Reza Abdolvand, chair of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, says he couldn鈥檛 be happier about the new advanced electrical engineering equipment that arrived recently at the university’s wireless communications lab.
The new technology will help modernize the lab and provide industry-relevant learning opportunities for hundreds of electrical and computer engineering students, Abdolvand says.
New signal generators, signal analyzers, and other high-speed electrical testing and measurement devices were donated to the department by Rohde & Schwarz, an international family-owned company that specializes in electrical test equipment and wireless communications products.
The instruments, valued at more than $100,000, are small-scale versions of Rohde & Schwarz鈥檚 state-of-the-art products that are widely used in industries worldwide to test and measure advanced components inside mobile and wireless communications devices and systems.
It鈥檚 the type of gift that 麻豆原创 electrical engineering and computer engineering students need to gain hands-on experience using the same technology used in industry and prepare for high-tech jobs when they graduate.
George Atia, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering who teaches fundamentals of communications systems, says the donation will benefit his students who study the foundations of digital data transmission and communication, including the theories of sampling, quantization, encoding and digital modulation.
鈥淲ith this new lab equipment, the coursework will become more tangible,鈥� Atia says. 鈥淢y students can witness the practical application of digital signal processing and communication concepts that they encounter in the classroom. The generous donation will help upgrade our lab experiments, which will markedly improve our students鈥� overall learning experience.鈥�
鈥淲e sincerely thank Rohde & Schwarz for their generous gift of this technology to 麻豆原创,鈥� Abdolvand says. 鈥淭his type of investment in engineering education is what will take our students to the next level. ECE students need state-of-the-art signal analyzers and other instruments that can keep up with advancing capabilities in this industry. I鈥檝e always been impressed with the quality of Rohde & Schwarz equipment.鈥�
The gift comes at a critical time for many industries experiencing transformational growth that relies on a skilled workforce of electrical and computer engineers. Recent government investment in semiconductor manufacturing through the CHIPS Act has uncovered a shortage of electrical engineers in the U.S., according to a May 2023 Kiplinger report.
Jobs are abundant in the nearly $200 billion mobile and wireless communications industry that supports cell phones, GPS systems, WiFi signaling and more. Technological advancements that make wireless communications faster and more secure are fueling growth. Advances in wireless communications technology are driving the transformation of other industries such as transportation and energy and are creating additional job demand for engineers.
麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering helps meet the demand for electrical and computer engineers by producing a high volume of skilled graduates 鈥� approximately 400 per year 鈥� which, Abdolvand says, can only be accomplished with strong support from industry partners, including Rohde & Schwarz.
With a passion for helping students and his alma mater, Neil Ellenback 鈥�99, account manager at Rohde & Schwarz, helped orchestrate the equipment donation to 麻豆原创.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen many university electrical engineering labs,鈥� Ellenback says. 鈥淚 can confidently say that 麻豆原创 is one of the top two best equipped electrical engineering labs in the entire southeast United States. And in the state of Florida, 麻豆原创 has the most modern electrical engineering equipment. There鈥檚 a very high standard of quality here.鈥�
Ellenback has worked with 麻豆原创 as a business client and for talent acquisition for more than 15 years. 鈥淲e are glad to expand the capabilities of the labs at 麻豆原创. This donation allows ECE to keep the curriculum updated so that students are current upon graduation,鈥� he says.
With 麻豆原创鈥檚 level of lab excellence, Paul Shaffer 鈥�09 鈥�13MS, an application engineer at Rohde & Schwarz and an electrical engineering alumnus, says he knew that the equipment would be put to great use which is why he wanted to help 麻豆原创鈥檚 ECE Department.
He wants students to know that Rohde & Schwarz offers abundant opportunities for 麻豆原创 graduates. The Munich, Germany-based company employs 14,000 worldwide, with 700 employees in the U.S. with operations in California, Maryland, Oregon, Texas and the southeast, including Florida.
Ellenback and Shaffer agree that the best benefit of working for Rohde & Schwarz is the ability to stay connected to 麻豆原创 and help students.
鈥淲e鈥檙e alumni. We wanted to give to our school. The value of this gift goes beyond us.鈥�
