2011 Edition - Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - The ...

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Department News » »Distinguished Professor Directs Graduate ProgramsDan F. Servey DistinguishedProfessor of EECS Victor Frostbecame the new Associate Chairfor EECS Graduate Studies this summer,replacing EECS Associate Professor ManKong who served in an interim role.Dr. Frost has chaired 12 Ph.D. dissertationsand more than 69 graduate MS theses. Hehelps students strengthen their criticalthinking and writing skills to betterprepare them for their careers, says DanielFokum (Ph.D. CS '10), who now teachescomputing at the University of the WestIndies. He adds that Dr. Frost's prominencein the simulation/networking community,which is why Fokum came to KU, willbring even greater visibility to the EECSgraduate programs."Over thenext fewyears, ourgoal is togrow thenumber ofgraduatestudentswhile increasing the quality of EECSgraduate education," says Dr. Frost."We are preparing our graduates to bethe future leaders and drivers of newtechnologies and innovation."Recently, Dr. Frost completed a two-yearprogram directorship in the Computerand Information Science and EngineeringDirectorate at the National ScienceFoundation, where he helped set thenational research agenda for networks.A Fellow of IEEE, Dr. Frost and his graduatestudents have contributed to the designand analysis of communications networks;that is, the technology that supports theInternet. He has served as principal orco-investigator on more than 80 projects.Dr. Frost served as the director of KU'sInformation and TelecommunicationTechnology Center for 11 years, beforestepping down in 2008."Victor is one of the best teachers andscholars in our Department. He has thetrust of the faculty and he is an excellentrole model for our graduate students,"says EECS Chair Glenn Prescott. "Hisexperience as a researcher, NSF programmanager, and research center directormakes him an ideal Associate Chair." •Change in Guard: Longtime Office Manager RetiresEwww.eecs.ku.eduECS Office Manager Cindy Wallishad been thinking about herretirementparty for quitesome timebefore theJune event.With ampleplanning time,she decided she would like the OscarMayer Weinermobile to transport herdown Jayhawk Boulevard with a bandfollowing her and playing "When theSaints Go Marching In.”EECS staff pulled off a scaled-downversion of Wallis' envisioned retirementparty with a Weinermobile cake and a jazzquartet. Numerous friends and colleaguesfrom her 30 years at KU filled the LockeAtrium of Eaton Hall on June 10.Wallis plans on traveling, directing homerenovations, and spending time with Moe,the wonder dog, and the rest of her familyin retirement.Elizabeth Dracobly replaced Wallis asOffice Manager in May. She oversees theDepartment's finances, human resources,ordering, policies, and numerous otherduties.Dracoblycame toEECS via KU’sInstructionalDevelopmentand SupportDepartment,where she maintained purchasing,invoicing, and other budgetary andpersonnel records. •
Seniors Find EECS Shop Becomes 'Best Friend'The Navy veteran Tom Colwellruns the EECS Shop with precisionand order. More than 300 drawersfilled with resistors, capacitors, andother components are all neatly marked.The nearly floor-to-ceiling shelving inthe front room also houses larger toolsthat each have their assigned spots.Orderliness, says Colwell, is necessary withsix students rotating at the front desk. IfShop attendants had to go rummaging forparts every time, there would be a lot ofunhappy students, says Colwell. He wantsthe Shop to run efficiently as possible toassist often stressed-out students in themiddle of projects.Located on the third floor of Eaton Hall,the EECS Shop is near the Senior DesignLabs. As seniors design, build, and analyzereal-world systems, they often go to theShop for guidance.“The EECS Shop becomes your best friendduring senior year,” says Tom Willger(BSEE ’11), now a Test System Engineerat Texas Instruments. “When buildingyour first independent circuits, there is acruel debugging phase to achieve a fullyfunctional circuit. Tom Colwell is the manto talk to when you need assistance. Aftera long night of unsuccessful debugging,Tom's words are as precious as gold.”Each year Colwell and his staff fabricatehundreds of printed circuit boards, savingthousands of dollars in outsourcingcosts. In-house milling ensures a quickturn-around of precise fabricated boardsneeded to operate electronic devices.In addition to etching, milling, and otherfabrication work, attendants order partsfor senior design projects and prepareEECS junior Robert Perez runs the milling machine in the EECS Shop.kits for lower-level EE and CoE labs asrequested by graduate teaching assistants(GTAs).As a GTA for the Senior Design Lab lastspring, EECS doctoral student Matt Cookworked closely with Shop personnelto ensure students had the necessaryequipment. A few years earlier during hisown Senior Design course, EECS Shoptechnicians helped Cook’s team builda canned satellite containing sensors,a microcomputer, and a radio to sendcollected data.“During my Senior Design class, theEECS Shop went above and beyond toaccommodate my team in getting thecomponents and tools that we needed tomeet deadlines and complete the project,”said Cook. “Then as a TA for Senior Design,I worked one-on-one with the top-notchEECS shop staff to plan and organize forthe Senior Design class. I look back fondlyat my experiences with Tom Colwell andEECS Shop staff.”“If students need something, they justhave to walk down the hall and ask. TheShop usually has it,” says EECS graduatestudent Matt Kitchen, a current GTA forthe Senior Design Lab. “The shop not onlyprovides components and test equipmentbut also offers solutions for prototypingcircuits, such as printing and milling circuitboards. People in the shop are alwaysknowledgeable about circuit fabricationand can offer plenty of helpful advice." •EECS News 2011 7
Page 1 and 2: Department ofElectrical Engineering
Page 3 and 4: PerspectiveIn one ofthe mostproduct
Page 6 and 7: Department News » »New Student Se
Page 10 and 11: New FacultyExperts in Data Privacy,
Page 12 and 13: Faculty Awards » »Innovative Teac
Page 14 and 15: Undergraduate SpotlightMeet EECS se
Page 16 and 17: Self Fellows » »Students Design H
Page 18 and 19: Jayhawk Motorsports » »Students B
Page 20 and 21: Graduate SpotlightMeet EECS doctora
Page 22: Graduate Student Success » »DoD A
Page 27 and 28: Tools Test Software CorrectnessTech
Page 29 and 30: The Center for the Remote Sensing o
Page 31 and 32: Alumni SpotlightTshering Shares Inc

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