UK ECE Winter 2021 Newsletter

UK Electrical and Computer Engineering

Winter Newsletter 2021

ECE Faculty Members Awarded Over $5M in New Grants

ECE Faculty have seen tremendous research success in recent months, with multiple new projects and more than $5 million dollars in new external funding. Awards include:

Dr. John Young and Dr. Rob Adams, Office of Naval Research (ONR), "Permanent Magnetization and Corrosion-Related Field Prediction of Complex Structures", $750,000 over 3 years. READ MORE

Dr. Ishan Thakkar and Dr. Todd Hastings, National Science Foundation (NSF), "Transforming Optical Neural Network Accelerators with Stochastic Computing", $300,000 over 3 years. READ MORE

Dr. Jiangbiao He, NSF, "Smart Coils for AC Motors, collaboration with Kansas State University, $500,000 over 3 years. READ MORE

Dr's Yuan Liao, Aaron Cramer, Jiangbiao He, and Dan Ionel, Department of Defense (DoD), "Real Time Digital Simulator Empowered Modeling, Diagnostics, Protection, and Control of Power Components and Systems", $875,000 over 1 year. READ MORE

Dr. Ahmad Salehi, NSF, ""FET: SMALL: New Abstraction and Design Automation for Complex Computations with DNA Using Fractional Coding", $400,000 over 3 years. READ MORE

Dr. Luis Sanchez Giraldo, DoD, "“Measures of Information via Representation Learning", $600,000 over 3 years. READ MORE

Dr. Dan Ionel, QM Power Inc., "Advanced Large-Scale Optimization of Innovative Electric Machines", collaborative project over 2 years. READ MORE

Dr. Jiangbiao He, U.S. Department of Energy, "Ultra-high-Performance nano-Liquid Insulation for upgrading Large Power Transformers (UPLIFT)", collaboration with GE Research, $1.71million over 2 years. READ MORE

ECE Partners with College on new Engineering Technology Department

The UK College of Engineering recently announced the launch of a new Department of Engineering Technology, headed by Dr. Nelson Akafuah. Programs include 4-year degrees in Lean Systems Engineering Technology and Computer Engineering Technology.

ECE Faculty have been active partners in the creation of this new department, including ECE Chair Dr. Mike Johnson who heads the Engineering Technology Faculty Committee.

Read about new Engineering Technology Programs

Alumni

EE Alum Joan Coleman Inducted to Alumni Hall of Distinction

The University of Kentucky College of Engineering inducted EE Alum Joan Coleman, BSEE '86 into the Hall of Distinction this fall. Joan spent most of her career with BellSouth and AT&T, including serving as President of AT&T Kentucky from 2007-2009.

Read about Joan Coleman and other HoD inductees

J. Anthony Powell Inducted into NASA Research Hall of Fame

J. Anthony "Tony" Powell (BSEE 1959) has been inducted into the NASA Glenn Research Center Hall of Fame. Powell's awards include a Special Achievement Award (1973), Lewis Technical Publication of the Year (1980), Exceptional Engineering Achievement Award (1990), Exceptional Service Award (2002), and projects in the IR 100 and R&D 100 lists in 1983 and 2004.

Learn more about J. Anthony Powell

Students

IEEE PES National Scholarships to EE, PEIK Students

Once again, UK ECE students have been recognized by the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) for their outstanding achievements. This year's recipients are Hope Anderson and Steven Poore, both of whom work with ECE Professor Dr. Dan Ionel.

Learn more about PES Scholarship Awards

ECE SPARK Lab students receive ICRERA Best Paper Award

ECE students Hope Anderson and Evan Jones, along with ECE Postdoctoral Researcher Abdullah Al Hadi, and ECE Professor Dan M. Ionel recently received an ICERA best paper award for their paper “Power Factor and Reactive Power in US Residences - Survey and EnergyPlus Modeling”