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 2007-08 academic year! For those of you who are incoming graduate students, you have chosen a terrific institution for graduate study in engineering. The resources and opportunities that you will find here are ones which can only be found at a world-class institution such as the University of Maryland.

Since we realize that there exists a life beyond the walls of academia, the ECE Department also aims to create an atmosphere that fosters the collegiality and social well-being of its students. This is where the ECEGSA, an organization led by your fellow ECE graduate students, is here to help. Our mission involves enabling students for success during and after college through academic and professional activities, as well as improving the quality of student life through fun and exciting social activities.

By working together with the faculty, staff, and student body, the ECEGSA maintains a high level of activity each and every year. Among academic activities, the ECEGSA has established the Graduate Student Seminar Series where graduate students present their current research, as well as the Faculty Seminar Series where the ECE community can hear about the latest research from new faculty members. We have also sponsored several forums over issues such as applying for faculty positions, conducting high-quality research, preparing for the Ph.D. qualifying exam, or giving a successful talk. Other forums allow students to speak openly with the department Chair or the Dean of the engineering school. Each year, we assist the department in hosting the ECE Job Fair which is attended by recruiters from top companies. We have also helped the department recruit first-rate graduate students such as yourselves to attend the University of Maryland!

Furthermore, the ECEGSA organizes popular social activities such as the weekly coffee hours, where students can relax and converse in a friendly environment, or the ever-popular fall barbecue. We also organize a day-long hiking trip in the fall as well as the winter ski trip, a student favorite. As a result of the numerous activities and opportunities made available to students, the ECEGSA has won the Golden Geese Award for the best student organization on campus multiple times.

Of course, the recent success of the ECEGSA would have been impossible 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. Without their support for the graduate student body, the ECEGSA would not have been able to flourish as it has in the past.

Most of all, the ECEGSA could not possibly operate without those dedicated student volunteers whose time and effort have helped us run our events smoothly and flawlessly. Therefore, I would like to ask for your help in advancing the ECEGSA even further in the coming year. Serving on the ECEGSA is a great opportunity to meet people, get involved, and have some 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 kiemyang@umd.edu.

Good luck, and have a great 2007-08 academic year!

Sincerely,

Steve Tjoa
President, ECEGSA

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