From the Dean’s Desk Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I had the opportunity to reflect on the people who have made the College of Engineering at Boise State University what it is today. You may not realize how much each and every one of you has contributed to our success; therefore, I would like to use this space to thank you for your effort, support, advocacy, and enthusiasm. I am thankful for:
Our students – they are the reason we are here! We may be distracted by meetings and deadlines, but we maintain our unshakeable focus on student learning.
Our staff – every accomplishment in the college has been touched in some way by one of our hardworking staff. These are the individuals who work tirelessly to schedule classes, advise students, manage labs, purchase materials, track budgets and expenses, arrange travel, edit grant proposals, coordinate outreach events and job fairs, manage websites, and keep track of more files and documents than you can imagine. Our faculty - these are the dedicated teachers who strive to bring the best possible education to our students. They excel at delivering high quality instruction, cutting edge research, and service to their university, community and profession.
Our industry partners - without connections to real world needs and advances in technology, we run the risk of becoming isolated in an ivory tower. Our industry partners come into the classroom as guest speakers, work with student clubs, coach and judge student competition teams, help with our strategic planning, and provide our students with a solid bridge to their future careers.
Our community partners - Boise State is a metropolitan university. Each of us belongs in some way to a wider community beyond where we work and study. Our community nourishes our sense of place, and we welcome opportunities to give back to that place we call home.
Our Boise State campus community – we often take our infrastructure for granted. Boise State support staff create and maintain our facilities and business processes. They fix our network, manage our web site, shovel our sidewalks, repair our systems, and support our students.
So as you read about our recent accomplishments, and walk through our timeline, I hope you appreciate the many people who contribute every day to our success as a college. Thank you everyone for another wonderful year! Amy Moll
Dean and Professor College of Engineering
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College of Engineering Newsletter | Winter 2014
First Woman to Graduate with a Doctoral Degree from the College of Engineering. By Jenn Ambrose
Dr. Sulmer Fernandez looks out of her new office where she works as a research scientist for nuclear magnetic resonance specialists, Bridge 12 in Boston, and is amazed by the path that brought her here. In 2014, Fernandez graduated with honors from Boise State University. Earning her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Fernandez is the first woman to graduate with a doctoral degree from the College of Engineering.
Ask her how she got her start and she’ll tell you it was just natural curiosity that motivated her to figure out how things worked, but it was her father who inspired her. As a teenager, Fernandez says she and her younger sister watched her father study as he worked to complete his doctorate in Biological Systems Engineering. He would often talk about his projects and find ways to get them involved. He encouraged them to experiment and follow their curiosity. While he continued his work at Washington State University, Fernandez enrolled as an undergraduate. Fernandez smiles as she tells how she had the opportunity to work with her father as part of his research group and collaborate with him on publications while she was there.
Undoubtedly hard work carried her far, but Fernandez says it was the support of family, friends, colleagues, and her advisor, Dr. Jim Browning, that kept her going. That, and the thought of the endless possibilities ahead of her. Fernandez says that for now, she intends to focus on industry research in microwave devices. Well, research and marathon training, that is. While in Boston, Fernandez has also made it her goal to complete at least a half marathon.
In the long run, she hopes to return to academia to teach the students of the future. Her words of wisdom for every aspiring young person: “Pursue what you are passionate about, whether it is art or science. You should always do what you want to do and not what society thinks you should do.”
The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department is part of the vibrant College of Engineering, which was ranked 16th in U.S. News & World Report's list of best undergraduate engineering programs among comprehensive public universities. The Department provides accessible, high quality, nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate education in Electrical and Computer Engineering that prepares students for productive careers and a lifetime of learning. In addition to an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering, the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering also offers three graduate degrees, including a Master of Science, Master of Engineering, and a doctoral degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering.