ECE professors, Mack Grady and Surya Santoso, are collecting the data needed to truly integrate wind power into the existing power grid—and creating the first university-lead phasor measurement network in the country. A collaboration between UT, the State of Texas, Austin Energy, and Schweitzer Engineering Inc. will make it possible for power operators in the future to maximize the use of this inexpensive, renewable, and non-polluting energy source.

ECE professor Dean Neikirk just received funding for a 5-year program to use wireless sensors to identify failing bridges, lower the cost of monitoring those bridges, and improve the safety of new bridges. The $6.8M project addresses a chronic problem for the aging American highway infrastructure.

Professor Nur Touba was named an IEEE Fellow—the highest grade of IEEE membership—for contributions to test data compression and built-in self-test for integrated circuits. Dr. Touba has developed a number of innovative techniques for automated design of testable and fault-tolerant circuits.

The department's first female IEEE Fellow, Professor Lizy John, was elevated for contributions to power modeling and performance evaluation of microprocessors. Dr. John has concentrated on allowing microprocessor designers to find problems early in the design process. Since pre-silicon microprocessors cannot be tested with full applications, Dr. John’s team developed a cloning technique to create miniature versions enabling an accurate estimation of performance and power. Dr.

The Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (UT-ECE) is delighted to announce that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has given three of our new professors a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant.

This highly competitive award is given to young faculty perceived as future leaders in integrating education and research.

Professor Brian L. Evans was elevated to IEEE Fellow, the highest grade of IEEE membership, for contributions to multicarrier communications and image display.

In multicarrier communications, Prof. Evans was recognized for his algorithms to maximize user bit rates in WiMax, cellular and DSL systems. In image display, he was recognized for his algorithms to improve image quality in printers. For both contributions, the algorithms were developed to be amenable for cost-effective implementation in products. Prof. Evans joined the UT Austin faculty in fall 1996.

Last week, the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, IBM, the Central Texas chapter of IEEE, and Whole Foods, sponsored the 5th annual Edison Lecture Series.

The tongue can be a powerful tool, but also a highly subjective one. Dr. Dean Neikirk developed what amounts to an artificial tongue. When food companies want to create the same flavor every time, they turn to Neikirk's electronic tongue to analyze liquids and pick out their exact chemical make-up. Neikirk's tongue uses microspheres, tiny sensors that change color when exposed to a specific targets, such as certain kinds of sugars. The result is a system that can't replace the person who says, This tastes good! but can make sure the chemistry of good taste is reliably replicated.

Skeet Smith Will Be Remembered

Professor Arjang Hassibi wants to revolutionize medical testing. Dr. Hassibi's research is devoted to making test results quick, convenient, and cheap via biochips. Biosensors—aka biochips—are essentially miniaturized laboratories on a single disposable integrated chip, capable of performing simultaneous biochemical reactions.

Biochips are basically hybrid systems, Hassibi says. The electronic part is solved. The challenge is how to make it into a chemical sensor.