ECE Graduate Handbook

Message from the President of the ECE Graduate Student Association

On behalf of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student Association (ECEGSA), I would like to welcome you to the 2010-11 academic year!  I am looking forward to this year with great enthusiasm, for new accomplishments and success for all of us at the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department. I also hope that this year will be a great year for new friendships and associations for each one of us. I would like to congratulate the incoming graduate students for choosing an amazing institution with an incredible array of opportunities for graduate study in engineering.

The goal of ECEGSA is to create an atmosphere that fosters the collegiality and social well-being of its students. ECEGSA forms a comprehensive resource of information and advice on different aspects of graduate life through our academic and professional activities. At the same time, we also work on improving the quality of student life through fun and exciting social events. We want to develop a sense of community among the graduate students, as well as promote excellence and diversity.

By working together with the faculty, staff, and student body, ECEGSA has maintained a high level of activity, both academic and social, every year. Among the academic activities, we have established the Graduate Student Seminar Series where graduate students present interesting research. This is a great opportunity for the ECE community to learn about different research and also for the presenters to learn, improve their presentation skills and receive feedback. Also, we have the Faculty Seminar Series so that the ECE community can learn the latest research from new faculty members. Throughout the year, ECEGSA sponsors various forums, to help the academic and professional life of ECE students. We have had forums on applying to faculty positions, applying for industry jobs, preparing for the Ph.D. qualifying exams, and giving a successful talk. Moreover, each year we assist the department in hosting the ECE Career Fair, attended by recruiters from top companies. We also help the department admit first-rate graduate students such as you to attend the University of Maryland. In addition to this, in the past years ECEGSA has assisted the department in hosting the Research Review Day and the International Day.

ECEGSA recognizes that for graduate students it is important to have time to relax, shift gears and have fun. Hence, every Friday, we host the famous ECEGSA coffee hour, where students and faculty members can enjoy good food, make new friends, or just catch up. We also organize a hiking trip and a barbeque in the fall and a ski trip in the spring. At the end of each semester, we host a farewell ceremony for the graduating students. As a result of the numerous activities and opportunities made available to students, ECEGSA has won the Golden Geese Award for the best student organization on campus multiple times.

The success of ECEGSA would not be possible without the help of the ECE staff whose friendliness and cooperation have made life better for the entire ECE community. We would also like to thank Professor O'Shea, Department Chair; Professor Liu, Associate Chair for Graduate Studies; and Professor Tits, ECEGSA faculty advisor, for their time and encouragement. Without their support and advice, ECEGSA would not have been able to flourish as it has in the past.

Most of all, ECEGSA could not possibly operate without the dedicated student volunteers whose time and effort have helped us run our events smoothly. Therefore, I would like to ask for your help in advancing ECEGSA even further in the coming year. Serving on ECEGSA is a great opportunity to meet people, get involved, and have fun at the same time. As a volunteer organization, we welcome any assistance you can offer. If you would like to participate in the ECEGSA, please don't hesitate to contact me at akotha@umd.edu. Also please feel free to visit our website at www.ece.umd.edu/ecegsa and subscribe to our mailing list at ece-gradstudents@eng.umd.edu to keep yourself updated on our upcoming events.

Good luck, and have a great 2010-11 academic year!


Aparna Kotha
President, ECEGSA

Return to Graduate Handbook Table of Contents

↑ Back to Top