Welcome Message 

David J. Lilja
Department Head and
Louis J. Schnell Professor

Welcome to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Minnesota,
Twin Cities. We offered our first course in electrical engineering in 1887 and have since grown to become
one of the leading international programs in electrical and computer engineering, education, and research.
Our distinguished faculty works closely with students who come from throughout Minnesota, the nation,
and the world.

ECE is committed to educating the future work force and to conducting research with collaborators from industry
and government. We seek to provide an outstanding education in electrical and computer engineering, to maintain
international pre-eminence in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, and to serve both the public and
private sectors through the collective experience and expertise of its faculty and students.

The department is one of the core engineering programs within the Institute of Technology—the University of
Minnesota's college of engineering, physical sciences, and mathematics. The unique combination of academic
departments and research centers housed within IT, combined with the resources of a large, comprehensive
university, provides unparalleled opportunities for cross-disciplinary research and education.

The university is conveniently located in the heart of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. This area is a
thriving center of high technology with numerous large and small firms specializing in electronics, computers,
telecommunications, magnetic storage, and biomedical devices. Minnesota and the Twin Cities area also
provide a wealth of cultural and recreational activities to complement the department's research and educational
opportunities.

Graduates of IT, and the ECE department in particular, have long been deeply involved in entrepreneurial activities.
A recent survey of IT graduates found more than 4,000 alumni-founded companies that are active today. Worldwide,
companies founded by IT alumni currently employ more than half a million people and generate $90 billion in
annual revenue. These companies span many fields, including communications, software, electronics, nano-
technology, and biotechnology. ECE students and faculty have served as key sources of scientific and engineering
talent, expertise, and innovative ideas for these and many other companies.

Faculty and students work across interdisciplinary boundaries and assemble effective multidisciplinary research
groups. Our research and teaching concentrate among the broadly defined areas of nano, info, bio, and energy
as described below. 

          Nano – The nano area is concerned with scaling traditional semiconductor processes
          and technologies to smaller “nanoscale” dimensions, as well as developing entirely
          new paradigms for constructing devices and systems at very small physical dimensions. 
          A related problem is interfacing these new nano-devices and systems to the macro-level
          world.

          Info – The info area focuses on the more traditional ECE themes of acquiring, processing,
          modeling, storing, and communicating information.  This area includes, among others,
          computer engineering, communications, and control systems.

          Bio – The bio area extends traditional ECE-developed tools and techniques into studying,
          controlling, and designing biological systems, as well as the design and development of
          biomedical devices for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

          Energy – Electrical and Computer Engineering historically has had an important component
          of its work in the generation and distribution of energy. With the continuing importance of energy
          to the world economy,  the department is focusing more of its research efforts into alternate
          energy sources and distribution techniques.

The ECE department is housed in a first-class facility with outstanding laboratory, classroom, and office spaces.
The building also is home to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. This proximity has encouraged
close cooperation between the two departments in educational and research activities providing valuable
opportunities for both students and faculty. The Nanofabrication Center (NFC)—one of the most sophisticated
academic semiconductor and nanoelectronic research and teaching facilities in the nation—also is located in the building.

The department has a long history of integrating research with teaching, providing extraordinary opportunities for both
undergraduate and graduate students to become involved with leading-edge research. ECE faculty and students conduct
research not only within the department, but also in collaboration with numerous university research centers, including
the Characterization Facility, the Digital Technology Center, the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, the
Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications, the Nanofabrication Center, the Multi-Axial Sub-assemblage Testing (MAST)
System, the Supercomputing Institute, the Center for Transportation Studies, and the Technological Leadership Institute.
Please contact us if you would like more information about studying in our department or if you need help locating a faculty
member with a particular expertise. We look forward to hearing from you.

David J. Lilja
Professor and Department Head