Dr. Sheila Ross has been promoted to chair of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Department at Milwaukee School of Engineering, effective June 1, 2021. She is the first woman to hold this position.

Ross is a professor and electrical engineering program director at MSOE. She serves on university committees creating policy and recommendations, advises MSOE’s student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, shares research on diversity with other engineering faculty, and participates in outreach to K-12 schools. She received the “Making a Difference for Women at MSOE” award in recognition of her institutional contributions. She has been active in the Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN), serving as President, Director, and Conference Chair for the WEPAN Change Leader Forum. She also is a member of Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Ross developed a workshop series on Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which supports learners with a wide variety of challenges, including those due to neurological differences such as ASD and ADHD, as well as a wide variety of other challenges faced by students such as stereotype threat, differences in pre-college experiences, and diverse learning and communication styles.

The EECS Department is the oldest and largest academic department at MSOE. The university was founded in 1903 by Oscar Werwath, an electrical engineer who immigrated from Germany and quickly realized Milwaukee needed skilled technicians and engineers who could serve its rising industries.

MSOE remains at the forefront of developing talent to serve established and rising industries. Over the years the EECS Department has expanded to include bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer engineering, software engineering and computer science, and master’s degrees in engineering and perfusion.

Students at MSOE are learning on the leading edge of a technological revolution. Under Ross’ leadership, the university will continue expanding its artificial intelligence and machine learning educational offerings throughout all of its degree programs.

Ross holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Applied and Computational Sciences from Marquette University; and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds a professional Certificate in Executive Function and Learning Differences from Landmark College. She succeeds Dr. Stephen Williams, P.E., who was promoted to MSOE vice president of campus infrastructure.