The Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is the largest academic unit at

Purdue University College of Engineering The Purdue University College of Engineering is the Engineering education, engineering school and one of eight major academic divisions of Purdue University, a Public university, public research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, West Lafa ...

. The School of ECE offers both undergraduate B.S. degree as well as

M.S. A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine ...

and

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

graduate degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering. The school enrolls over 1,900 undergraduates (sophomores through seniors) and over 1,300 graduate students. '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranks Purdue's Electrical Engineering 9th and Computer Engineering 10th at the Undergraduate level merica's Best Colleges 2023 The Graduate programs in both Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering are ranked 9th merica's Best Graduate Schools 2023ref name="Rankings"> The online MS program in Electrical Engineering is ranked #1 in the nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2023).

History

The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) was established in 1888 with

Louis Bell Louis Russell Bell (born May 27, 1982) is an American record producer, vocal producer, songwriter, and mixing engineer. Bell's work includes production for Post Malone, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, 5 Seconds of Summer, ...

, Professor of Applied Electricity, as the head. At this time the first Electrical Engineering building was located opposite of Stanley Coulter Hall on the site of the present-day Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry. Railroad tracks came alongside the building to provide a berth for the Purdue University Interurban Test Car. Purdue_University_-_The_Electrical_Laboratory_-_Cassier%27s_1892-08

Purdue_University_-_The_Electrical_Laboratory_-_Cassier%27s_1892-08

In 1901, Telephone Engineering became part of ECE to accommodate the urgent need for engineers who understood how to expand telephone systems from city to city.

WBAA WBAA (920 AM) and WBAA-FM (101.3 FM) are jointly operated non-commercial educational radio stations licensed to West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, both serving the Lafayette metro area and the Indianapolis area with public radio ...

, Indiana's oldest surviving radio station, was started in Purdue ECE in 1922. In 1924, a new Electrical Engineering building was constructed to celebrate Purdue's 50th birthday. Additions to the building were added in 1932 and 1940 made possible by Thomas Duncan, a Scottish immigrant who owned the nearby, highly successful Duncan Electric Company. Purdue ECE played an important role in the early TV technology with Professor Roscoe George's many inventions including the first all-electronic television receiver. The Lab for Applied Industrial Control was created in 1966. The Materials and Electrical Engineering Building was built in 1988. In 1996, the School of Electrical Engineering is officially renamed the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. In August 2021, the school was renamed as the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, as a recognition of a $25M gift by venture capitalist Bill Elmore (BSEE75, MSEE76). In September 2022, U.S. Secretary of State

Antony Blinken Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 71st United States secretary of state from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor, deputy national security advisor ...

, U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Gina Raimondo Gina Marie Raimondo (; born May 17, 1971) is an American businesswoman, lawyer, politician, and venture capitalist who served as the 40th United States secretary of commerce from 2021 to 2025. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served as ...

, Indiana Governor

Eric Holcomb Eric Joseph Holcomb ( ; born May 2, 1968) is an American politician who served as the 51st governor of Indiana, from 2017 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served from 2016 to 2017 as the 51st Lieuten ...

, and Senator

Todd Young Todd Christopher Young (born August 24, 1972) is an American politician, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran serving as the senior United States senator from Indiana, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Young previou ...

toured the microelectronic training facilities at the Birck Nanotechnology Center to promote domestic semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S as part of the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act.

School Heads

Only non-interim heads are listed below. * Milind Kulkarni, 2023- * Dimitrios Peroulis, 2019-2023 * Ragu Balakrishnan, 2010-2018 * Mark J. T. Smith, 2003-2009 *

Kent Fuchs Wesley Kent Fuchs (; born 1954) is an American electrical engineer. He served as the 12th president of the University of Florida from 2015 to 2023 and as the Provost (education), provost of Cornell University from 2009 to 2014. In January 2022, ...

, 1996-2002 * Richard Schwartz, 1985-1995 * Bernd Hoefflinger, 1984-1985 * Clarence Coates, 1972-1983 * John Hancock, 1965-1972 * William Hayt, 1962-1965 * Thomas Jones, 1958-1962 * Paul Chenea, 1957-1958 * J. Stuart Johnson, 1954-1957 * Dressel Ewing, 1942-1954 * Charles Francis Harding, 1908-1942 * Charles Matthews, 1904-1907 * Winder Goldsborough, 1896-1904 * Harold Smith, 1893-1896 *

Reginald Fessenden Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (October 6, 1866 – July 22, 1932) was a Canadian-American electrical engineer and inventor who received hundreds of List of Reginald Fessenden patents, patents in fields related to radio and sonar between 1891 and 1936 ...

, 1892-1893 * Albert Carman, 1889-1892 *

, 1888-1889

Student organizations

Eta Kappa Nu Eta Kappa Nu () or IEEE-HKN is the international honor society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Joining HKN is by invitation only. Membership is a lifelong designation for individuals who have distinguished them ...

, Beta Chapter (ΗΚΝ) - International Honor Society for Electrical Engineers *

IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE ...

- Student Chapter * Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF) *

National Society of Black Engineers The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a society that was founded in 1975 at Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. It is one of the largest student-run organizations in the United States, with core activities centered ...

(NSBE) *

Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists MAES: Latinos in Science and Engineering, Inc. (MAES), originally the Mexican American Engineering Society, was founded in 1974. It organizes an annual symposium and career fair. History MAES was founded in Los Angeles in 1974 to increase the n ...

(MAES) *

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1974 by a group of engineers employed by the city of Los Angeles. Their objective was to form a National organization of professional engineers to serv ...

(SHPE) *

Society of Women Engineers The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is an international not-for-profit educational and service organization. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in the United States, the Society of Women Engineers is a major advocate for women in engineering and ...

(SWE) *

Tau Beta Pi The Tau Beta Pi Association (commonly Tau Beta Pi, , or TBP) is the oldest engineering honor society and the second oldest collegiate honor society in the United States. It honors engineering students in American universities who have shown a ...

- National Engineering Honor Society * Purdue Engineering Student Council (PESC) * ECE Student Society (ECESS)

Notable alumni

* Fernley H. Banbury, inventor *

Rashid Bashir Rashid Bashir is Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering, Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Professor of Bioengineering, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was the Executive Associate Dean and Chief Diversity Of ...

, dean of the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...

Grainger College of Engineering The Grainger College of Engineering is the engineering college of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It was established in 1868 and is considered as one of the original units of school. Campus The College of Engineering is located ...

* Arthur J. Bond, dean of engineering at

Alabama A&M Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University (Alabama A&M or AAMU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Normal, Huntsville, Alabama. Founded in 1875, it took its present name in 1969. It was one of about 180 " normal s ...

, co-founder of NSBE *

Michael Birck Michael J. Birck (January 25, 1938 – July 6, 2015) was a co-founder and chairman of Tellabs Inc. He began his career at Bell Telephone Laboratories, and helped found Tellabs in 1975. He was the CEO of the company from 2002 to 2004. He was a mem ...

, founder, former CEO, and chairman of

Tellabs Tellabs, Inc. is a global network technology company that provides networking and communications solutions to both private and governmental agencies. The company offers a range of products and services, including optical transport systems, acce ...

Eugene Cernan Eugene Andrew Cernan (; March 14, 1934 – January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, United States naval aviator, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. Cernan traveled into space three times and ...

, NASA astronaut who walked on the Moon *

Clarence Cory Clarence Linus Cory (September 4, 1872 – August 2, 1937) was an American engineer and educator who is known as the father of electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. Early life Cory was born in Lafayette, Indiana, to Tho ...

, father of Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley * John Costas, inventor * David Crosthwait, inventor who redefined the technology of indoor climate control *

, former head, arranged first radio broadcast *

George H. Goble George H. Goble is a staff member at the Purdue University Engineering Computer Network and a 1996 Ig Nobel Prize winner. Goble is commonly known as "ghg" since he has used that as a login id, and signature in digital communications, since the ...

, 1996

Ig Nobel Prize The Ig Nobel Prize () is a satirical prize awarded annually since 1991 to promote public engagement with scientific research. Its aim is to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think." The name of the award is a ...

winner *

Lila Ibrahim Lila Ibrahim is an American engineer and businesswoman. She was hired in 2018 as Google DeepMind's first chief operating officer. Her previous roles include Chief Operations Officer at Coursera, Senior Operating Partner at Kleiner Perkins Cau ...

, COO at

DeepMind DeepMind Technologies Limited, trading as Google DeepMind or simply DeepMind, is a British–American artificial intelligence research laboratory which serves as a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Founded in the UK in 2010, it was acquired by Go ...

Marwan Muasher Marwan al-Muasher () (born 1956) is a former Jordanian diplomat and politician who was Jordan's foreign minister from 2002 to 2004 and its deputy prime minister during 2004 and 2005. He currently serves as vice president for studies at the Car ...

, Jordanian ambassador to the U.S. * Edward Purcell, Nobel Laureate for Nuclear Magnetism (MRI) * George Mueller, director of NASA Apollo Moon landing project, father of Space Shuttle * Valerie Taylor, computer scientist * Don Thompson, Former President and CEO of

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

Blake Ragsdale Van Leer Blake Ragsdale Van Leer (August 16, 1893 – January 23, 1956) was an American academic administrator, engineer, and U.S. Army officer who served as the fifth president of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1944 until his death in 1956. Orph ...

, 5th President of

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public university, public research university and Institute of technology (United States), institute of technology in Atlanta, ...

Theodore Rappaport Theodore (Ted) Scott Rappaport (born November 26, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American electrical engineer and the David Lee/Ernst Weber Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at New York University Tandon School of Engineering a ...

, a pioneer in wireless communication technology * William L. Wearly, CEO of

Ingersoll-Rand Ingersoll Rand Inc. is an American multinational company that provides flow creation and industrial products. The company was formed in February 2020 through the spinoff of the industrial segment of Ingersoll-Randplc (now known as Trane Technol ...

* David Wolf, NASA astronaut

Notable faculty

* Jan Allebach * Alexandra Boltasseva *

Carla Brodley Carla E. Brodley is a computer scientist specializing in machine learning. Brodley is a Fellow of the ACM, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). ...

, 1994-2004 *

Mung Chiang Mung Chiang (; born February 2, 1977) is a Chinese-American electrical engineer and academic administrator who has been serving as the current and 13th president of Purdue University since January 2023. He is the youngest president of a top-50 ...

* Leon O. Chua, 1964-1970 * Clarence Coates, 1973-1988 *

Supriyo Datta Supriyo Datta (born February 2, 1954) is an Indian–American researcher and author. A leading figure in the modeling and understanding of nano-scale electronic conduction, he has been called "one of the most original thinkers in the field of ...

, invented radio telephony *

King-Sun Fu King-Sun Fu (; October 2, 1930–April 29, 1985) was a Chinese-born American computer scientist. He was a Goss Distinguished Professor at Purdue University School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in West Lafayette, Indiana. He was instru ...

, 1960-1985 *

, 1996-2002 * Keinosuke Fukunaga *

Thomas Huang Thomas Shi-Tao Huang (, June 26, 1936 – April 25, 2020) was a Chinese-born Taiwanese-American computer scientist and electrical engineer. He was a researcher and professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). ...

, 1973-1980 *

Linda Katehi Linda Pisti Basile Katehi-Tseregounis (born January 30, 1954) is a Greek-born American engineering professor and former university administrator. Katehi was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering (2006) for contributions to three ...

, 2002-2006 *

Gerhard Klimeck Gerhard Klimeck is a German-American scientist and author in the field of nanotechnology. He is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. As the director of nanoHUB, h ...

Leah Jamieson Leah H. Jamieson (born August 27, 1949) is an American engineering educator, currently the Ransburg Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. Jamieson was a co-founder of the Engineering Projects in Com ...

Mark Lundstrom Mark S. Lundstrom is an American electrical engineering researcher, educator, and author. He is known for contributions to the theory, modeling, and understanding of semiconductor devices, especially nanoscale transistors, and as the creator of th ...

* Dimitrios Peroulis * Vladimir Shalaev * Mark Smith, 2003-2017 *

Andrew M. Weiner Andrew Marc Weiner OSA Fellow, OSA National Academy of Engineering, NAE National Academy of Inventors, NAI (Born July 25, 1958-2024) was an American electrical engineer, educator and researcher known for contributions to the fields of ultrafast op ...

* Jerry Woodall, 2005-2012 * Peide Ye

References

External links

Purdue School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Purdue University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Purdue University School Of Electrical And Computer Engineering Universities and colleges established in 1888 Engineering schools and colleges in the United States Engineering universities and colleges in Indiana 1888 establishments in Indiana