Dr. Waguih Ishak (Engineering Advisory Board Member) has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, joining 70 other leading figures this year. He was also elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and is the recipient of the IEEE Industry Achievements Award, all within the last month. He holds B.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics from Cairo University and Ain Shams University, respectively, and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from McMaster University. Waguih has an impressive list of accolades, including Life Fellow, IEEE, and Honorary Doctor of Science from McMaster University, among others. He has led groundbreaking R&D teams at HP Labs, Agilent Technologies, Avago Technologies, and Corning, contributing to major advancements like key lightwave T&M instruments, the first commercial vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL), and the world’s first laser mouse. His teams have generated over 1,000 U.S. patents and hundreds of journal articles. Congratulations, Waguih!

Grand Challenges Scholars Program: In 2019, Santa Clara University (SCU) was accepted into the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP). SCU is now one of 100 GCSP schools and one of only three Jesuit institutions with an engineering program. The GCSP initiative provides students with a platform to tackle global issues through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative thinking. The program aligns well with SCU’s Jesuit mission, curriculum, and culture of educating the whole person to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world. 

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic beginning in early 2020, the program was largely postponed, although we were able to have our first graduate in Spring 2022. The program restarted in Fall 2023 and welcomed 11 new GCSP scholars during the 23-24 academic year. The program embraces diversity, including students from the School of Engineering, the Leavey School of Business, and the College of Arts and Sciences, encouraging a comprehensive approach to solving global challenges. The program recently received support through a Regents Experiential Learning Initiative (RELI) grant from the SCU Board of Regents, providing funding for student travel to the National GCSP Annual Conference (4-5 Scholars per year), a spring showcase of Scholars’ work, and small annual need-based scholarships.

SCU’s GCSP is currently recruiting scholars for the 2024-25 academic year, with an application deadline of December 1, 2024. A fall information session was held on Oct. 21, with another application assistance event planned for later this fall. The goal is to expand the GCSP cohort from 10 to 20 scholars, growing by 10 scholars each year until reaching a capacity of about 45 students. Perks of joining GCSP include digital badging, priority class registration, a graduation cord, and a letter from the NAE president recognizing their accomplishment. Current students can apply here.

Ph.D. student Manizheh Zand (Electrical and Computer Engineering) won the Best Student Paper award for her paper “Examining Diverse Gender Dynamics in Human-Robot Interaction: Trust Privacy and Safety Perceptions.” “This research adopts a multidisciplinary approach, synthesizing insights from psychology, technology, and ethics to unravel the intricate threads of diverse gender perceptions regarding trust-building, privacy considerations, and safety concerns in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI).” Congratulations, Manizeh!

Introducing our new faculty: This year, the School of Engineering is thrilled to introduce twelve new faculty members and proud to announce the promotion of six lecturers. Each brings extensive knowledge and enthusiasm to their fields, enriching our programs and engaging our students. Congratulations to Francisco Villarroya Alvarez, Aaron Melman (both Applied Mathematics), Murat Baday (Bioengineering), Andy Wolfe, Radhika Grover (both Electrical and Computer Engineering), and Katia Moles (General Engineering) in their new roles. Additionally, we are excited to introduce our twelve new faculty members: Vito Francioso (Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering), Xiao Li, Oana Ignat, Krishna Ramamoorthy, Yidi Wang (all Computer Science and Engineering), Burak Kurkcu, Stephen Bass, Adham Naji (all Electrical and Computer Engineering), Melissa Cefkin (General Engineering), Michael Abbott, Hannah (Xiaoou) Yang, and Mahantesh Hiremath (all Mechanical Engineering). Learn more about these new faculty members here.

Grand Reunion: Just under 400 School of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences alumni/ae, guests, and faculty gathered on Oct. 12 to celebrate this year's Grand Bash. With a Winter Wonderland theme, the annual reception invited attendees to share memories, savor delicious food, engage in meaningful conversations, and build camaraderie in the festively decorated SCDI Courtyard. Thank you all for making this another memorable event! See the photo gallery here. If you attended this year’s Grand Bash, we encourage you to fill out this survey.

Mentor Collective: Interested in mentoring our current Bronco Engineers? The Mentor Collective is your chance to stay connected with fellow alumni and the Santa Clara community. You'll be paired with students who share similar backgrounds and majors, supporting their journey at SCU through the Mentor Collective platform. Join us in making a positive impact on student experiences and helping them achieve their goals at SCU and beyond. Sign up today!

What's the latest? Alumni/ae, we would love to celebrate your remarkable accolades, achievements, and awards. If you have an intriguing story to tell, we're all ears! Please share your news here.