Although establishing a formal faculty-industrial liaison relationship is the primary purpose of the program, the industrial affiliate of the Rice Electrical and Computer Engineering Department receives a variety of additional benefits. A faculty member is designated as a liaison for every member company. Similarly, each industrial affiliate designates up to three employees as technical representatives to the program. Other benefits of the program to member companies include:
The annual meeting is an opportunity for the department and affiliates to come together and discuss topics and issues of mutual interest. All the faculty attend, as well as many students, and we ask for one to three representatives from each member company. The annual meeting features the following:
- research overviews by faculty, and updates on recent developments and research results within the department;
- small focused sessions organized by research areas where students, faculty, and affiliates can interact in a workshop setting and discuss research areas in depth;
- tours and demonstrations of research projects and facilities;
- one-on-one meetings with individual faculty and students to create/continue collaborations;
- discussion of the educational mission of the department and the continuous changes and improvements made to the curriculum;
- interaction with other affiliate members; and
- opportunities to interview and discuss employment opportunities with our undergraduate and graduate students for both permanent and internship positions.
An ECE faculty member will make one visit to member company's facility, as requested by the affiliate, to present a lecture or seminar, providing an in-depth discussion of recent research developments at Rice and technical issues of concern to the affiliate. Member companies will be responsible for the travel expense of the faculty member.
Affiliates will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the abilities and interests of Rice undergraduate and graduate students in Electrical and Computer Engineering. The department will assist affiliates in meeting graduate students whose work is of specific interest to the company. 
In addition, each affiliate will be provided with resumes submitted by graduating students at all degree levels. The department will host speakers from member companies for career seminars and student-sponsored activities for the purpose of recruitment.
Affiliates will receive an annual research review of the department's activities, as well as abstracts or copies of all departmental technical reports and research papers. Affiliates also receive departmental announcements on colloquia, seminars, and items of general interest. Our departmental web page, located at http://www.ece.rice.edu, is continuously updated. 
Member companies will also receive copies of all abstracts and slides from ECE colloquia. When available, video cassette copies of seminars can be provided upon request. There are also many opportunities for informal meetings. In addition to interaction with members of the ECE Department, affiliates have the opportunity to interact with technical and administrative representatives of other affiliate companies.
Affiliates are encouraged to discuss technical problems of a non-proprietary nature with the faculty liaison. In this manner, they have the opportunity to influence future research directions of the department.
Affiliate companies receive appropriate recognition from the department and Rice University. Along with being listed on our departmental web pages, affiliated companies are represented as "preferred" contacts for our students and faculty. The ECE Department is in the process of creating an information display on our affiliates that will contain company literature and any announcements regarding opportunities at the affiliated company.
