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Kenneth Connor is a professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering where he teaches courses on plasma physics, electromagnetics, electronics and instrumentation, electric power, and general engineering. His research involves plasma physics, electromagnetics, photonics, engineering education, diversity in the engineering workforce, and technology enhanced learning. Since joining the Rensselaer faculty in 1974, he has been continuously involved in research programs at such places as Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Universities of Texas and Wisconsin in the U.S., Kyoto and Nagoya Universities in Japan, the Ioffe Institute in Russia, and Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology in Ukraine. He was ECSE Department Head from 2001 to 2008 and served on the board of the ECE Department Heads Association from 2003 to 2008. He is presently the Education Director for the SMART LIGHTING NSF ERC.

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Dr. Kathleen Meehan is presently an associate professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her previous academic positions were at at the University of Denver and West Virginia University. Prior to moving in academia, she was employed at Lytel, Inc., Polaroid Corporation, and Biocontrol Technology. She received her B.S.E.E. from Manhattan College and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign under the direction of Prof. Nick Holonyak, Jr. Her areas of research include design of optoelectronic materials, devices, and systems; optical spectroscopy; high heat load packaging; and electrical engineering pedagogy.

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Dr. Bonnie Ferri is a professor and associate chair for Undergraduate Affairs in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech. She received her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Notre Dame, her M.S. in MAE from Princeton and her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech. She spent two years working for Honeywell, Inc. as a controls engineer. She spent ten years working on hands-on education and has won several awards including the Harriet B. Rigas Award from the IEEE Education Society.

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Mohamed Chouikha is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Howard University. He received his MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado – Boulder. Dr. Chouikha’s research interests include, among other areas, machine learning, intelligent control, and multimedia signal processing communications for secure networks. He also focuses on enhancing recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities in the STEM areas in general, engineering in particular.
Dr. Bonnie Ferri, Georgia Institute of Technology
Bonnie Ferri is a Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Affairs in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech. She received her BS in EE from Notre Dame, her MS in MAE from Princeton and her PhD in EE from Georgia Tech. She spent two years working for Honeywell, Inc. as a controls engineer. She spent 10 years working on hands-on education and has won several awards including the Harriet B. Rigas Award from the IEEE Education Society.

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Dr. Yacob Astatke completed both his Doctor of Engineering and B.S.E.E. degrees from Morgan State University (MSU) and his M.S.E.E. from Johns Hopkins University. He has been a full time faculty member in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department at MSU since August 1994 and currently serves as the associate chair for Undergraduate Studies. Dr. Astatke is the winner of the 2012-2013 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Mid-Atlantic Region Distinguished Teacher Award. He teaches courses in both analog and digital electronic circuit design and instrumentation, with a focus on wireless communication. He has more than fifteen years experience in the development and delivery of synchronous and asynchronous web-based course supplements for electrical engineering courses. Dr. Astatke played a leading role in the development and implementation of the first completely online undergraduate ECE program in the state of Maryland. He has published over 40 papers and presented his research work at regional, national and international conferences. He also runs several exciting summer camps geared towards middle school, high school, and community college students to expose and increase their interest in pursuing Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Dr. Astatke travels to Ethiopia every summer to provide training and guest lectures related to the use of the mobile laboratory technology and pedagogy to enhance the ECE curriculum at five different universities.

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Dr. Mohamed Chouikha is a professor and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Howard University. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado–Boulder. Dr. Chouikha’s research interests include machine learning, intelligent control, and multimedia signal processing communications for secure networks, among other areas. He also focuses on enhancing recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities in the STEM areas in general, engineering in particular.

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Dr. Deborah Walter is an associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She teaches courses in circuits, electromagnetics, and medical imaging. Before joining academia in 2006, she was at the Computed Tomography Laboratory at GE’s Global Research Center for eight years. She worked on several technology development projects in the area of X-ray CT for medical and industrial imaging. She is a named inventor on nine patents. She has been active in the recruitment and retention of women and minorities in engineering and currently PI for an NSF-STEM grant to improve diversity at Rose-Hulman.

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