Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
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1890s

1893 First electrical engineering courses offered
1894 Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering established

1900s

1900 Degree in electrical engineering established

1910s

1910 Winston Hall opened

Winston Hall opened and housed civil, chemical, and electrical engineering courses. It was named for the second college president, George Tayloe Winston.

Winston HallWinston Hall
1917 Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering separated

The Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Physics were established when the Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering separated into two programs.

1920s

1923 School of Engineering established

The School of Engineering was established on May 28, 1923. The school included five departments: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, physics, and textile engineering.

1930s

1937 Electrical Engineeering Department accredited

The Electrical Engineering Department received accreditation by the Engineer's Council for Professional Development.

1950s

1953 First PhD in electrical engineering conferred
09/1956 First African American undergraduates enrolled

The first four African American undergraduates enrolled at North Carolina State College: Ed Carson (electrical engineering), Manuel Crockett (electrical engineering), Irwin Holmes (electrical engineering), and Walter Holmes (mechanical engineering, aerospace option).

Irwin Holmes on tennis courtIrwin Holmes on tennis court
1957 First African American student graduated

Robert Clemons received a professional degree in electrical engineering (PREE) and became the first African American to graduate from NC State.

1958 Taiwanese graduate students enrolled

Graduate students Shing-Gong Liu and Jui-Ming Lee of Taiwan both enrolled in the electrical engineering program.

Agromeck 1958Agromeck 1958

1960s

5/1960 First African American undergraduate degree conferred

Irwin Holmes earned a BS in electrical engineering, making him the first African American undergraduate to receive a degree at NC State. Further documentation of Irwin Holmes's life exists at DigitalNC.

1970s

1975 First woman received PhD in electrical engineering

Alice Cline became the first woman at NC State to receive a PhD in electrical engineering.

1980s

1981 Department of Electrical Engineering renamed

The Department of Electrical Engineering was renamed the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

1983 Calvin H. Carter Jr. awarded doctorate

Calvin H. Carter Jr. was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree. He previously earned a BS degree in 1977 and a MS degree in 1980. He became co-founder of Cree, Inc., and was a 2002 recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

1989 Electrical and computer engineering history written

George B. Hoadley, Edward G. Manning, and William J. Barclay wrote A Brief History of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: College of Engineering, North Carolina State University. An updated version was hosted on the departmental website.

2000s

2005 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering moved

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering moved from 111 Lampe Drive to the Engineering Building II on Centennial Campus.

2008 FREEDM Systems Center created

NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Future Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) Systems was established to develop technology that revolutionized the power grid and increased energy production from solar panels, wind farms, fuel cells and other renewable sources into homes and businesses.

2010s

9/5/2012 ASSIST Center established

The NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) was established to create self-powered devices to help people monitor their health and understand how the surrounding environment affects it. With both the ASSIST and FREEDM centers, NC State became the only university with two NSF engineering research centers.

03/14/2019 Christina Hammock Koch launched to space

Alumnus and astronaut Christina Koch launched to the International Space Station. She was a part of the Expedition 59 and 60 crew. Koch later set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, and participated in the first all-woman spacewalk. At NC State, she earned a BS in electrical engineering (2001), a BS in physics (2001), and a MS in electrical engineering (2002).