The 2025 Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty and Staff Awards recognized outstanding accomplishments and exceptional service within the department.
- Neda Nategh – 2025 Researcher of the Year
- Darrin Young – 2025 Teacher of the Year
- Cindy Furse – 2025 Outstanding Service Award
- Carlos Mastrangelo – 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
- Pierre-Emmanuel Gaillardon – 2025 Chair’s Award
- Liz Rowberry – 2025 Outstanding Staff Award
Neda Nategh was recognized as the 2025 Researcher of the Year for her recent success in growing her research program. Professor Nategh studies computation neuroscience. This field of study is the integration of visual neuroscience and computational science. She has said that she hopes her research can help patients by developing technologies that can help them interact with the visual world. This includes patients with visual or motor impairments, including eye movements.
Darrin Young was recognized as the 2025 Teacher of the Year for his dedication to student success and well being. Professor Young develops and advances microsystem technologies for various types of applications, including biomedical implants, environmental sensing, power transfer, RF communication, and general industrial sensing applications.
Cynthia Furse exemplifies the true spirit of service in our department. Her tireless dedication to the graduate program, coupled with her unwavering support for our students, reflects her passion and care year after year. On top of her outstanding teaching, she continually goes above and beyond to enrich the student experience, making her an indispensable part of our ECE community.”.
Carlos Mastrangelo’s career is a shining example of scholarly excellence and innovation. With a remarkable record of publications, significant research funding, and continued contributions to the field, his impact resonates across generations of engineers. Even at this stage of his career, his research remains vibrant and influential, securing his legacy as one of the most distinguished figures in our department..
It is with great pride that we recognize P.E. Gaillardon with the ECE Chair’s Award. His exceptional commitment to the department is unmatched—serving as associate chair, leading hiring efforts, and maintaining the highest research output over the past three years. His work ethic, communication skills, and dedication to our collective success have made him a driving force behind the department’s growth and achievements
Liz Rowberry received the 2025 Outstanding Staff Award. Liz has created a better student experience with her pro-active approach to advising. Notably, she revamped the entire graduate website to provide better student support. Her efforts improved thesis proposal, defense writing templates and the admissions process for the BS/MS and the 4+1 programs. Liz has created a culture of helping students find internships and jobs. ECE students have rich resources because of work provided by staff members like Liz Rowberry.
