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Happy Holidays from ECE

christmas2014Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year from the faculty and staff of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

We will have limited office hours during the two-week holiday period. Please see below for a complete listing.

Monday, Dec. 22: Open 7:30am to 4:00pm

Tuesday, Dec. 23: Open 7:30am to 3:00pm

Wednesday, Dec. 24: Closed

Thursday, Dec. 25: Closed

Friday, Dec. 26: Closed

Monday, Dec. 29: Open 8:00am to 3:00pm

Tuesday, Dec. 30: Open 8:00am to 3:00pm

Wednesday, Dec. 31: Closed

Thursday, Jan. 1: Closed

Friday, Jan. 2: Open 8:00am to 3:00pm

Happy New Year!

 

Michael Briseno awarded Mi-Light Photonics Scholarship

Michael Briseno receives Mi-Light Scholarship award from ECE Chair Dan Fuhrmann
Dan Fuhrmann presents Mi-Light Scholarship Award to Michael Briseno

Michael Briseno, a senior double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, was selected to receive a $1,250 Mi-Light Photonics Scholarship for academic year 2014-2015. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Technological University was among four in-state academic institutions to receive a share of the $5,000 scholarship funding provided by Mi-Light, the Michigan photonics industry cluster. The scholarship was created to support and promote photonics-related business in Michigan.

This fall, applications were accepted from undergraduate students majoring in electrical engineering; currently or have previously completed course work in photonics ; minimum GPA of 3.0; and demonstrated intent of continuing within the field. In addition to Briseno’s desire to pursue a career in photonics/optics, he was selected for his academic accomplishments and service.

Briseno is a member of the International Society for Optics and Photonics and the Optical Society of America, serving as secretary of the SPIE/OSA student organization at Michigan Tech. As SPIE/OSA secretary, he participated in middle and high school outreach programs presenting photonics demos and talking with students. He notes that one of the most rewarding things of this experience was seeing the students’ eyes light up as they learned about photonics through visually exciting applications. This past summer Briseno was hired by PPG Industries as a color scientist intern working with the optical properties of automotive paints and refinish.

Briseno also serves as president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and is a member of Michigan Tech’s Memorial Union Board and Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES).

See ECE Photonics for more information regarding the ECE Department’s Photonics Concentration.

Mi-Light is a non-profit organization serving Michigan’s photonics industry by bringing together professionals from companies, academia and organizations to mutually support and promote photonics-related business. For more on Mi-Light visit: www.mi-light.org.

Funds for this initiative were provided by the 21st Century Jobs Fund, a Michigan Strategic Fund program designed to accelerate the growth and diversification of Michigan’s economy. The MEDC, a public-private partnership between the state and local communities, provides administrative support for the 21st Century Jobs Fund. The MEDC markets Michigan and provides the tools and environment to drive job creation and investment. For more information on the 21st Century Jobs Fund initiative, visit www.MichiganAdvantage.org.For more on MEDC visit:  MichiganAdvantage.org.

ECE Announces 2014 Graduate Student Awards

Zagros Shahooei receives the 2014 Jonathan Bara Award for Outstanding GTA presented by ECE Chair Dan Fuhrmann
Zagros Shahooei receives the 2014 Jonathan Bara Award for Outstanding GTA presented by ECE Chair Dan Fuhrmann

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering announced its selection of the 2014 graduate student awards at the annual ECE Graduate Student and External Advisory Committee Banquet held on Thursday evening, October 2, in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom. Each year a nomination and selection process is conducted by the ECE faculty to identify an outstanding graduate teaching assistant (GTA) and graduate research assistant (GRA). This year’s award recipients are Zagros Shahooei, Jonathan Bara Outstanding GTA, and Xiaohui Wang, Matt Wolfe Outstanding GRA.

PhD student Zagros Shahooei was honored for his enthusiasm, and working relationship with the students as evident by his high teaching evaluations. In the Fall of 2013, he was recognized as one of the top GTAs campus-wide when the Graduate School awarded him with an Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award. During this time he carried a heavy course load, completing 30 credits of coursework while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. He also prepared for and successfully passed the PhD qualifier, and initiated his PhD research.

He has been effective at teaching a broad set of topics and lab skills at course levels from 2000 to 5000, and to ECE majors and non-majors alike. In the process, he learned and taught the following software packages: PSPICE, LabView, Eagle PCB Design, MultiSim, Matlab Simulink, ASPEN, SEL AcSELerator, ATP, and Doble Power Suite.

Zagros did a particularly outstanding job in EE5224, teaching 4 sections of a graduate-level lab that requires a great deal of preparation of lab software, hardware, and prelab guidance of the students. Based on his knowledge and demonstrated capabilities, he was chosen to participate in an international education and research exchange project at NTNU, in Trondheim, Norway from February through June of this year. The project is funded by the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education. Zagros shared the knowledge, best practices, and experience gained from teaching EE5224, assisted his hosts in designing and developing power system protection laboratory capabilities in support of graduate research projects, helped to advise and support two masters students in their projects, and contributed to research proposal writing. The expected outcome is to increase collaborative possibilities for research and exchange opportunities between Michigan Tech and NTNU. At the same time, he was developing his own PhD research proposal in the area of power system protection. He is now back at MTU continuing his progress toward PhD. Mr. Shahooei’s advisor is Dr. Bruce Mork.

xiaohui, wang_photo
Xiaohui Wang, PhD, 2014 Matt Wolfe Outstanding GRA

Xiaohui Wang received his degree PhD in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Tech in April 2014. He is honored as a truly exceptional graduate research assistant during his time at Michigan Tech.

Xiaohui began his PhD candidacy under the direction of his advisor Dr. Elena Semouchkina in Spring 2010, working on his dissertation entitled “Experimental and Computational Studies of Electromagnetic Cloaking at Microwaves”. Xiaohui’s research was featured in the Frontiers of Engineering Physics for his work on the development of novel metamaterials and invisibility cloaks. His outstanding work has demonstrated the feasibility of metamaterial cloaking devices via simulations and experiments on prototype cloaks at microwave frequencies. This cutting edge research is bringing distinction to Michigan Tech. In particular, the work on cloaking is currently featured on the NSF “Discoveries” website: http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/index.jsp?pims_id=13381&org=NSF

These findings were published in two 2013 Letter papers with Dr. Wang as the first author, one in the IEEE Microwave and Wireless Component Letters (MWCL) and another in the Applied Physics Letters, have been featured in two “First Bell” ASSE’s newsletters under “Higher Education”: http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2013032701asee&r=4154459-d0d6http://mailview.custombriefings.com/mailview.aspx?m=2013020501asee&r=2865525-b08b

This work has also inspired a question on the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” asking the contestant, ”What item are scientists at Michigan Technological University trying to build by capturing rays of light and routing them around objects?”.

Overall, Dr. Wang has authored and co-authored 5 published journal papers. His 5th paper published in the American Institute of Physics Advances (AIP Advances) in December 2013 develops a 3D spherical invisibility cloak, in addition to previously developed 2D cylindrical cloaks. The 6th paper, which he co-authored and submitted in summer 2014, is currently under review in the Journal of Applied Physics. He has also authored and co-authored 8 published refereed conference proceedings and two oral presentations at the IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation.

In recognition of the high quality of his work, his conference paper “Electromagnetic Cloaking by Using Multilayer Dielectric Coating” submitted to the 2013 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation was selected as Honorable Mention at the Best Student Paper Competition. The award included a $1000 stipend to attend and present his work at the Symposium in Orlando, Florida in July 2013. He was also invited to serve as the Session Chair, which is an exceptional honor for a graduate student.

In addition to Dr. Wang’s academic and research success, he was an invaluable contributor to establishing the new “Microwave Characterization Lab” in the Electrical Energy Resources Center (EERC), home to the ECE Department, where he has assembled equipment for full characterization of materials, metamaterials, and devices at frequencies up to 20 GHz and help to renovate the adjacent anechoic chamber, replacing the old microwave absorbers.

Xiaohui is currently an intern with Delphi in Kokomo, Indiana, and will begin his full-time position with the company in January 2015.

For more information please see Jonathan Bara Award for GTA and Matt Wolfe Award for Outstanding GRA.

 

Seminar: Instrumenting the Human Body

sep22Seminar presentation jointly sponsored by Michigan Technological University’s College of Engineering and the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Date: Monday, September 22, 2014; Time: 4:00-5:00 p.m.; Location: M&M U115
Title: Instrumenting the Human Body
Richard B. Brown, Ph.D., Dean of Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City

Abstract: Advances in semiconductor technology are enabling research into, and treatment of, many human diseases. Prof. Brown will present a highly‐integrated, low‐power, wireless, mixed-signal microprocessor that was designed for implantable biomedical applications, and braincomputer interfaces that enable researchers to monitor electrical firing of individual neurons, local field potentials, and chemical signaling in the brain.

Biography: Prof. Brown earned the degrees BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University. After working in industry for six years, he returned to school at the University of Utah and received the degree PhD in EE in 1985, developing one of the first “smart sensors,” an array of liquid chemical sensors with integrated electronics. Upon graduation, he joined the faculty of the University of Michigan, where he developed their VLSI program and conducted research on circuits (high‐speed, low‐power, high‐temperature, and radiation hard), microprocessors (high‐performance, low‐power, and mixed‐signal), sensors (for ions, heavy metals, and neurotransmitters), and brain‐machine interfaces. At Michigan he held an Arthur F. Thurnau Endowed Professorship. In 2004, he was appointed Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Utah, where he has continued to do research on circuits, mixed-signal microcontrollers and neural interfaces. Prof. Brown has been a founder with his students of Mobius Microsystems (all‐silicon clock generators), i‐SENS (glucose sensors), Sensicore (water chemistry sensors), and e‐SENS (chemical sensors). He holds 17 patents, has authored more than 225 peer‐reviewed publications, and graduated 30 PhD students.

Richard B. Brown, Ph.D., Dean of Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City presented a seminar at Michigan  Title: Instrumenting the Human Body; Shown here 2nd from left with Michigan Tech faculty, Paul Bergstrom, ECE Chair Daniel Fuhrmann and Saeid Nooshabadi
Richard B. Brown, Ph.D., Dean of Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City presented a seminar at Michigan Title: Instrumenting the Human Body; Shown here 2nd from left with Michigan Tech faculty, Paul Bergstrom, ECE Chair Daniel Fuhrmann and Saeid Nooshabadi

Michigan Tech/ECE Receives Mi-Light Photonics Scholarship Award

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering - Photonics Concentration
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering – Photonics Concentration

Mi-Light, the Michigan photonics industry cluster, announced the funding and award of $5,000 in scholarships to four in-state academic institutions. Baker College, Grand Valley State University, Michigan Technological University, and Northwestern Michigan College. Each college or university was allocated $1,250 to be awarded to students enrolled in photonics programs. For the complete press release see Manufacturing Engineering Magazine.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Tech will award one recipient the Mi-Light Photonics Scholarship in the amount of $1,250 during the 2014-2015 academic year. Eligible students must meet the basic requirements: Undergraduate student; Electrical Engineering major; currently or have previously completed course work in photonics; minimum GPA of 3.0; and demonstrated intent of continuing within the field. Students interested in applying for the scholarship must submit a cover letter detailing your background, experience, and interests in Photonics to Dr. Christopher Middlebrook at ctmiddle@mtu.edu. Deadline to apply is November 1, 2014.

See ECE Photonics more information regarding the ECE Department’s Photonics Concentration program.

About Mi-Light: Mi-Light is a non-profit organization serving Michigan’s photonics industry by bringing together professionals from companies, academia and organizations to mutually support and promote photonics-related business. For more on Mi-Light visit: www.mi-light.org.

MEDC Statement: Funds for this initiative were provided by the 21st Century Jobs Fund, a Michigan Strategic Fund program designed to accelerate the growth and diversification of Michigan’s economy. The MEDC, a public-private partnership between the state and local communities, provides administrative support for the 21st Century Jobs Fund. The MEDC markets Michigan and provides the tools and environment to drive job creation and investment. For more information on the 21st Century Jobs Fund initiative, visit www.MichiganAdvantage.org.For more on MEDC visit:  MichiganAdvantage.org.

 

 

ECE Academy, Class of 2014 Induction

ECE Academy, Class of 2014 inductees H. Paul Gay '70, Barry Van Veen '83, Michael Whitens '85, Lyman Morikawa '71
ECE Academy, Class of 2014 inductees H. Paul Gay ’70, Barry Van Veen ’83, Michael Whitens ’85, Lyman Morikawa ’71

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering welcomed five of its outstanding alumni to the ECE Academy, Class of 2014, at an induction ceremony held on Wednesday evening, August 6, in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom on the Michigan Tech campus. Inductees for the Class of 2014 are H. Paul Gay ’70, Lawrence Laurich ’65, Lyman Morikawa ’71, Barry Van Veen ’83, and Michael Whitens ’85. Mr. Laurich was unable to attend the ceremony due to illness and will be presented his induction plaque next week during a visit from Department Chair Dan Fuhrmann.

The inductees and guests also enjoyed a special message from guest speaker George Swenson, Jr. ’44. Dr. Swenson’s father was the founding chairman of the EE Department in 1928.

The purpose of the Academy is to honor outstanding graduates of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan Technological University. Election to the Academy is made by the Executive Committee of the faculty, and recognizes excellence and leadership in the engineering profession and civic affairs. This induction honors some of the most successful of the over 8,800 ECE alumni of Michigan Tech. Portraits of the new Academy members will be added to the prominent display in the lobby of the EERC building, to inspire and motivate future generations of students in electrical and computer engineering.

For more information see ECE Academy.

 

ECE Anounces 2014 Department Awards

Maria Damiani, ECE 2014 Departmental Scholar

The 2014 ECE Department Awards banquet was held on Thursday, April 17, 2014 in the Memorial Union Building Ballroom on the Michigan Tech campus. The banquet is held each spring to honor ECE students and senior design and enterprise teams. It is also a time to recognize those who have gone above and beyond in their contributions to academics and the community. This year the ECE department was proud to present the following student awards.

– ECE Departmental Scholar: Maria Damiani

– ECE Woman of Promise: Myder Vang

– Carl J. Schjonberg Outstanding Undergraduate Student: Chen Li

– Jonathan Bara Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Marco La Manna

As part of the ECE’s External Advisory Committee (EAC) Spring 2014 agenda, the members observed the department’s senior design and enterprise team presentations and poster displays to select a team from each group that best meets or exceeds their specific criteria related to today’s industry needs. This year’s EAC Industry Innovation Award went to Senior Design Team 1 for their project “Transmission System Guidelines for Line Commutated Motor Starting” sponsored by American Transmission Company (ATC), advisor Trever Hassell. SD-1 team members: Connor Dziubinski, Jon Hohol, Andrew Martin, and Daniel Parent. Blue Marble Security team “Blood Typing Device”, sponsored by Dr. Adrienne Minerick, Chemical Engineering, advisor Dr. Glen Archer, was selected from the enterprise teams. BMS-1 team members: Korbin Bickel, Gerry Chan, Matthew Gruber, Eman Jazayeri, and Mike Switala.

For more details see ECE Student Awards.

For the second consecutive year, Prof. Kit Cischke was named Professor of the Year by the Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Honor Society.

Myder Vang, ECE 2014 Woman of Promise
Chen Li, Carl J. Schjonberg Outstanding ECE Undergraduate Student
Marco La Manna, Jonathan Bara Outstanding ECE Graduate Teaching Assistant
EAC Industry Innovation Award: Senior Design Team 1: Connor Dziubinski, Jon Hohol, Andrew Martin, and Daniel Parent
EAC Industry Innovation Award: Blue Marble Security Team "Blood Typing Device": Korbin Bickel, Gerri Chan, Matthew Gruber, Eman Jazayeri, and Mike Switala
Prof. Kit Cischke, HKN Professor of the Year, presented by Adam Funkenbusch

Michigan Tech Students Head to Detroit for Alternative Spring Break

Students from the Michigan Tech National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) visited seven middle and high schools in Detroit over their Spring Break, March 11-14, 2014, to promote college and engineering to K-12 students. Two ECE students were in the team, Sam Adegun and Darlene Eppes. In the evenings, they conducted Family Engineering Night events at three K-8 schools. NSBE’s Alternative Spring Break is conducted in collaboration with the Detroit Public Schools Office of Science and the Detroit Math & Science Center, and funded in part, with a grant from John Deere.

WXYZ Channel 7 news in Detroit aired a feature story about an interview with Michigan Tech NSBE student chapter members in Detroit, working to motivate middle and high school students in Detroit schools to see college in their futures and to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Read More about Michigan Tech Students Head to Detroit for Alternative Spring Break

Michigan Tech NSBE students Family Engineering session at classroom in Detroit shown here in a photo from 2014

Judy Donahue – Receives Faculty International Development Award

ECE Undergraduate Advisor Judy Donahue

Judy Donahue, an academic advisor for undergraduates in electrical and computer engineering, has been named the recipient of a Faculty International Development Award. The award–co-sponsored by the Provost’s Office, International Programs and Services (IPS) and USAC, a study-abroad provider–will enable Donahue to spend five weeks at a study-abroad site in Viterbo, Italy, next summer.

At Viterbo, Donahue will study Italian language and culture.

The aim of the award is to provide academic advisers with the opportunity to study abroad themselves, so that they can better advise students on the value of study-abroad experiences.

“I can’t think of a more deserving candidate to receive this award,” said IPS Director Thy Yang. “Judy has been one of our strongest champions for study abroad, and we trust that her experience will give her the first-hand knowledge she needs to do an even better job of convincing students of the value of gaining an overseas experience.

Yang said she also believes that Donahue’s time overseas will help her better understand the needs of Michigan Tech’s international students.

Associate Provost Christa Walck added: “One of our university student learning goals is global literacy and knowledge of human culture.” The best way to develop this literacy is study abroad, and relatively few Michigan Tech students do. Academic advisors are very important to encourage and guide students to take advantage of our many study-abroad opportunities. When Thy Yang told me about this opportunity for advisors, I was happy to support it. As a dedicated and enthusiastic advisor and a member of the Advising Council, Judy is so deserving of this opportunity to experience study abroad first-hand.”

As posted in Tech Today, 12/13/2013

http://www.admin.mtu.edu/urel/ttoday/email/?issue=20131213

ECE wins GSG Co-ed softball championship

ECE championship softball team

The ECE team comprised of students and faculty powered past Physics by a score of 14-11 on Thursday evening, August 15 to win the 2013 Graduate Student Government (GSG) Co-ed softball championship in the competitive division. ECE team members: Nikoli Wiens, Jeff Burl, Warren Perger, Anthony Carley, Josh Wilson, Allen Klutts, Hillary Hamblin, Jace Fritzler, Courtney Rickard, Scott Blake, Jennifer Pilibosian, Alix Rugg, Kyle Hashman, Heather Hashman, Mandi Severn, Max Legatz, and KJ Thekan. For more information regarding the GSG Co-ed Softball League see  http://gsg.students.mtu.edu/softball.html