Awards Received by
ECE Students, Faculty, Alumni, and Staff in 2002
Outstanding Undergraduate Student
Sashisu Man Bajracharva
Sashisu Man Bajracharva will graduate this May with a degree in Computer Engineering and a long record of academic excellence. He has maintained a 3.96 during his studies at George Mason University. His Capstone Project was a multiple recorder/playback device controlled with a 68HC11 micron controller. His biography was published in The 1989-1999 National Dean’s List. He is a member of Eta Kappa Nu,Tau Beta Epsilon Engineering Honor Society and Phi Theta Kappa.
Outstanding Research Faculty Award
Rao Mulpuri
Rao Mulpuri received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Oregon State University in 1985. He has been a faculty member in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Departmentm at George Mason University since 1984, and became a full-professor in 1993.
Rao’s pioneering work on semiconductor device processing has led to some important guidelines for low and high-energy (mega-electronvolt range) ion-implantation step in making group III-V compound and silicon carbide devices, that are of use in microwave, opto-electronic and high-power applications. His research team comprises researchers at the Naval Research Lab and Army Research Lab. The team has published over 70 refereed journal papers and several conference papers. The results of this team are used in processes of severaln semiconductor device manufacturers and research laboratories. Rao served as a Program Director at the ECS division of National Science Foundation.
During his tenure at George Mason, Rao advised six completed Ph.D. theses and several Masters theses. He developed a graduate certificate program in VLSI Processing/Design for US Patent and Trademark Office and local semiconductor industry employees. Rao has contributed to the development of the Virginia Microelectronics Consortium (VMEC), an industry-university consortium that has provided close to $500,000 grant to George Mason for its microelectronics-related labs.
Outstanding Alumnus of the Year
Marc Willebeek-LeMair
Marc Willebeek-LeMair graduated from George Mason University in 1985 with a degree in Electrical andComputer Engineering. He maintained a 4.0 GPA while playing on Mason’s nationally ranked soccer team. Both of Marc's brothers, David and Paul, graduated from GMU and David played for Mason's tennis team, while Paul founded the cycling club. After receiving a Ph.D. from Cornell in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science, Marc worked for IBM at the T.J. Watson Research Center for nearly 10 years. During his tenure there he pubished numerous technical papers and received 11 US patents in the areas of broadband networking and multimedia.
In 1999, he moved to Austin,Texas to join startup Netpliance as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Architect. Netpliance produced the i-openerTM, the world’s first consumer information appliance.
Over 20 patents were filed pertaining to Netpliance. The company went public in March 2000 and was awarded the KPMG Austin High Tech Award for Product of the Year. Netpliance was relaunched as TippingPoint in August 2001 and, recently announced the UnityOneTM Threat Prevention Appliance which is an integrated high-speed network security product for the
enterprise.
GMU Outstanding Achievement Award
Sue Davies
Sue Davies, the ECE Department Laboratory Supervisor, was selected as a recipient of the GMU Outstanding Achievement Award, which was presented to her by President Merten at a University ceremony on February 27, 2002.
The citation read: "In her position as Lab Manager in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Sue assumed responsbility for the laboratory orientation and equipment use training which afforded the faculty more time for research. She also designed an innovative system for lab monitoring during open lab time utilizing volunteers and the department's teaching assistants."
While her primary job responsibilities as ECE Department Laboratory Supervisor focus on the test and measurement equipment, computers and overall laboratory facilities support, Sue Davies has gone way beyond that. Recognizing that student learning is primary at George Mason, Sue took the initiative to take over the laboratory orientation and equipment use training for all sections of the laboratory classes offered by the ECE Department. This requires being at all meetings of all laboratory sections during the first two weeks of every semester. She presents safety in the lab training, test and measurement equipment use training and teaching assistants' activities coordination - freeing up faculty time for lecture course efforts.
Students in ECE labs range from just graduated high school students to senior electrical engineering and computer engineering students to students from English, Psychology, etc. - most of whom have never been in an electronics lab before. Her safety training has led to a zero-accident record since she started. Her calm, thorough, student centered approach to teaching the use of test and measurement equipment has greatly enhanced the students' abilities to learn, and to demonstrate the skills and capabilities they have learned.
The ability to use test and measurement equipment is vital to engineers and the success of engineering (as well as computer science and non-engineering) students in developing these skills is directly a result of Sue's efforts.
Getting the students started in just the tip of the iceberg of Sue's accomplishments. She has self-trained herself to support, maintain and upgrade the computational tools needed for engineering design in the lab - up grading computers and LAN capabilities, and the analytical software needed by the students in the labs.
While not an instructor, Sue's helpful nature encourages students in the labs to try, to experiment and to help each other, promoting a strong learning environment. She continually looks for ways to improve the lab equipment, software, facilities, and the student centered learning philosophy.
