The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Rice University focuses on the overall impact that we have within the local and global community that we operate within. The department serves as a support for students, faculty, K-12 teachers, researchers, and medical professionals from all over the world - sharing our knowledge, resources, and time to help mentor, innovate and bring about positive change.
Community
Many of our Rice ECE faculty have participated in R-STEM, supporting K-12 teachers through long-term professional development programs in inquiry-based STEM. These programs provide teachers with fresh, updated content knowledge, allowing them to share it with their students to help pique their interest in a STEM-related career field.
Rice University is a central point of contact for school districts, parents, students, nonprofit organizations, university faculty, and others in the Greater Houston Area. Many of our students participate in tutoring and STEM/engineering summer camps designed for K-12 students.
Personalized Professor Tracks
Mentorship goes beyond the student-faculty relationship within ECE. Tenor track faculty starting within the department are mentored by tenured professors and aided in the process of building a decorated research career. Faculty are partnered and supported in seven main research areas
- Computer Engineering
- Data Science & Systems
- Neuroengineering
- Optics and Photonics
- Wireless Networking, Sensing, and Security
- Health
- Quantum Engineering
Faculty are also encouraged to continue to build their network outside of Rice. The department encourages faculty to take the lead in inviting researchers to share their current work as guest lectures for students and professors throughout the year.
Social Impact
The last few years have forced the nation and the world to look inward regarding social impact. Rice University and Rice ECE are committed to supporting diversity and equal opportunities within the STEM field. As part of our continued efforts, not only do we work to diversify the student body but equally make sure our students are exposed to diverse leaders within the ECE community. We have a growing number of women faculty that are tenure-track and have over 11 countries represented within our faculty. We invite a varied group of speakers to participate in our guest webinars to ensure students are exposed to diverse researchers with diverse thoughts within the field.
Industry Excellence
Although we continue to be a research-based institution, many businesses were formed and patents created within these walls. Rice ECE continues to be a beacon of excellence when helping to push the boundaries of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Students benefit from long-standing connections between the university and leaders within the industry, helping to ensure all graduates from Rice are prepared for a variety of ECE career paths.