The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) offers programs leading to the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical Engineering degrees.
The Faculty and students conduct research in several core areas including devices and materials; electromechanical and energy systems; embedded systems; and electromagnetics. Graduate courses in these areas provide the foundation for earning the MSEE or PhD. Individual faculty members and their research and teaching interests are listed on the ECE website.
Students and faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have access to state-of-the-art facilities and capabilities. The Department maintains well-equipped laboratories in large, modern buildings. Graduate students conduct their research in these laboratories, and students are typically provided dedicated office space.
Programs
The ECE Department offers two different paths to the MSEE degree: Plan I includes coursework, research, and the completion of a thesis. Plan II requires additional coursework and the completion of a culminating experience in place of a thesis.
The PhD is a degree based on coursework and research. This degree provides graduates with the background needed to become experts in their selected area of specialization.
During the first semester, a student enrolled in any graduate program should identify a primary faculty advisor and become familiar with all the required forms and deadlines associated with their program.
Research
The faculty and students in ECE Department conduct research worth several million dollars annually in four core areas:
- Devices and Materials
This research area is focused on fundamental and applied research on materials and devices. Active research includes magnetic materials for electromagnetic devices in electric machines; synthesis of nanomaterials for electronic and photonic nanodevices; and oxide materials for MEMS piezoelectric and multiferroic sensors/actuators. A group of ECE faculty work on a broad spectrum of solid-state devices including solar cells, sensors, and terahertz (THz) biomedical imaging.
- Electromechanical and Energy Systems
This research area focuses on the design, development, and control of electrical systems as well as combined electrical and mechanical systems. On the electrical system side, research activities include electric power and energy systems and power electronics with modern applications covering renewable energy systems, microgrids, vehicle-grid integration, smart grid, energy internet, etc. Within the sub-discipline of power electronics, several faculty are involved in design and optimization of high-performance converters utilizing emerging wide-bandgap semiconductor technology including Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) devices. Management and mitigation of electromagnetic interference (EMI) in high-frequency SiC and GaN converter systems is also an active area of research within the department. On the integrated electrical and mechanical system side, research activities include electric machines, energy conversion, and motion control systems with modern applications covering electric vehicles, wind energy conversion, smart homes and buildings, process automation, robotics, etc.
- Embedded Systems
This research area is focused on computing systems in all aspects and applications. Active research by the ECE faculty includes robotics, intelligent sensors, computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, wearable sensors, security and privacy in computing systems, intelligent wireless communications and networks, big data, tele-healthcare, systems-on-chip, virtual reality, IoT devices, biosensors, implantable devices, and autonomous ground, air, and underwater vehicles. This research area also covers embedded system hardware (microcontrollers and FPGAs), digital signal/image processing, real-time systems, and biomedical applications of computing devices.
- Electromagnetics
Electromagnetics involves solving Maxwell’s four equations and is the foundation for electromagnetic device and system design. Maxwell's equations describe the laws of electricity and magnetism. Electromagnetics applies the four equations to electromagnetic device performance analysis. Microwave communications, radio propagation in antennas, microwave millimeter engineering, remote sensing, and object imaging are common subdisciplines.
Faculty
Department Head
- Ricks, Kenneth (Interim)
Cudworth Professor of Electrcial and Computer Engineering and Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
- Gogineni, Prasad
Cudworth Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Sazonov, Edward
E.A. Larry Drummond Endowed Chair of Computer Engineering
- Hong, Yang-Ki
Professors
- Abu Qahouq, Jaber
- Balasubramanian, Bharat
- Cheng, Mark
- Haskew, Tim
- Hu, Fei
- Kim, Margaret
- Li, Dawen
- Newman, Sharlene
- Ricks, Kenneth
Associate professors
- Freeborn, Todd
- Kotru, Sushma
- Kung, Patrick
- Lemmon, Andrew
- Li, Shuhui
- Song, Aijun
Assistant professors
- Baker, Nick
- Gurbuz, Sevgi
- Jeong, Nathan
- Neshani, Sara
- Sun, Shunqiao
- Taylor, Andrew
Professors emeriti
- Burkett, Susan
- Jackson, Jeff
- Morley, Lloyd A. "Pete"
Courses
Master's degree students may earn graduate credit for a maximum of 6 semester hours of 400-level course credit but only if a form for Approval of 400-Level Course Work for Master's Credit is approved by the department and Graduate School prior to the semester in which the 400-level coursework will be taken.