Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Letter from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Illinois Tech

 

Dr. Saniie

The Illinois Tech Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has a tradition of innovation dating back to 1901, when Illinois Tech faculty member Lee de Forest, widely recognized as the “Father of Radio,” sent his first long-distance broadcast from the university. Furthermore, in 1906 de Forest invented the first vacuum tube, Audion, which was capable of amplifying an electrical signal. Other notable alumni include Marvin Camras, the "father" of magnetic tape recording, and Marty Cooper, inventor of the cell phone.

ECE faculty, students, and alumni continue to change the world by developing technologies from alternative energy resources and communications advancements, to improving medical imaging. Our students are engaged in the latest technologies of machine vision, medical imaging, sensor networks, deep learning, cybersecurity, wireless communications, power system operation, smart microgrids, electric vehicles, power semiconductor device technologies, microelectronics, internet of things, cloud computing, and computer hardware and software capabilities. 

To address industry needs for students in today’s demanding fields, ECE has developed the following programs:

  • Bachelor of Science in Computer and Cybersecurity Engineering
  • Master of Cybersecurity Engineering
  • Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence for Computer Vision and Control
  • Master of Computer Engineering in Internet of Things
  • Master of Wireless Communications and Computer Networks

Electrical and computer engineering at Illinois Tech is one of the finest in the nation—which features a distinctive, hands-on, ABET-accredited curriculum delivered by faculty who are world renown in their respective areas of research and emerging technologies. Our faculty hold the highest of professional honors: one faculty member has been awarded membership to the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors; five faculty member are Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers fellows; two faculty are American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering fellows; and seven are Distinguished Professors and/or Endowed Chairs. Several of our ECE faculty have received the prestigious Career and Research Initiation awards from the National Science Foundation. Students will find opportunities to work side-by-side with these faculty members who are researching the most pressing problems society will face in the coming decades.

Our research immersion program ensures that from the start of their undergraduate programs, students actively participate in research. The graduate degrees offered by ECE are highly diverse, reflect the needs of the industry, and integrate cutting-edge research into a highly innovative curriculum. Research, coupled with our co-op and internship programs, elevate our student’s readiness for industry positions and makes them highly sought after.

All of our groundbreaking research takes place in industry-level, state-of-the-art research labs and centers—our department has two research centers and thirteen research labs. The Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation boasts Illinois Tech's microgrid technology, and the Medical Imaging Research Center builds devices, algorithms, and software methods for MRIs, phase-contrasts, X-rays, mammography, CTs, and PETs to address diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease, and various forms of cancer. 

This department is one of the largest in Illinois Tech's Armour College of Engineering. Below are ECE's 2022 enrollment and graduation facts:

  • 483 students enrolled in our programs, including 270 undergraduate students and 213 graduate students
  • 143 degrees awarded, including 13 Ph.D. degrees

The ECE department has been enjoying steady research and academic growth in terms of research expenditure, graduation rate, and job placement. These accomplishments are due to our dedicated faculty and engaged student body.  

We welcome you to the electrical and computer engineering department, and invite you to join us as we advance technology to “transform lives and invent the future.” 

Jafar Saniie
Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and IEEE Life Fellow
Chair, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering