Message from the Chair
A Message from the Chair: Celebrating a Year of Excellence and Innovation
Welcome to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rutgers University. As we reflect on the past academic year, I am honored to share the remarkable accomplishments and milestones that have defined our community of scholars, innovators, and leaders. This has been a year of growth, recognition, and resilience—one that underscores our unwavering commitment to excellence in education, research, and societal impact.
Our commitment to the highest standards was affirmed this year as our undergraduate programs earned full accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) through 2031. This accreditation was granted with no deficiencies, weaknesses, or concerns, a commendable outcome that speaks volumes about the dedication and professionalism of our faculty, staff, and curriculum committees. It is a powerful endorsement of the standards we uphold and the transformative education we provide to our students. Furthermore, our national reputation continues to ascend. The latest U.S. News & World Report rankings placed Rutgers #42 in the nation and #16 in top public schools, which reflects the strength of our academic offerings, the impact of our research, and the success of our graduates. This recognition is a reflection of the collective effort and vision that drives our department forward.
The excellence of our faculty has been a cornerstone of our success. Our faculty’s innovative research continues to break new ground, exemplified by the receipt of the 2025 Edison Patent Award by Dr. Kristin Dana for a novel forensic watermarking technique. This technology, which embeds invisible, AI-detectable information into digital images, has profound implications for digital security and authenticity. Additional honors include the Presidential Outstanding Faculty Scholar Award by Dr. Anand Sarwate and the Rutgers Innovation Award by Dr. Kristin Dana, both of which recognize sustained excellence in scholarship and innovation. Our faculty are also increasingly sought after for expert commentary in national media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, further amplifying the visibility and relevance of their work. Promotions within the department, ranging from the rank of Associate Professor to the rank of Distinguished Professor, reflect the depth of expertise and leadership among our faculty.
Despite a challenging funding environment marked by significant budget constraints, our department has demonstrated remarkable resilience and success in securing competitive research grants. This year, we celebrated the awarding of an NSF CAREER Award to Dr. Daniel Burbano Lombana for groundbreaking research on visuomotor control dynamics—a project that bridges neuroscience, robotics, and AI. Our leadership in multi-institutional initiatives has also expanded, with the department playing a central role in the newly established NSF Center on Responsible AI and Governance (CRAIG), which aims to shape the ethical and societal dimensions of AI technologies (PI Dr. Jorge Ortiz, co-PI Dr. Yuqian Zhang, Dr. Dario Pompili, Dr. Jie Gao (CS), and Dr. Vijayalakshmi Atluri (Business School)). We also secured a $3.8 million NSF grant to lead the COSMOS3 platform, a next-generation testbed for 6G-era wireless networks, positioning Rutgers at the forefront of wireless innovation (PI WINLAB Chief Technologist Ivan Seskar and co-PI Dr. Dipankar Raychaudhuri). Complementing this, a nearly $3 million NSF award was granted to develop hpcGPT, an AI-powered assistant designed to support users of high-performance computing systems (PI Dr. Zhao Zhang, co-PI Hang Liu and Bo Yuan). In addition, the WINLAB team receives the STAIRWAI, a NSF AI-Ready testbed initiative led by Dr. Anand Sarwate. Team from WINLAB led by Ivan Seskar is among the collaborating university and industry partners—including project lead NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Princeton, NYU’s Pi-Radio, Nokia, and Analog Device—receiving funding support from a $10 million award from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Our students continue to inspire us with their creativity, determination, and excellence. An undergraduate team earned first place in the national Horizons 2040 Challenge, a NASA-sponsored competition focused on addressing the nation’s most pressing technological challenges for the year 2040. Another team distinguished itself as the only all-undergraduate group in the Air Force Research Laboratory’s software-defined radio challenge, showcasing the depth of talent and ambition within our student body. The success of our Capstone Design program continues to grow, with student projects leading to peer-reviewed publications and presentations at prestigious venues. This year, one team presented their work at the ICCE-Berlin conference, while another was invited to speak at DEF CON 33, one of the world’s premier cybersecurity conferences. The top Capstone project, Maestro, earned both the First Place Award and the Galbiati Entrepreneurial Award, exemplifying the fusion of technical excellence and entrepreneurial spirit that we cultivate in our students. Our graduate student achievements have also been exceptional. One of our PhD students received the highly competitive NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, while another won the 2025 Intern AI Hackathon hosted by Marvell. We also celebrate a Best Paper Award at the ACM/IEEE ISLPED conference and multiple research and travel awards that support our students’ continued growth and visibility in the global research community.
The success of our alumni continues to make us proud through their leadership and contributions across academia, industry, and government. This year, we were thrilled to see two of our distinguished alumni and Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) members, Dorin Comaniciu and Peter Pupalaikis, elected to the National Academy of Engineering—one of the highest professional honors in the field. We also celebrate the achievements of recent graduates, including Tahsina Saman (PhD ’20), recipient of the UNESCO OWSD Early Career Fellowship Award, and Michael Haberman (ENG ’90), recipient of the School of Engineering Medal of Excellence.
Our engagement with industry has never been stronger. We welcomed new IAB members from Verizon, Advanced Technical Marketing, and the U.S. Army Research community, strengthening our ties to sectors that are shaping the future of technology. This synergy is exemplified by Professor Dario Pompili’s “RescueNet” project, which was a finalist in the Deutsche Telekom T Challenge and has led to an ongoing collaboration focused on developing AI-driven disaster response technologies.
Throughout the year, we have nurtured a vibrant intellectual and social community. Our Colloquium Series and Rutgers Efficient AI (REFAI) seminars brought leading voices from academia and industry to campus, fostering dialogue and collaboration. A particularly meaningful event was the workshop held in memory of our beloved colleague, Professor Sophocles Orfanidis, which brought together experts to honor his legacy and contributions to the field. Events such as the annual ECE Research Day and the Graduate Student Association-hosted “Academia vs. Industry” debate provided platforms for students to showcase their work, engage with faculty, and explore diverse career paths. We also recognize the dedicated service of our faculty in departmental leadership roles and extend a warm welcome to our new Undergraduate and Graduate Program Directors, whose vision and energy will guide our academic programs into the future.
As Rutgers University embarks on its new strategic plan, the ECE Department is well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to national priorities in infrastructure, defense, and security. Our faculty, students, and alumni are driving innovation, shaping policy, and transforming lives through their work. I am deeply proud of the accomplishments highlighted in this newsletter and excited for the opportunities that lie ahead. Together, we are building a future defined by excellence, impact, and leadership.
Warm regards,
Yingying (Jennifer) Chen
Distinguished Professor, Department Chair
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Associate Director of WINLAB