An insider interview with EECS department chair, Dr. Sheila Ross

Q. What is something that people who have not been to MSOE in the last five years or did not attend MSOE should know about the department that is exciting? 

SR: The EECS department has grown! We began our Computer Science bachelor’s degree program five years ago, and it is now the largest program in the department. This past fall, the EECS department enrollment surpassed 1,000 students.  The department is also growing more diverse, as the number of underrepresented students has increased by more than 50% in the last five years. We have new graduate programs in machine learning: a Master of Science degree in Machine Learning, and graduate certificates in Applied Machine Learning and Machine Learning Engineering. The machine learning graduate programs are the department’s first foray into online degree programs, but also maintain the small class sizes and applications-oriented curriculum students expect from MSOE.

Q. What have been the starkest differences you’ve seen in what students are learning today versus when you began your tenure at MSOE? How are the jobs they are competing for different? 

SR: An MSOE education today goes far beyond providing information and expecting students to retain it, as some of us experienced in engineering education years ago. Today, our students need to learn how to curate the vast amounts of information available online and leverage new technology as it becomes available. AI is being built into so many products in different industries, so all students in our department need experience working with it. Our new Data Science Minor and our AI Specialization within our Biomedical Engineering program enable students working in all EECS disciplines to apply AI in their technical field. Many products our lives depend on are also internet-connected, from implantable health devices to the power grid. This raises the importance of cybersecurity as a consideration in all areas of engineering design today.

Q. What kinds of new opportunities will the new endowed chair in Artificial Intelligence bring? In what other areas do you think endowed positions might help MSOE and the EECS department? 

SR. The endowed chair in AI provides Dr. Kedziora with release time, allowing him to build relationships with other academic institutions, industry partners, and community stakeholders that will allow MSOE to use its faculty expertise in AI and computational resources to solve technical challenges and improve lives. For example, just a few weeks ago, Dr. Kedziora and other MSOE EECS faculty met with clinical researchers at Northwestern University Hospital to begin a collaboration that could improve treatment outcomes for patients with Glioblastoma (GBM). Cybersecurity is another area where an endowed chair could have a significant impact as the field continues to grow. Expertise in this area would also complement our work in machine learning, as security is an essential consideration for any system that collects or stores data. As we seek to build our diverse community of experiential learners, an endowed chair in EECS Education could focus on revolutionizing our curriculum to support learners from varied backgrounds and broaden participation in our programs.

Q. How do endowed positions like the AI chair help you recruit faculty in a competitive market for talent?

SR: An endowed position provides a faculty member with support in their vision, giving them the freedom to pursue activities that require additional investment of time but have the potential for major impact. The endowed chair’s impactful work brings recognition to the department, which attracts motivated students and high-quality faculty candidates, furthering the success of the chair’s initiatives.

Q. Where do you see room for growth or opportunities for the EECS department?

SR: We are interested in growing our cybersecurity offerings into a certificate and/or bachelor’s degree program in cybersecurity engineering. There is demand for cybersecurity credentials, and it is a technical area that complements the strengths of the EECS department. We would also like to enhance the interdisciplinary impact of data science and AI, with applications in business, healthcare, and the humanities. However, we can’t accomplish any of our goals without the heart of our university: our students. Their success is our success, and supporting the diverse population of students who choose MSOE EECS programs for their education continues to be our primary goal. MSOE is an innovative institution, and if we can find a way to help students as they struggle to overcome the effects of the pandemic on their educational journeys, we will indeed be recognized for setting the standard of excellence in engineering education. This is a challenge that requires resources, but with the help of the talented and caring faculty of the MSOE EECS Department, we will build a community that perseveres together through the societal and technical challenges that come before us.  Go Raiders!