This semester we have a departure and arrival to announce. Professor Yung-Jui (Ray) Chen has retired. Ray has been with UMBC for twenty-four years. He taught courses in electronics and circuit theory and initiated research in compound semiconductors here at UMBC. He served as Program Director for the Electrical Engineering program in its early days. We hope to see him often and wish him well.
On the arrival side, Dr. Pedram Sadeghian has joined our department as a computer science lecturer. Pedram comes to us from Howard Community College (HCC), where he spent more than five years as an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Computer Science and Information Systems. Welcome aboard Pedram!
In October, Professor Anupam Joshi was named director of the new UMBC Center for Cybersecurity. Dr. Joshi and co-director Dr. Richard Forno, Graduate Program Director Cybersecurity, will work together to advance UMBC’s position as a leading research university in the field of Cybersecurity.
The CSEE department continues to do well in its mission. Last Academic Year we recorded approximately $5 million in research expenditures in spite of the very difficult funding environment. We have reached a milestone of producing 238 PhD’s since 1986.
On the teaching forefront, the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation has awarded an Implementation and Research Grant to a team led by professor Marie desJardins for “Active Computing Teaching and InnoVation Environment” (ACTIVE). ACTIVE will be a dynamic “laptop laboratory” that will support innovation in computing courses–with a particular focus on improving the retention and success of women, underrepresented minorities, and transfer students. The laboratory will extend active-learning environments, such as CASTLE and the new English writing labs, to a new area of the university.
Looking towards the future, we anticipate searching for a new tenure-track Assistant Professor in Computer Science. Have a great Spring semester. Keep up to date by visiting www.csee.umbc.edu.
Go Ravens
Dr. Gary Carter
Chair, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering