha.org
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Now Renewing!
2025-2026 ECEDHA Memberships
Renew your membership today to continue receiving valuable ECEDHA member benefits.
For assistance with membership renewal, please contact membership@ecedha.org or 312-268-5601
| | | Renewing your ECEDHA membership keeps you connected to a collaborative network of ECE leaders, valuable resources, and opportunities to engage in programs and events. It ensures access to best-practice sharing and partnerships that strengthen your department and advance the ECE community. | | |
Nominations are Open for the 2025 ECEDHA Awards!
Nominations due by Friday, December 19, 2025
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ECEDHA members are encouraged to nominate outstanding colleagues and leaders within the ECE community. All nominations are due by Friday, December 19, 2025. Award recipients will be notified in January 2026. The ECEDHA Annual Awardees will be honored during the ECEDHA Awards Ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the ECEDHA Annual Conference & ECExpo in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
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The 2026 ECEDHA Annual Conference and ECExpo will occur late March 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa.
This premier annual gathering will feature:
- An intensive conference program of Keynotes, Plenary Panels, Collaborative General Sessions and Breakouts
- Specialized programming for Lab Professionals and Students
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ECExpo technology exhibition
- Full-day Pre-Conference Workshops
- Ample opportunity for networking
| | | | | ECEDHA is pleased to provide a platform for members to post job announcements | | | |
University of Wisconsin, Platteville - Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Posted 10/2/25)
The Ohio State University - Assistant/Associate Professional Practice Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Posted 10/3/25)
University of Nebraska, Lincoln - Full Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Posted 10/8/25)
University of Miami - Open-Rank Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty Positions in Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering (Posted 10/10/25)
Vanderbilt University - Open Rank Faculty Search, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (Posted 10/10/25)
University of Texas at Dallas - Open Rank Positions in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Posted 10/14/25)
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ECEDHA Community Summit - 9/23/25
Practical AI Tools for ECE Teaching and Learning
| | | | On-Demand Sessions available on the ECEDHA Website | | | |
Developing Industry-Aligned Graduate Programs in the CHIPS and AI Era
Strengthening Student Pathways: Transfer Students, Internships, and Early Industry Exposure
Addressing Transfer, Retention, and Completion
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Entrepreneurship Innovation in ECE
Integrating AI, Quantum, and CHIPS Act Opportunities into Existing Research Infrastructure
| | | A Little Engineering Humor | | |
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