ECE alumni connections at IMS2015

May 28, 2015

Along with alumni, there were current and former faculty members, current students, friends, and colleagues, including several program managers, in attendance.

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Photo of some of the 70 alumni and friends who came to network and renew friendships in Phoenix at the symposium.

The IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS) set the stage for ECE’s most recent alumni networking event, held in Phoenix on May 19, 2015. It’s been more than ten years since ECE brought the Michigan flag to IMS, and it was great to be back!

ECE faculty have maintained a long and fruitful relationship with IMS, and among those present, George Haddad, Robert J. Hiller Professor Emeritus and former Department Chair, has perhaps the longest and among the most distinguished. Prof. Haddad helped organize the first alumni event at IMS back in 2004, and said he enjoyed seeing everyone, including Prof. Khalil Najafi, current ECE Chair and fellow ECE alum.

Along with alumni, there were current and former faculty members, current students, friends, and colleagues, including several program managers. Prof. Amir Mortazawi enjoyed the lengthy conversations he was able to have at the reception, and said he was surprised to meet for the first time alumni who actually work in Ann Arbor.

Several Michigan faculty had papers at the conference, including Prof. Mina Rais-Zadeh, Prof. Amir Mortazawi, Dr. Jack East, and Prof. Kamal Sarabandi. Many ECE students were co-authors on these papers, and Amr Ibrahim, a doctoral student studying sub-millimeterwave (Sub-MMW) radar systems, was the sole ECE author on joint research with the Army Research Lab.

“It was really nice to be able to talk with different generations of alumni,” said Kamal Sarabandi, Rufus S. Teesdale Professor of Engineering and Director of the Radiation Lab. “Some of those who attended found out for the first time that colleagues they’ve known for years were also alumni.”

Alumni came from near and far to attend the Symposium, a premier international meeting for technologists involved in all aspects of microwave theory and practice. Local alumni from Intel, Freescale Semiconductor, ASML, and the Barrow Neurological Institute met alumni working at JPL, Boeing, Raytheon, ThorLabs, Qorvo, MIT Lincoln Labs, and more. The alumni who came from Georgia Tech, University of Virginia, North Carolina State University, UT Dallas and elsewhere had a short flight compared to those who came from Korea University, Middle East Technical University, and the University of Toronto. But all were delighted to have the opportunity to meet up in Phoenix.

Click here for information about past and upcoming alumni events. See more photos from the event here.

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Khalil Najafi, ECE Chair, presenting one of the door prizes to Lee Mah, who received his master's degree in 1956!
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(L-R): Dr. Jack East (Research Scientist Emeritus), Tracy Lee (QuinStar Technology), George Haddad (Professor Emeritus), Imran Mehdi (JPL), and Bob Trew (Professor, NCSU)
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Go Blue with ECE!
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Prof. George Haddad (middle) with Prof. John Volakis (Chope Chair Professor, Ohio State) and alumnus William Harokopus (Raytheon).
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Alumnus Rhonda Franklin (l), professor of ECE at the University of Minnesota, was at the first IMS event in 2004. She is with fellows alums: William Harokopus (Raytheon), Rashaunda Henderson (Professor, UT Dallas), Kavita Goverdhanam (U.S. Army, CERDEC), and Kamal Sarabandi (ECE Professor).