 MEET THE STUDENTS
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Nof's Three Favorite Things about the ECE Department:
1.
My advisor
2. The cultural diversity where I have been able to have friends from many different countries.
3. The friendly atmosphere in the department where the students are not only involved in classroom activities but also social activities through the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student Association (ECEGSA) that organizes a weekly coffee hour in addition to various trips and events.
Advice to Incoming Students:
Students should manage their time wisely in a way they can achieve academic success as well as have rich cultural experience by engaging in social activities outside the classroom, and to NEVER STRESS OUT.
Good luck! |
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Nof
talks about ECE @ Maryland:
I was born and raised in Sidon, Lebanon. I received my Bachelor in Engineering (B.E.) degree in Computer and Communications Engineering from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon in 2007. I was very interested in being more specialized in the communications field. Thus, I joined the University of Maryland in January 2008 to pursue Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering.
Engineering is an interesting profession that allows you to find simple and creative solutions to problems that seems to be complicated. Thus, it involves both sciences and arts. I have chosen Electrical Engineering in particular because I had special interest in computers and electronics since I was young, and this interest increased as I grew up. Besides, I excelled in mathematics and sciences in high school, which are the bases for studying Engineering. Also, I was highly motivated by the technological advances that happened in the last decade when the internet evolved, and I wanted to be a contributive part of these advancements.
The first reason that most students are interested in the University of Maryland Electrical and Computer Engineering department is that it is one of the top departments in the U.S. However, as an international student, it is very important to choose a place that you can be comfortable living in. The University of Maryland is very close to Washington, DC, where there are always different events and activities to do in leisure time. After spending a year in University of Maryland, I believe I made the right decision!
I am pursuing a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. My area of specialization is Communications and Signal Processing. My current research interests are resource allocation in wireless networks, cooperative communications and network coding.
I am currently a member of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Student Association (ECEGSA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE). Outside the classroom, I like to be engaged in activities that have humanitarian causes. I am currently learning tennis! I also like watching movies, watching Formula One racing, and traveling.
I am working under the supervision of Prof. Anthony Ephremides. I believe he is a great support to pursuing my degree in many aspects. He encourages me to think for myself and to identify what research problems I would like to work in. He helps me develop my ideas and gives me insight in approaching the research problems. He also identifies my points of weaknesses and suggests ways that would improve my skills. He encourages attending and participating in conferences to interact with academic peers from different universities and to learn about their work.
After I finish my degree, I will seek either a post doctorate position or work in a research lab. I think this career track is challenging since I will always be exposed to new and interesting research problems, and thus it always requires thinking about innovative solutions to these problems. The ECE department organizes events such as the ECE Career Fair where we get in contact with leading companies and know about the current available jobs and learn about the necessary requirements to be qualified for a job. The department frequently sends emails informing us about job vacancies and available academic positions. Other than the career fair, the department organizes panel discussions and round table meetings where we meet industry and academic leaders and learn from their experience.
I think the most important reason why students should enroll in the University of Maryland Electrical and Computer Engineering program is that it prepares students to be leaders in their area of specialization.
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