Alumni News

2024 ECE Alumni Awards

Five ECE alumni are receiving departmental and College of Engineering awards for their contributions to society: Dixon Doll, Mehdi Hatamian, David Tarver, Leo Kempel, and Mariko Burgin.

Markus Borsch receives ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award for research on lightwave electronics

With his dissertation, Borsch takes on the unknown and enables the future of solid-state quantum electronics.

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RJ Jain: entrepreneur and champion of student research

RJ Jain, founder of Price.com and University of Michigan alumnus, is giving back by supporting the PURE-ECE program, helping undergraduate students engage in hands-on research and gain clarity about their future goals.

Alum Pin-Yu Chen receives 2024 Young Professional Industry Leadership Award

Chen received the award “for research and industry impact for machine learning robustness and AI safety.”

Johanna Mathieu and Anna Stuhlmacher receive HICSS Best Paper Award for work on the potential of drinking water networks as flexible electric loads

The team found that drinking water distribution networks in the U.S. represent a sizable resource when used as flexible electric loads.

ECE alum Bernard Arfin celebrates his Michigan roots at his 100th birthday

Bernie Arfin graded papers for William Gould Dow, worked at Willow Run research facility, and enjoyed attending football and basketball games up to his 99th birthday.

Mariko Burgin receives ECE Alumni Rising Star Award

Burgin spoke about her journey as an electrical engineer interested in space, leading her to work for NASA and Blue Origin on space missions.

Samuel H. Fuller funds early-career professorship

Fuller gave an alumni lecture on the history of computing and the current state of AI before presenting the inaugural award to Hun-Seok Kim.

Mehdi Hatamian honored with ECE Alumni Impact Award

Hatamian’s work promises to revolutionize healthcare with affordable, quick, and easy cancer screenings.

Celebrating New ECE Alumni Faculty

ECE celebrates these individuals who have recently begun their academic careers as new faculty members in higher education.

Leo Kempel receives ECE Distinguished Alumni Educator Award

Kempel delivered his award lecture on restructuring engineering education for the future.

David Tarver honored with ECE Alumni Merit Award

Returning to campus to receive his award, Tarver spoke about the arc of his professional journey from electrical engineer to community advocate.

2024 ECE Alumni Awards Recognize Leaders, Innovators, Educators, and Rising Stars

Five ECE alumni are receiving departmental and College of Engineering awards for their contributions to society: Dixon Doll, Mehdi Hatamian, David Tarver, Leo Kempel, and Mariko Burgin.

Bringing the Joy of Coding to Asilong, Kenya

Fourteen eleventh graders have joined Joy of Coding in Kenya, learning programming skills and teaching them to peers.

Kamal Sarabandi receives Ellis Island Medal of Honor

The national award recognizes the importance of immigrants and their descendants to U.S. economic and social vitality. Honorees are read annually into the Congressional Record.

William D. Becher: In Memoriam (1929-2024)

Dr. William “Bill” Becher was an alum of the Department, former ECE Chair at U-M Dearborn, and devoted steward of the former EECS Alumni Society and U-M Amateur Radio Club.

Markus Borsch receives ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award for research on lightwave electronics

With his dissertation, Borsch takes on the unknown and enables the future of solid-state quantum electronics.

Alum Kamal Rudra recognized as Young Scientist to attend 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Rudra will have the opportunity to meet 39 Nobel Laureates at the event, including Gérard Mourou.

The Krumm Family Scholarship Fund will support future electrical and computer engineering students

The Krumm Family Scholarship Fund is the second scholarship fund endowed by Charles and Patricia Krumm in their quest to benefit society through higher education.

Rhonda Franklin receives ECE Distinguished Alumni Educator Award

Franklin described her personal journey that led to her current research in RF and microwave technology for diverse applications, and her own work as a mentor to current students.

Remembering alum David Mills, who brought the internet into perfect time

Mills created the Network Time Protocol, which enables any device online to know precisely what time it is.

Michael McCorquodale (1974-2023): In Memoriam

Dr. McCorquodale, recipient of the 2009 CoE Alumni Society Recent Engineering Graduate award, left a legacy of entrepreneurial excellence and unwavering support of students.

Rick Wallace, KLA President and CEO, on the importance of embracing challenges

Wallace, the 2023 ECE Alumni Impact Award winner, spoke to students about qualities that make successful leaders and companies.

Necmiye Ozay is the Recipient of the First Faculty Development Professorship in ECE

Dr. Enke Chen and Huiyi Luan established the fund in honor of Prof. Stéphane Lafortune.

Olgica Milenkovic receives ECE’s Distinguished Educator Award for excellence in teaching bioinformatics, machine learning, and more

Prof. Milenkovic’s research at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign spans the areas of algorithm design and computing, bioinformatics, coding theory, machine learning, and signal processing.

Curtis Ling on what makes a successful technology company

As the 2023 ECE Merit Alumni Award winner, Ling chronicled his experience co-founding the semiconductor startup MaxLinear and shared his insights for those interested in pursuing a similar path.

Alum Mo Faisal on building a successful semiconductor company

Faisal, the 2023 ECE Rising Star Alumni Award recipient, founded Movellus based on his doctoral research conducted under Prof. David Wentzloff.

Congrats ECE alumni who joined academia

Congratulations to these ECE graduates who have recently joined academia as faculty members!

Cybernet CTO Charles Cohen works to shape the future of human-computer interaction, robotics, and artificial intelligence

Cohen (MS PhD EE ’91 ’96) talks about his career path, turning failure into opportunity, and the best thing his advisor Prof. Lynn Conway ever taught him.

Michigan Man Jack Underwood is an engineer through and through

The veteran and Michigan Medicine IT Manager graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from U-M this year, fulfilling a decades-long dream.

Laser-focused

Franklin Dollar, a pioneer in laser plasma research, is not only unraveling cosmic mysteries but also promoting equity and inclusivity in science education and research.

In a new Technical Sales course, students practice the skill set of selling technology to businesses

Alum Eli Neumann, the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales Engineers, co-designed the Center for Entrepreneurship course.

ECE Expeditions rides to the Lone Star State for a tour of engineering companies

Students networked with alums, tested demos of new technology, and toured labs at HPE, NASA, Ambiq, Dell, Torc Robotics, and NI.

Christopher Rutledge honored with the 2023 Willie Hobbs Moore Distinguished Alumni Lectureship

Rutledge shared his journey from growing up in rural East Texas to becoming a Distinguished Engineer at Verizon, one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world.

Ruba Borno, VP of Amazon Web Services and ECE Alum, stresses empathy and accountability in leadership

Borno, an ECE Rising Star Award winner, recently spoke about her experience in leadership during the pandemic, how her refugee background shaped her life, and why she literally climbs a mountain a year.

ECE alum Kai Cui empowers consumers to make sustainable fashion choices with her new app

Cui is the founder and CEO of CarbonTag™, a startup that developed the first carbon emission calculator for consumer fashion products.

Centenarian and alumnus Gus Gaynor: tech leader, entrepreneur, and communicator

Gaynor’s remarkable career as an entrepreneur, director of engineering at 3M, author, and long-time volunteer for IEEE spanned more than seven decades.

ECE Rising Star Tanya Das helps shape nationwide science policy to address climate change and more

Das (BSE EE 2011), who previously served the Biden Administration as the Chief of Staff of the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy, is currently the Associate Director of Energy Innovation at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Alumni profile: A conversation with Rich Uhlig

A Michigan engineer, Intel VP, and research lab director, Rich Uhlig is CSE’s Alumni Merit Award Winner for 2022.

Alum Paul Debevec honored with Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award for inventing a new kind of movie magic

Debevec’s groundbreaking imaging work revolutionized the film and television industry, helping create the special effects seen in Spider-Man 2, Avatar, The Hobbit, Blade Runner 2049, Gravity, The Mandalorian, and many more.

Vikram Verma talks the value of engineering and leadership to society as the 2022 ECE Alumni Impact Award winner

Verma credits his distinguished 30-year executive career with leading technology companies, including Savi Technology, Lockheed Martin and 8x8 Inc., to a combination of education, leadership, and luck.

Community-builder Leon Pryor takes Detroit’s FIRST Robotics program to new heights

Having excelled in careers at Microsoft, Amazon, and now Meta, the alum and renowned video game engineer co-founded The Motor City Alliance to make Detroit a powerhouse for FIRST Robotics teams

Arch W. Naylor: In Memoriam (1929 - 2022)

Arch Naylor helped introduce the developing field of information and control engineering at Michigan.

Engineering tough

ECE alum Linda Zhang has the daunting task of bringing America's bestselling vehicle into the electric age.

ECE Expeditions goes hybrid

Students visited the new KLA headquarters in Ann Arbor and attended virtual presentations by NVIDIA and NASA.

Douglas Teeter (1964 - 2022): In Memoriam

Dr. Doug Teeter (PHD EE 1988 1992) is remembered by his doctoral advisors at Michigan as an outstanding researcher, friend, and family man.

ECE alum Dave Babicz pioneered the lab kits that became a staple for at-home engineering courses

The lab kits used in our Analog Circuits course during the pandemic were created by Babicz, Director of Engineering at Analog Devices Inc., and fellow colleagues back in 2015 for the purpose of improving equity in engineering education.

ECE alum Mihir Sheth receives Young Innovator Award from Innovate UK for making a medical device that weans patients off ventilators quicker

Sheth is the co-founder of Inspiritus Health and has developed a simple to use, non-invasive medical device that keeps patients’ muscles engaged when they are on a ventilator to prevent muscle atrophy.

Katie Bouman talks legacy of the black hole imaging project and favorite U-M memories

Before Bouman became the face of the project that brought us the first ever image of a black hole, she was wowing ECE professors with design projects and hoarding Domino’s pizza with her HKN family.

Dr. Donnell Walton honored with the 2021 ECE Willie Hobbs Moore Distinguished Lectureship

Walton spoke about his career path and his current role as the director of the Corning Technology Center Silicon Valley.

Intel’s Jon Zapp plans the technologies of the future

Zapp, an EE alum who led the development of Intel’s Tiger Lake processor, talks combining his love of high tech with his skills in marketing and finance, his career at Intel, his favorite classes at Michigan, and his love of Backroom pizza.

ECE alum Linda Guillory breaks two world records for vintage video game collections

Guillory, an electrical engineer at Texas Instruments, shares her memories of U-M and how her love of fixing broken video games helped her become a world-renowned gaming collector.

Deltek’s Senior Director Shirin Mangold found her passion and her voice through Michigan Engineering’s Co-op program

The Engineering Cooperative Education Program introduced Mangold (CE 1993) to life as a working engineer and inspired her to pursue a career in software engineering.

ECE alum and entrepreneur Fred Gibbons teaches engineers to make products that people need

From growing up in a small East Coast fishing village to becoming lifelong friends with Steve Jobs, Stanford Professor Fred Gibbons shares his journey as a first-generation college student and what inspired him to teach product management and design.

Q&A with entrepreneur, philanthropist, and alum Dr. B. Jin Chang

After graduating from U-M where he worked with Prof. Emmett Leith, Dr. Chang founded SurgiTel, which provides dental professionals and surgeons with ergonomic vision-aide products.

Lee Boysel: In Memoriam (12/31/1938 - 4/25/2021)

Boysel (BSE MSE EE 1962 1963), founder, president and CEO of Four-Phase Systems, Inc., helped change the course of microprocessing with his company's invention of the AL1 microprocessor in 1969. He received the COE Alumni Merit Award for ECE in 2007.

Dr. Jim and Judith Seydel’s gifts to ECE support students while honoring those who empowered his career

Seydel shares his memories of the early days of holography at U-M and how former ECE Chair Hansford W. Farris, as well as professors Thomas Senior and Emmet Leith, helped shape his career.

Raytheon’s Dr. Katherine Herrick is the 2020 ECE Alumni Merit Award winner

Herrick is Senior Fellow and Director of Advanced Enabling Technology at Raytheon Company and serves on the ECE advisory council.

Alumni profile: A conversation with Douglas Densmore

Densmore works at the pioneering intersection of biology and electronic design automation to develop next-generation technologies.

Entrepreneur Dr. Scott Hanson awarded 2020 ECE Alumni Rising Star Award

Hanson is founder and CTO of Ambiq Micro, a startup semiconductor company that works to advance ultra-low power electronics for next generation Internet of Things.

Navin Shenoy, Intel’s Executive Vice President, awarded ECE’s highest Alumni Award Honor

Shenoy, who also serves as General Manager of the Data Platforms Group at Intel Corporation, is the recipient of the 2020 ECE Alumni Impact Award in recognition of his distinguished career.

Prof. Tara Javidi awarded ECE’s Distinguished Educator Award for her excellence in information and system theory education

Javidi is a professor of ECE at the University of California, San Diego, where she specializes in Communication & Information Processing Systems and Networks, and works to empower engineering students of all backgrounds.

Jian-Ming Jin awarded ECE’s Distinguished Educator Award for his excellence in electromagnetics education

Jin, a chair professor of ECE at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, describes his time at Michigan, and his career as an educator.

Alumni profile: A conversation with Robert Scott

A Michigan engineer and a corporate leader, Robert Scott is a team builder, a mentor to many, and champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Lawser family scholarship supports EECS wolverines

John and Sarah Lawser created the fund to give back to U-M by empowering the next generation of EECS engineers.

Tony Hsu and family establish new fellowship fund to support graduate students

In addition to the new fellowship, the Hsu family is supporting the department through the ECE fund.

U-M startup SkyGig aims to take 5G to the next level

With new funding in the company, the hardtech startup is bringing revolutionary technologies to reshape mmWave wireless.

The Renaissance of the American City

Improving the lives of others has remained a consistent, fundamental value across the entirety of Dr. Wardell’s career.

Help eradicate the virus of racism

As scientists and engineers, we have an obligation to focus on solving this big societal problem.

Advancing the future of circuit design with Intel’s Dr. Eric Karl

Karl (BSE MSE PhD EE) talks about how his time at Michigan helped prepare him for his dream job at Intel and a career advancing embedded memory technology and circuits.

Data security for a safer world

ECE alum Kurt Rohloff helped create one of the world’s best homomorphic encryption software libraries, and he reflects on how his time at Michigan helped shape his career.

Alum Adrienne Stiff-Roberts honored with the Willie Hobbs Moore Distinguished Lectureship

The Duke University Professor delivered a virtual talk on enabling hybrid thin films for optoelectronics and shared her memories of Michigan.

Katie Bouman wows U-M community with insider's look at the black hole imaging project

Speaking to a full house in Rackham, Dr. Katie Bouman – Michigan ECE alum – explained the history and science of the project that gave us the first ever photo of a black hole.

Designing the future of the human-tech interface

Rick Bergman, EVP of Computing and Graphics at Advanced Micro Devices, came to campus to accept the 2019 ECE Alumni Impact Award and spoke about his career and the future of computing and human interface.

Xbox Kinect architect, Dawson Yee, wins 2019 College of Engineering Alumni Merit Award for ECE

Yee gave advice to students on how to best prepare for a career helping produce the next generation of high-tech electronics.

Alumnus William Sanders appointed Dean of Carnegie Mellon’s College of Engineering

Sanders has spent the past 25 years of his career at the University of Illinois, working on secure and dependable computing and security for critical infrastructures.

Georgia Tech Dean of College of Engineering, Steve McLaughlin, wins 2019 ECE Distinguished Educator Award

McLaughlin spoke about how academic institutions can take better care of their students’ mental health while providing a fuller academic experience, as well as his love for U-M.

Hailing the future of autonomous taxis

Ford acquires Quantum Signal AI, founded by ECE alum Mitchell Rohde, to make robotaxis and driverless delivery vehicles a reality within two years.

Five EECS faculty and alumni recognized for business success

Nominees were selected based on their career accomplishments, impact in their field, and contributions to their community.

Engineering education trailblazer and industry innovator honored for by Michigan Engineering

For his work championing ECE from the classroom to the boardroom, Nicolaos Alexopoulos has received Michigan Engineering’s 2019 Alumni Award, the highest accolade given by the Michigan Engineering Alumni Board.

Bridge-builder for academia and industry wins distinguished alumni service award

For her outstanding dedication to electrical and computer engineering education at the University of Michigan, Karen Fireman is honored with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award.

Beyond Apollo 11: U-M ECE’s role in advancing space exploration

For the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, U-M ECE takes a look back – and a look forward – to how our professors, students, and alums have made their mark on the field.

KLA opens new R&D office in Ann Arbor

The global capital equipment company is looking to harness the engineering talent at U-M and power a brighter future with tech.

Advancing microelectronics and systems for the security of the future

As an ECE Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Jeremy Muldavin (BSE EP; MSE PhD EE) spoke about a DoD initiative to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. in microelectronics.

Tony Hsu explores the legacy of his grandfather, iconic Chinese poet Xu Zhimo

Tony Hsu (BSE EE ’68) looks back on how a single moment as a freshman at U-M inspired him to pursue a lifelong quest to understand the life and legacy of his famous grandfather.

Dr. Hadavi sets up new endowment to help ECE wolverines change the world

Dr. Cyrus Hadavi (PhD CE ’83) shares his hopes for the future of the ECE program, his knowledge as CEO of a long-lasting company, and his memories of good ole Ann Arbor days.

Black Engineers convention comes to Detroit and ECE is there to welcome the record-breaking 14,000 attendees

At this year’s convention for the National Society of Black Engineers, U-M professors, students, and alums came together with the other attendees to share experiences, offer career advice, and explore how to improve society.

U-M startup raises $6 million in venture funding

Movellus is a U-M startup founded by alumni Dr. Mo Faisal (now CEO) and Dr. Jeff Fredenburg (now VP of Engineering).

U-M alum is key player in first-ever image of a black hole

EECS-ECE alum Dr. Katie Bouman has helped expand our knowledge of the universe in a big way by shining light on one of the darkest mysteries in the cosmos.

Biopsy alternative: “Wearable” device captures cancer cells from blood

New device caught more than three times as many cancer cells as conventional blood draw samples.

Claude Shannon: Father of the Information Age

Learn more about one of Michigan's most illustrious alumni, Claude Shannon (1916-2001).

Robert J. Trew (1944-2019): In Memoriam

Bob Trew led a distinguished life as a professor, administrator, and public servant.

Zachary Lemnios: Helping to shape the new Frontier in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

The Honorable Zachary Lemnios, recipient of the 2018 ECE Alumni Impact Award, believes we are entering the Golden Age of Engineering.

Rick Bolander: Entrepreneurship is a team sport

Rick Bolander (BSE MSE EE ’83 ’85; MBA ’94, Harvard) has devoted his career to fulfilling the entrepreneurial dreams of others as much as his own.

A new company, Omniscent, is sniffing out dangerous levels of toxic chemicals in the air

Subscription service offers real-time monitoring

Alum Rhonda Franklin honored for her accomplishments with the Willie Hobbs Moore Award

From blowing up microwaves to inspiring a new generation of microwave engineers, Professor Franklin shares her research, insights, and thoughts on the future of women in engineering.

Computing visionary Sam Fuller honored by Michigan Engineering

The highest accolade from the Michigan Engineering Alumni Board goes to a thought leader with a track record of predicting the industry’s future.

Dowson Tong, VP of Tencent, talks to students

VP of the world’s largest gaming and social company, Tong spoke to students about AI, pursuing a global maximum in your career, and what it’s like to work in China when you don’t speak Mandarin.

ECE Family Fun Night draws over 500 attendees

Attendees explored engineering teams, labs, and projects with demonstrations and games.

Rick Flores leads a partnership of automakers into the autonomous future

Flores leads the development of frameworks for autonomous driving, connectivity, and electronic controls.

Piston Group Leader Amit Singhi’s Four-Point Play to Life

With an engineering background, Singhi has excelled in business.

The next medical markets of Collin Rich

An expert health sciences entrepreneur, Rich is ready to repeat success with revolutionary technology.

Nino A. Masnari (1935 – 2018): In memoriam

Nino Masnari, alumnus, friend, and former faculty member of Electrical and Computer Engineering, passed away May 19, 2018 at the age of 82.

Xiang Yin receives honorable mention for ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award

Yin researched cyber-physical systems and discrete-event systems.

A Role Model at Raytheon: Katherine Herrick

Katherine Herrick is a leader at Raytheon, and discovered how to be a mentor from her own role models after her time at Michigan.

Alumnus Garlin Gilchrist II serves as inaugural director of U-M Center for Social Media Responsibility

To address the growing concern of fake news, U-M has formed the School of Information Center for Social Media Responsibility, and hired EECS alumnus Garlin Gilchrist II.

ECE Expeditions travels to Seattle

Students toured Amazon, Boeing, INRIX, Madrona Venture Partners, Microsoft, and Philips Healthcare in the Puget Sound area.

Improving communication between humans and robots in 20 noisy questions

Hero and his team may have discovered a better way to facilitate communication using a twist on the classic game of 20 Questions.

Inaugural ECE Willie Hobbs Moore Alumni Lecture: Dr. Isaac R. Porche III

Porche discussed the changing definition of war and how information is playing a greater role than ever.

Charles and Patricia Krumm endow the George I. Haddad Graduate Fellowship Fund

Chuck and Pat Krumm look forward to the Fellowship Fund enhancing the ability of future engineers to contribute positively to society.

The art of cyber war with Isaac Porche

Porche shares the global state of cyber warfare, and how his time at Michigan led him to the front lines.

Jordi Ribas: From video compression to leading AI products at Microsoft

His PhD from Michigan ECE allowed him to lead one of the largest tech companies’ AI Products initiative.

Thomas B. A. Senior (1928 – 2017): In Memoriam

Thomas B. A. Senior, professor emeritus of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, passed away peacefully November 24, 2017, at the age of 89.

U-M, Cavium partner on Big Data research computing platform

The new partnership will provide scalable storage and an analytic software framework available to all U-M researchers.

Evigia founder Navid Yazdi creates essential sensor networks

Alumnus Navid Yazdi develops sensors that accomplish incredible tasks.

Footsteps all her own

The unexpected journey of father-and-daughter Raytheon engineers.

Claude Shannon: information icon

Early theoretical solutions led to practical applications that continue to power our digital world, while his inventions spanned the spectrum from playful to paramount.

Rick Bergman, CEO of Synaptics – giving tech a sense of touch

ECE alum Rick Bergman, CEO of Synaptics, is working to make tomorrow’s technology user friendly, safe, and reliable. The company hopes to lead what they call “the human interface revolution.”

Peter and Evelyn Fuss endow ECE chair

Believing in the power of creativity and quick action, the Fusses wanted to give the department maximum flexibility to respond to new initiatives and special needs wherever and whenever they arose. They are especially interested in expanding student diversity.

Peter S. Fuss: From Michigan to Leading a Global Network Technology Company

Fuss’ solid foundation and curious nature led him to make lasting contributions first at Bell Labs, and then as a founder and president of Tellabs, International.

Elmer Gilbert: A Life in Control

Elmer Gilbert reflects on his illustrious career in Control

Babak Parviz one of 20 alumni honored with U-M Bicentennial Award

Babak Parviz (MSE PhD EE 97 01; also MS Physics 97) was presented with a Bicentennial Alumni Award for his pioneering technological innovations that improve people’s lives. Babak is one of 20 alumni to earn this award.

ECE alum Kukjin Chun earns South Korea’s highest scientific honor

Alumnus Kukjin Chun receives the highest national honor for a Korean scientist and engineer.

The ‘Power’ of a lunchbox

Vasanthakumar came back to Chennai in 2016 with a goal to reinvent traditional and widely used personal products, starting with one of the most versatile products –— the lunchbox.

Won Pyo Hong, President of Samsung SDS, Presented with Inaugural ECE Alumni Impact Award

This honor, established in 2017, recognizes Dr. Hong for his pioneering work in the personal electronics industry, playing a key role in shaping our world.

Making learning addictive

Alumnus develops platform that allows instructors to turn almost any course into a multiplayer online game.

ECE Alum Kevin Johnson receives IEEE-USA Award

This award is given to those for Distinguished Public Service that is expected to help tech employees

Alum Mariesa Crow is looking to the future of power

Crow works on microgrids to upgrade infrastructure

A Q&A with alum Angela Blanton: VP and CFO at Carnegie Mellon University

From electrical engineering to University CRO

Azadeh Ansari receives ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award for research in GaN-based electro-acoustic devices

Award recognizes exceptional dissertations

Alum Michelle Stock elected SPIE Fellow for development of the photonics industry

SPIE chose Stock for her achievements in business development and science policy

Queen of the hurricanes: An engineer and feminist for the ages

Elsie MacGill, the world’s first female aircraft designer, drew strength from the women who came before her.

A Q&A with Rhonda Franklin – connecting diverse students

Franklin believes the best research results are achieved from a diversity of backgrounds, something she learned as a graduate student at Michigan and fosters in her own research group at Minnesota.

Sensors from head to toe – Todd Coleman makes measuring health simpler

Prof. Todd Coleman’s group is tackling the challenging problem of getting high-fidelity monitoring to work affordably at home.

Nader Behdad Receives the Inaugural ECE Rising Star Alumni Award for his Transformative Research in Antennas

Behdad has tackled some of the toughest problems in antenna research. But for his applications, they need to be very small – small enough to be used to treat cancer.

Alum startup wins $25,000 at Accelerate Michigan Competition

Movellus Circuits won $25,000 in the University Research Highlight and People’s Choice categories

MI business is his business

Alumnus David Tarver founded the Urban Entrepreneurship Initiative (UEI) Inc., in 2014. UEI helps aspiring entrepreneurs tackle urban problems with innovative, sustainable and profitable business solutions.

Having fun with ECE

The event highlighted the projects and work of several student teams and labs, giving kids and adults alike a chance to see ECE’s ingenuity in action.

U-M Shannon Centennial Symposium Celebrates the father of information theory

Researchers from around the nation gathered at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to celebrate the 100th birthday of alumnus Claude E. Shannon (BSE EE/Eng Math ’36, ScD hon. ’61) at the Shannon Centennial Symposium.

Rick and Mara Wallace establish ECE scholarship fund

This gift qualifies for the University’s Michigan Matching Initiative for Student Support, and proceeds will provide need-based scholarship support to electrical and computer engineering undergraduate students.

Willie Hobbs Moore (1934–1994): A First in EE and Physics

The first Black woman at Michigan to earn a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering ('58 and '61), and first in the country to earn a PhD in Physics (1972)

Bill Joy

A native Michigander, Joy co-founded Sun Microsystems and designed UNIX and Java.

Power to the Pixel: Photoshop is Born

How Thomas Knoll, a procrastinating Michigan graduate student, and his brother changed our view of the world.

G is for Google

Larry Page changed the web forever in 1998, now he wants to change the world.

Engineering a better life for people with diabetes

Hygieia automates and streamlines diabetes treatment, a disease affecting over 29 million Americans.

Claude Shannon centennial celebrants recall U-M grad’s advances, societal impact

Shannon theorized the binary code of zeros and ones that makes cell phones, email and the Internet possible.

Cutting the cost of hearing

MEMStim’s technology is already two phases into pre-clinical testing in preparation for FDA examination. Very few MEMS devices have made it this far.

Steven Battel elected to National Academy of Engineering

Mr. Battel is an expert on low-noise instrumentation power systems and is internationally recognized for his expertise in the design and development of space high voltage systems.

Dr. Mehdi Hatamian elected to National Academy of Engineering

Dr. Hatamian is Fellow and Chief Scientist – Central Engineering at Broadcom Ltd. He joined the company in 1996.

Gift launches M. Alten Gilleo distinguished lecture series in optical sciences and optoelectronics

Robert J. Armantrout Establishes ECE Graduate Education Fund

The fund will provide merit-based support to graduate students studying Electrical and Computer Engineering.

ECE students and alumni celebrate research and progress at the 2015 Engineering Graduate Symposium

Posters and presentations were judged by faculty and a visiting group of 14 returning ECE alumni, and winners were chosen in each area of study.

First-ever ECE Career Fair builds student careers and alumni connections

Local companies set up stands in the EECS Atrium to recruit from over 200 graduate and undergraduate students.

San Diego alumni connect and celebrate at ECE event

There were 40 alumni in attendance, with graduation years ranging from 1965 to 2014.

Ashraf Dahod: 2015 CoE Alumni Medal Award Winner

Dahod has combined an understanding of technology with a knack for recognizing market opportunities and built a string of successful technology companies.

Jimmy Hsiao – A local player in a global market

Jimmy founded Logic Solutions, Inc., a consulting company offering website development, web and mobile applications, and other tech solutions to companies around the world.

Garlin Gilchrist II: Innovation for the People

Garlin Gilchrist II set out on a lifelong mission to bring engineering solutions to communities in need.

Claude Gauthier and OmniPhy: Connecting to the ethernet revolution

Dr. Gauthier is co-founder and CTO of the semiconductor interface intellectual property (IP) company, OmniPhy.

Nader Najafi: A dream that saves lives

Dr. Nader Najafi is now leading the development of some of the most advanced micro-scale medical technology in the world.

Oz Pearlman: An engineer’s magic moment

Oz Pearlman is a professional magician and mentalist. His performances have made him one of the most well-known in this field.

Engineering friendship

Alum startup Jetivity aims to bring people together around shared interests with a free platform for posting activities.

ECE alumni networking event at Transducers Conference

About 65 alumni, students, faculty, friends and family gathered for dinner and an opportunity to catch up with the department.

Chicago alumni connect at networking reception

The ACC is one of the world's premier scientific and engineering conferences dedicated to the advancement of control theory and practice.

Ernest S. Kuh (1928 – 2015): pioneer in electronic circuit theory and EDA

As a devoted Michigan alumnus, he established the Ernest and Bettine Kuh Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan.

Four EECS companies make Crain’s list of most innovative companies, and one tops the list

This annual ranking of innovative companies in SE Michigan is based on the quality of patents received during the past year.

ECE alum Ruba Borno to join Cisco’s new executive team

The young executive has an extensive history in both the business and tech worlds.

ECE alumni connections at IMS2015

Along with alumni, there were current and former faculty members, current students, friends, and colleagues, including several program managers, in attendance.

The Mad Scientist’s Lab: A look inside Mitch Rohde and Quantum Signal’s school-sized playhouse

Don’t let the retro arcade games and oscilloscopes fool you – Mitch’s company is as modern as they come.

The gift of an education: Paul and Ruth Bauhahn fund the next generation of life-changing technology

Paul E. and Ruth E. Bauhahn of have made a planned gift of $450,000 to establish the Ruth E. and Paul E. Bauhahn Fellowship Fund to support full-time graduate students in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Silicon valley entrepreneurs help bring WIMS2 technology to the world

Shahin and Sassan discussed everything from the acquisition trends of small vs. large companies to the importance of building a team with a range of expertise.

Eric M. Aupperle (1935 – 2015): An internet pioneer leaves a remarkable legacy

Mr. Aupperle was a true Michigan man, devoting his career to the University and to the state of Michigan in his role as director and later president of Merit Network.

Advancing computation: 4th U-M alum wins Turing Award

The Turing Award has honors the computer scientists and engineers who create the systems and underlying theoretical foundations that propel the information technology industry.

Yi-Chin Wu receives ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award for research in network security

Her dissertation focused on “opacity,” which captures whether a given secret of the system can be inferred by intruders who observe the behavior of the system.

Two ECE alums make top semiconductor CEOs list

Two ECE alumni were recognized in an ‘Electronics Weekly’ list of 2014’s top semiconductor CEOs.

Irma Wyman: Computer pioneer and advocate for women in engineering

Her experiences led her to establish the Irma M. Wyman Scholarship at the University’s Center for the Education of Women.

Nick Yang: Investing in the age of robotics

At the age of 24, Yang sold his company ChinaRen for $35 million.

ECE students and alumni celebrate research and progress at the 2014 Engineering Graduate Symposium

ECE researchers had a strong presence at this year’s event, comprising nearly 80 of the day’s more than 240 presentations.

EECS alums are flying high with drone startup Skyspecs

SkySpecs is currently in the process of launching their first product, the Guardian, which will help prevent collisions.

Scott Hanson receives 2014 Arbor Networks Ph.D. Research Impact Award

Dr. Hanson is the co-founder of a startup semiconductor company that plans to lead the low-power revolution in electronics by powering the Internet of Things.

Steve Mollenkopf: Leader of Qualcomm and Mobile Technologies

Mollenkopf was elected as the third CEO of Qualcomm, Inc., which has become the largest fabless semiconductor producer in the world.

Peter Tchoryk: An entrepreneurial CEO

At MAC, Peter’s been able to combine his passions for scientific research and entrepreneurial creation.

Alumni explore lots of EECS-related engineering with their kids

Three hundred and eighty alumni and children stretched across North Campus, dabbling in drones and bones, rockets and radioactives.

Kathryn Clay: A policy leader in the natural gas revolution

Kathryn believes the country would benefit greatly if more scientific and technically trained people went into journalism or science policy.

Alumni Spotlight: Steve Mollenkopf, New CEO of Qualcomm

PsiKick startup attracts financing for its Internet of Things technology

The chips’ extreme energy efficiency enables them to be powered without a battery from harvested energy sources like vibration, thermal gradients, and more.

Dawson Yee: Kinect-ing Xbox to the World

Dawson is thrilled that his work on Kinect has bred creativity and enhanced lives beyond video games.

Babak Parviz: The visionary behind the glass

The inventor of Google Glass is now developing glucose monitoring contact lenses.

Alumni Spotlight: Allan Evans and Avegant: Creating a brilliant multimedia experience from anywhere with Glyph

Glyph is a wearable mobile personal theater and is the first head-mounted display coming to market that will have a virtual retinal display.

Nancy Benovich: Entrepreneur x 10

Nancy visits campus regularly as a speaker and is currently the mentor for a Michigan I-Corps innovation team.

Andrew Farah: the spark behind the Volt

Andrew Farah (BSE CE 1982; MSE Electrical Science 1984) was one of the chief architects behind the groundbreaking Chevy Volt.

Steve Mollenkopf: What it takes to lead in technology

Steve Mollenkopf is the President and COO of Qualcomm and talked about the company’s current projects.

Hannah Goldberg: Crazy about asteroids

At the time of this interview, Goldberg was at Planetary Resources

Michigan @ ISSCC 2013: Alumni and Friends Mixer

“Many of these people have known each other for years; it’s a great time to catch up.”

Alumni have fun exploring engineering with their kids

Hosted by the different engineering departments, the day-long event offered nine different workshops.

George Haley

George Haley describes himself as a simple man and in his own words he’s used to the finer things in life. “Theresa, food, wine, work – you name it, I’ve been lucky. You can put Michigan Engineering on that list; I wouldn’t be here without it.”

Howard and Beverly Sachar: Alum who has made a difference

You walk into a room and find a band (ragtime piano, guitar, violin, clarinet), an inventor, entrepreneur, executive, photographer, wine aficionado, husband, father and grandfather. How many people are in the room, other than you? Answer: one… Howard Sachar

Hasso Niemann (1933-2013): From Michigan to probing deep space

“He touched so many people scientifically and personally.”

ECE alum Kevin Xu wins Social Computing Challenge Competition

The challenge problem required the participants to interpret data sets in a way that could be used to predict social behavior.

W. David Tarver: Building a Successful International Company was his Proving Ground

David Tarver (BSE MSE EE '75 '76) is a successful industrial turned social entrepreneur

Richard P. Wallace – Reaching new heights

Whether it’s biking to the crest of Haleakala on Maui, or leading KLA-Tencor to the top of NASDAQ, Rick Wallace is familiar with making it to the summit.

Ernest and Bettine Kuh honor ECE with the Ernest and Bettine Kuh Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award

This award is bestowed on a young ECE faculty member on the basis of teaching, research, and service, as well as a record of innovation and leadership.

Wireless Integrated MicroSensing and Systems (WIMS2) in California

The technical topics ranged from wireless and low power circuits, to MEMS, to microfabricated gas chromatographs.

Charles K. (Ned) Birdsall (BSE EE and Math, MSE EE, ’46 ’48): 1925-2012

Birdsall was a pioneer in microwave tubes and plasma physics, an avid runner, and a beloved member of the EC Berkley community.

Michael McCorquodale named 2012 UBM Electronics ACE Innovator of the Year

“Without McCorquodale’s vision, unwavering persistence, and leadership in the face of decades of thinking to the contrary, CMOS oscillators would not exist today.”

Alumni Spotlight: Syed B. Ali (MSE EE 81)

“I wanted to give back. If it wasn’t for Michigan I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

ePack, Inc. wins Masco Next Gen Manufacturing Award at Innovation Competition

“ePack utilizes state of the art micromachining technology to provide a cost effective and high performance packaging service for micro- and milli-scale devices.”

Meera Sampath: Creative Problem Solving and Global Reach

U-M Alumni and Friends Mixer at ISSCC 2011

Curtis Ling: Making Things Happen

“Failure is an essential part of success. Be afraid of not learning enough, or not working with the best people. Don’t be afraid of failure, which is frequently success in disguise.”

Eric Dattoli named National Academies Research Associate

The aim of Dattoli’s research is to improve and broaden the understanding of nanowire gas sensing behavior.

Michael McCorquodale: Engineering a U-M Startup to Commercialized Technology in 5 Years

We spoke to Dr. Michael McCorquodale when he was here on campus as the 2009 CoE Alumni Society Recent Engineering Graduate Award. We provide updates since that time at the end of the story.

Lee Boysel: the early history of microprocessing

Microprocessing changed the computing world, and Michigan alumnus Lee Boysel played a pivotal role.

Tony Fadell, Mastermind Behind the Apple iPod, Offers Advice for Students

Mehdi Hatamian: From Michigan to Microelectronics Leader

ECE alum Dr. Mehdi Hatamian is an industry leader and entrepreneur who helps bring products to market.

Wayne Tsou: Taking Care of Business

Chen-To Tai (1915 - 2004): In Memoriam

Charles W. McMullen: In Memoriam (1924-2004)

Claude E. Shannon Statue Dedication at the University of Michigan

University of Michigan dedicates statue of Claude E. Shannon, alumnus and father of information theory.

Tribute to William Gould Dow on the Occasion of his 100th Birthday

The tribute includes a timeline of Dow's life, milestones in the history of technology, and photos taken at various stages of his life.