A Message from Jeffrey A. Hopwood

Chair, ECE Department

This is an exciting period of growth for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. We are increasing the size of the faculty again this year by adding expertise in the area of green energy. The faculty are also developing new and stronger ties with industry through a number of new initiatives including a partnership between Tufts and a start-up company co-founded by Professor Panetta. Innovation and entrepreneurship are the themes of a Professor Lasser's new program that gives our undergraduate students direct contact with prominent industry leaders.

Tufts alums have once again been generous to the department. These donations support nationally recognized programs such as the Nerd Girls and many other student-centered research and design projects. We are very proud to announce the M. Leighton Greenough Endowed Fellowship in Electrical Engineering. Leighton Greenough (E'40) has generously created this endowed fellowship to support the work of promising new graduate students in EE.

Our goal in ECE is to provide students with the educational setting necessary to hone both engineering expertise and a broader view of our society. One of the pressing engineering challenges faced by this and future generations is the development of sustainable energy technology. This year ECE hosted a public lecture on sustainable energy by Dr. Hermann Scheer, a prominent scientist in alternative energy and a member of the German Parliament. In addition, a team of our undergraduate engineering students interned with ECE alum Frank Pao's company to investigate photovoltaic efficiency this summer. The Nerd Girls also completed the installation of a solar power system for an isolated lighthouse off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts. This spring, we will offer a new course on sustainable energy systems. Looking to the future, the department is currently searching for a new faculty member to add to our expertise in sustainable energy. Simultaneously with this new ECE faculty position, the mechanical and chemical engineering departments are also adding new faculty in areas of alternative energy. These additions to the faculty will allow us to enhance the entire School of Engineering's educational and research programs in this important and exciting field.

Tufts is a great place to study and to work. We strive to combine the best of a traditional engineering education with the environment a broader liberal education. We expect our students to look for solutions to significant societal challenges and to become tomorrow's leaders. Please take a moment to browse through our webpages and discover some of our many new educational and research initiatives.

Jeffrey Hopwood
Fall 2007