Reza Abdulvand, dean of UCF’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said he couldn’t be happier about new advanced electrical engineering equipment that recently arrived in the university’s wireless communications lab.
The new technology will help modernize the lab and provide industry-related learning opportunities for hundreds of electrical and computer engineering students, Abdulwand said.
New signal generators, signal analyzers and other high-speed electrical test and measurement equipment were donated to the department by Rohde & Schwarz, an international family-owned company specializing in electrical test equipment and wireless communications products.
The equipment, valued at more than $100,000, is a small-scale version of Rohde & Schwarz’s cutting-edge product, used in industry around the world to test and measure advanced components in mobile and wireless communications devices and systems. Widely used.
This is the kind of experience UCF electrical and computer engineering students need to gain hands-on experience using the same technology used in industry and prepare them for high-tech jobs upon graduation. It’s a gift.
George Attia, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering who teaches fundamentals of communication systems, said the gift will study the fundamentals of digital data transmission and communications, including the theory of sampling, quantization, encoding, and digital modulation. He said it would benefit students who do.
“This new lab equipment makes the coursework more concrete,” Attia says. “My students will be able to see practical applications of the digital signal processing and communications concepts they encounter in the classroom. Your generous donation will help us upgrade our laboratory experiments and It will significantly improve the overall learning experience for our students.”
“We are extremely grateful to Rohde & Schwarz for generously providing this technology to UCF,” said Abdulwand. “This type of investment in engineering education takes our students to the next level. ECE students need state-of-the-art signal analyzers and other equipment that can keep up with the evolving capabilities of this industry. I am always impressed with the quality of Rohde & Schwarz equipment.”
This gift comes at a critical time for many industries that rely on a skilled workforce of electrical and computer technicians and are experiencing transformative growth. According to the May 2023 Kiplinger Report, recent government investments in semiconductor manufacturing through the CHIPS Act have exposed a shortage of electrical engineers in the United States.
Jobs abound in the nearly $200 billion mobile and wireless communications industry, which supports cell phones, GPS systems, WiFi signals, and more. Advances in technology that make wireless communications faster and more secure are driving growth. Advances in wireless communications technology are driving the transformation of other industries, such as transportation and energy, creating additional job demand for engineers.
UCF’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering meets the demand for electrical and computer engineers by producing approximately 400 highly skilled graduates annually, backed by strong support from industry partners including Rohde & Schwarz. Abdulvand says this is only possible with support. .
With a passion to help students and my alma mater, Neil Ellenbach ’99As an account manager for Rohde & Schwarz, he helped coordinate the donation of equipment to UCF.
“I’ve looked at a lot of university electrical engineering labs,” Ellenbach says. “I can confidently say that UCF is one of the top two best-equipped electrical engineering laboratories in the entire Southeastern United States. Yes, we have very high quality standards here.”
Ellenbach has worked with UCF as a business client and in talent acquisition for more than 15 years. “We are pleased to be able to expand the capabilities of our laboratory at UCF. This gift will allow ECE to keep our curriculum current and ensure our students are up to date upon graduation,” he said. says.
With UCF’s exceptional labs, Paul Shafer ’09 ’13MSThe Rohde & Schwarz applications engineer and electrical engineering graduate said he wanted to help UCF’s ECE department because he knew the equipment would be of great use.
He wants students to know that Rohde & Schwarz offers a wealth of opportunities for UCF graduates. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the company has 14,000 employees worldwide, with 700 employees in the United States and throughout the Southeast, including California, Maryland, Oregon, Texas, and Florida. We are expanding our business.
Ellenbach and Schaefer agree that the best part of working at Rohde & Schwarz is staying connected to UCF and being able to support students.
“We are alumni. We wanted to donate to the school. The value of this gift is beyond us.”
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