 MEET THE STUDENTS
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Cassaundra's Three Favorite Things about the ECE Department:
1. The help that the graduate department gave to me as an incoming student.
2. The help from the Graduate Handbook that is accessible via literature in a book or online.
3. The convenience of the STAMP student union and the engineering libraries.
Advice to Incoming Students:
Find a support group as soon as possible. Since Maryland has such a big campus, it is easy to get lost in the Maryland sauce. But you have to remember that you are an important ingredient in this recipe, and you have to make your unique flavor known, or the sauce will keep right on simmering without you.
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Cassaundra
talks about ECE @ Maryland:
I am originally from Long Branch, a small town located right along the Jersey shore. I would describe myself as a National Honor Society student, active in dance, band and lacrosse in high school, who ventured to Morgan State University to pursue a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. Once I obtained my degree, I decided to attend the University of Maryland – College Park.
My drive and determination to be successful in life comes from my supportive family. My mother worked for the Naval Base for many years and raised me and my siblings. She always told us that we can do and become anything that our hearts desire. Currently, my sister is pursuing her Ph.D. in Pharmacy at Hampton University and my brother is still in high school and plans to attend college next fall to become an engineer. My grandparents also played a big part in our upbringing with their encouragement, support and prayers.
Learning how to analyze and assemble circuits in my AP Physics class at Long Branch High School (LBHS) aroused my interest in electrical engineering, and the facilities, such as the Fabrication Lab in the Kim Building and the various research centers on campus, lured me in to the University of Maryland.
I am pursuing a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in Microelectronics. The diversified jobs that are available to engineers are what keep my interest towards electrical engineering. I am also interested in the development of nanoscale biosensors and alternative energy sources for electronic devices such as ethanol 85 for automobiles. Currently, I am working on my research project that is geared towards enhancing infrared detection for planetary exploration.
I started doing research on a NASA funded project in the Analog and Mixed Signal Systems Design Research Lab, entitled “Fabrication of an Infrared Bolometer Array using Magnesium Diboride Sensors.” My other activities consists of participating in the Promise Research Symposium and the ECEGSA Ski Trip as well as going to the WECE meetings, ECE Coffee Hour, and Grad Pub. Outside of school, I love to dance, sleep, and hangout with family and friends.
The ECE Department is surprisingly solution-oriented. Whenever I have an issue, I just go to the department and they help me to resolve the problem in a timely manner.
I think that College Park has enhanced my ability to become independent from others because no matter how much guidance you receive, you still have to attain your goals for yourself.
I have had many mentors that have guided me along my first year of study in different ways. Dr. Tracy Chung and Dr. Darryll Pines both assisted me in the application process and served as mentors throughout the school year. My academic advisor Dr. Timothy Horiuchi helped me to set up my first semester courses and Dr. Martin Peckerar, my research advisor nominated me to work on a NASA-funded research project. The Bridge to Doctorate Fellowship Director, Dr. Tamara Hamilton, aided me in obtaining funding for my academic career.
My mentoring was not just limited to faculty and staff. Through the PROMISE Peer Mentoring Program, I am being mentored by graduate student Nicole Nelson. I was also mentored by graduate student Filiz Yesilkoy through the WECE Big Sister/ Little Sister program during my first semester of grad school at College Park. In addition, my honorary mentors are Marc Dandin, Jui-Ping Chiang, Terrell Johnson, Ayanah George and Mahsa Dornajafi who might not be official mentors, but have all helped me with my studies at Maryland.
After obtaining my Masters degree, I plan to start a business to create an electrical device while doing research for a company practicing cutting edge technologies, and maybe return to school later to obtain a Ph.D. in Bioengineering. The ECE program has helped me pursue my goals by allowing me to take electives in other fields of study that strike my interest, and by teaching me state of the art technologies and advanced electrical engineering concepts.
Students should enroll at the University of Maryland because it is one of the top schools in electrical engineering and it gives the students many research options, especially if they want to do interdisciplinary research.
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