Nihat M. Bilgutay (March 31, 1952 - July 1, 2008)

Nihat M. Bilgutay was born on 31 March 1952 in Turkey. He received his academic training at Bradley University (BSEE 1973) and Purdue University (MSEE 1975, PhD 1981). His thesis advisor at Purdue was Vernon L. Newhouse. Between his graduation from Purdue and his appointment as ECE Department Head at Drexel Dr. Bilgutay focused on studying ultrasonic nondestructive testing and imaging, and digital signal processing. He developed an international reputation in the field of ultrasonics, especially Split Spectrum techniques, and was well known for his contributions to engineering education. An IEEE Fellow and a recipient of an IEEE Third Millennium Medal, Dr. Bilgutay was advisor to seven doctoral and post doctoral students, and to fifteen students who received the Master of Science degree under his guidance.

Dr. Bilgutay came to Drexel in 1982 as a Drexel Fellow, and was made Full Professor in 1992. He served Drexel as the Vernon L. Newhouse Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research (1990-1995), leader of the Gateway Engineering Education Coalition, and, most notably, ECE Department Head (1995-2006). During his tenure as Department Head, the ECE Department saw an unprecedented growth in external funding for research, and significant and successful hiring of many young faculty members. Under his leadership, the Department had also made the important transition from Commonwealth Hall to its current home in the Edmund D. Bossone Research Enterprise Center.

Among his colleagues and friends, Dr. Bilgutay was known as a sharp and purposeful person, energetic, perceptive, and passionate. He was able to bring together individuals from different backgrounds and experiences, and to foster harmony and cooperation. He was methodical and stable, persistent and focused. His dedication to Drexel University and to the Department was legendary -- students, members of the staff and the faculty found him extraordinarily responsive to their needs. He would go to any length to advance the department's cause and to improve its operations, physical plant, reputation and reach. He was a permanent feature in the ECE office -- during and after normal working hours and on numerous evenings and weekends.

During the last two years, as debilitating illness has progressively limited his faculties, Dr. Bilgutay has waged the most courageous and forceful effort to continue to work, and to be as productive and participatory in Drexel affairs as was humanly possible. This heroic, tragic and awe-inspiring struggle has now come to an end.

Our deep condolences go to Dr. Bilgutay's wife Kathy and his three children Canan Ayse, Aylin Nur, and Deniz O. Bilgutay. We hope that in time they will be able to recover from this great loss. Some solace can perhaps be found in the remarkable impact of Dr. Bilgutay's long term activities. The fruits of his good deeds will continue to improve our lives and the lives of many others who were fortunate enough to know him and to benefit from his vision, labor and unbounded dedication.

Posted on July 1, 2008.

Drexel ECE Professor Appointed Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing

At the IEEE Meeting Series in Louisville, KY held during the week of February 11, it was announced that Dr. Athina Petropulu, of the ECE department, was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing.

The IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing is one of the most respected and cited publications in its field. It has the fourth highest impact factor in the very large group of "publications in Systems and Control," and it is considered the premier journal in its field. It covers theory and application of filtering, coding, transmitting, estimating, detecting, analyzing, recognizing, synthesizing, recording, and reproducing signals by digital or analog devices or techniques. The "signals" that the journal addresses include audio, video, speech, image, communication, geophysical, sonar, radar, medical, and musical signals. The Editor in Chief of an IEEE Transactions is the highest authority on the publication. This is a responsible and prestigious assignment reserved to individuals whose scholarship and judgment are considered the best that the sponsoring society (in this case the IEEE Signal Processing Society) can offer.

Posted on March 15, 2008.

Dr. Bruce Eisenstein Joins the Board of Directors of ABET, Representing IEEE

At the closing of the November 2007 meeting of ABET Inc. in Lake Tahoe, NV, Dr. Bruce Eisenstein, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Arthur J. Rowland Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has joined the Board of Directors of ABET as Director Representative of IEEE. The Board of Directors is the highest governing body of ABET.

ABET is a non-governmental accrediting agency for US college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. It is a federation of about 30 professional and technical societies representing these fields that had just celebrated its 75th anniversary. ABET currently accredits some 2,500 programs at over 550 colleges and universities nationwide. Over 1,500 volunteers participate annually in ABET-related activities.

Posted on February 28, 2008.

Graduate Research Fellowship Awarded

Novel Power Generation Methods Examined

Dr. Adam Fontecchio's graduate advisee, David Delaine, has been awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Mr. Delaine was a NSF Bridges to the Doctorate fellow in his first year of graduate study at Drexel University and completed his undergraduate degree at Northeastern University where he was a recipient of the Robert J. Bunche Scholarship. Dr. Fontecchio's and Mr. Delaine's research will explore the fundamental science and engineering of novel methods of power generation using Stirling engine configurations and radiometric phenomena to develop power-producing, micro-electromechanical systems.

Posted on January 15, 2008.

NSF Honorable Mention

Elaine Garbarine, a first-year graduate student working at the time of application with Dr. Athina Petropulu and currently being advised by Dr. Gail Rosen, received an NSF GRFP honorable mention.

Posted on January 12, 2008.

Nanotechnology

Drs. Adam Fontecchio, Gennady Friedman and Yuri Gogotsi, along with three Ph.D. students, have successfully developed a carbon nanotube-tipped probe with the possibility of transferring fluids through the carbon nanotube (CNT) into and out of the pipette, thereby bridging the gap between existing microscale technologies and nanoscale interactions. According to a recent paper published in Applied Physics Letters, (Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 103108 2007), this development will make it possible to perform injections or probe the fluid not just inside a cell but in specific regions inside the cell, maybe even specific organelles.

Posted on December 18, 2008.