A year of growth and achievements for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Visit from Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland

With the Faculty of Science’s Department of Physics, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering awarded Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland with an honorary degree at the Engineering convocation in June. Strickland — who is one of five women ever awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics for her work with Gérard Mourou on ultra-high-intensity laser science — delivered inspiring talks to the graduating classes, captivated over 400 attendees at a public lecture and toured U of A laser research labs including the new 15 Terawatt ultra-short-pulse laser lab.

Welcoming new members

The department was thrilled to welcome faculty members Zhaohui Wang, Bita Fallahi and Yize Chen, as well as associate lecturer Mohsen Eslami and Jason Wong, teaching assistant and lab kit coordinator, to the team in 2024.

Celebrating achievements

In June, the department celebrated the teaching excellence, innovative research and leadership of students, faculty and researchers at the Electrical and Computer Engineering awards ceremony. The department also received prestigious national honours, including two Canada Research Chair appointments for Amina Hussein and Cor-Paul Bezemer and a Canadian Academy of Engineering fellowship for Ryan Li. The department is tremendously grateful to everyone who supported the accreditation snapshot, which involved extensive materials collection, collaboration with the Industry Advisory Committee and the start of a comprehensive program review and modernization initiative.

Honouring retirements

This year also marked the retirements of Bruce Cockburn, John Salmon, Wilsun Xu, and Pinder Bains. The department is grateful for their decades of service and the profound legacy of teaching, research and mentorship excellence they leave behind. We extend our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for their next chapters.

Looking forward

In 2025, the department will be actively recruiting faculty and staff, as well as launching the new Mechatronics and Robotics program, which will further expand the department’s offerings, meeting critical industry demands and preparing students for cutting-edge careers.