The electrical engineering (EE) department underwent changes in management this quarter, with newly appointed chair Radha Poovendran starting on January 1.
Poovendran is optimistic about the department’s future. He referenced the size of the department, which is similar in size to the computer science engineering and mechanical engineering departments, as he believes the large number of electrical engineering students indicates the department’s past success.
Monica Sarratt, assistant to the chair, said the EE department is a “people-driven, team-oriented environment that we’re cultivating.”
Both Sarratt and Poovendran emphasized that many of the expected changes are extensions of previous efforts. Poovendran said radical change would not disrupt the department.
“[Students] become the job creators and entrepreneurs,” he said. “That is the dream.”
Despite the academic success that Poovendran emphasized, he wants to look at collaboration between departments. He sees interdisciplinary coursework as a key focus for the future.
Crucially, he mentioned the newer synthetic biology course, EE 423. He believes it will be a crucial course for the department going forward because it acts as an example of departmental cooperation for something new and scientifically exciting.
Poovendran also said he wants to bring in different disciples to face problems that would be invisible without a novel viewpoint.
He also mentioned that a culture of discovery, like those seen in startups, is strong in the graduate programs, but not as present at the undergraduate level.
Poovendran pointed out that Babak Parviz, inventor of Google Glass and affiliate professor in the program, reached out to people in the humanities in order to generate ideas.
“Humanities and social science aspects need to be integrated into the design progress,” he said. “Usability is essential. Everybody participates to make things work.”
Poovendran also looks to address the issue of diversity within the EE program and among STEM majors as a whole. A diverse environment enriches what gets done from an engineering standpoint, he said.
He mentioned that many of the potential EE hires the department looks at are women. Looking into the future, he wants to ensure a robust program to show future applicants that the department is a leader in diversity.
“This is the only way we will grow,” Pooverdran said. “… It’s about people. It’s about being able to teach and mentor our students for their success. The university will be remembered for our discoveries and our students.”
Reach contributing writer Thomas Crowe at development@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @thomasacrowe