Meet the Students

Electrical and Computer Engineering,  specializing in power

Hometown: South Euclid, OH

Advice for new students: Try to create and build a very strong network of not only of your classmates, but also professors and technical professionals. Within the ECE department there are a lot of opportunities to network with, obviously, professors, but also alumni that have graduated and come back to speak to ECE students. Also try to give yourself a well-rounded education. I think one of the great things about this university is that you know you’re going to get a great technical education. But it’s up to you to make sure you come out as a well-rounded student, whether it’s being involved in student organizations in ECE or around the university.

Electrical and Computer Engineering,  specializing in power and control

Hometown: Solon, OH

Advice for new students: Get involved! The College of Engineering has over 30 different project teams ranging from solar to concrete canoe to EcoCAR to Baja. It just goes on and on…Employers look at these, and say “Hey, this person is interested in engineering both in the classroom and outside of the classroom, really passionate about it." And they definitely take that to note when looking for new interns or co-ops or even new hires. Because you are, you’re getting that hands-on engineering experience that makes you a well-rounded person. Also it’s a lot of fun! 

Electrical and Computer Engineering,  computer engineering program of study

Hometown: Columbus, OH 

Advice for new students: Trying to juggle school, and work, and work with Buckeye Current (an engineering student project team) isn’t easy. But I think that the more you do the more you can really try to figure out what your focus areas are, what your interests are, and prioritize those.

Electrical and Computer Engineering,  computer engineering program of study with a focus on controls

Hometown: Streetsboro, OH (southeast of Cleveland)

Advice for new students: Go to office hours! Or at the least, ask questions during and after class. Showing that you are putting the effort in to a class means more to a teacher than getting an A. Once you have a relationship with different professors, a lot of doors will be opened for you. Also, get involved in something, anything. Solar Decathlon was incredibly challenging and at times seemed impossible, but knowing that I accomplished something is a great feeling.

Electrical and Computer Engineering, electrical engineering program of study

Hometown: Elyria, Ohio

Advice for new students: Form study groups. Go to office hours. Take classes that you will enjoy, even if they aren’t part of your major. Get involved with student groups. Look ahead; you don’t have to know exactly what kind of job you want when you get out of school, but planning the classes you will take each quarter ahead of time is a good idea. Make an ECIP profile and take a co-op. Applying for a co-op that is in a quarter other than summer gives you a better chance of getting a position. A lot of students are wary of taking co-ops if it means that they will graduate later, but college is not a race. If you have the opportunity to study abroad for a quarter, don’t say no just because you want to graduate sooner. College is the time of your life to work hard, but have fun too!

Electrical and Computer Engineering, focusing on communications and controls

Hometown: New Orleans, Louisana

Advice for new students:
My main advice is to lead a balanced life as a college student. Sure, one can study all day and make perfect grades, but they won’t have any time outside of class. College is the time for both having fun and also preparing for your future career. Find the harmony between both worlds.

PhD Student
Electrical and Computer Engineering, focusing on radar signal processing

What do you like about the ECE graduate program?
The quality of the professors, postdocs, and researchers in the digital signal processing area is world-class. I have never come across a larger group of people who are so knowledgeable, humble, kind, and generous with their time. It's amazing and is something I'm thankful for every day.

PhD Student
Electrical and Computer Engineering,  focusing on electromagnetics

How would you describe the environment in the ECE department and the ElectroScience Lab?
This is very much an environment that fosters collaboration. Really, everybody is one the same page here; we’re all about putting out great research and innovation. Faculty collaborate to that end.

PhD Student
Electrical and Computer Engineering, focusing on solid state electronics and photonics

What advice do you have for prospective graduate students?
I think the reason we join the PhD program is because we want to gain more knowledge and hopefully use that knowledge to make our own little contribution to science and technology. The main virtue that you need to do research is to have a lot of patience, because the number of days you have failures far outnumber the number of days you have success. But to overcome those challenges and make your device or design work is, I think, a very rewarding experience.