Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - UTK

Watch Emeritus Professor Jack Dongarra's full keynote!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1TY7sHh0bk

Award winner Jack Dongarra mapped the 50-year trajectory of — from early Cray vectors to today's 1.8 ExaFLOPs "El Capitan" at Lawrence Livermore. He argued that High-Performance Computing ( ) has evolved into the "third pillar" of , supplementing theory and experimentation.

Prof. Dongarra highlighted a critical transition: how the deductive world of physics-based modeling is seamlessly augmented by the inductive power of generative , transforming how we solve grand challenges in climate, energy, and medicine.

Watch his full keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1TY7sHh0bk

Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - UTK

The Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is seeking a new Student Services Associate! This role will serve as a key point of contact for graduate students, faculty, and prospective applicants.

Interested in joining our incredible EECS team and working alongside our talented ? Apply below!

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Student Services Associate: Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - UTK The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, invites applications for a full-time Student Services Associate. Reporting to the Front Office Manager, this position serves as a key point of contact for graduate students, faculty, and p...

🎉 Congratulations to Assistant Professor Hector Santos-Villalobos for being selected to receive a Support for Affiliated Research Teams award for his work on an AI-driven framework designed to enable autonomous experimentation and advanced microscopy workflows. 👏

Learn more about the honor 🔗 https://bit.ly/431I9yC

The University of Tennessee Alumni Association recognized Assistant Professor Ahmed Aziz with a 2026 Outstanding Teacher Award in recognition of excellence in instruction and mentorship. Congratulations, Aziz! 👏

Learn more about the honor 🔗 https://bit.ly/4d7ITaa

EECS is excited to introduce the inaugural inductees of the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame: Min H. Kao (MS/EE, ’74; PhD/EE ’77) and Mark Dean (BS/EE, ’79). Congratulations! 👏

"Dr. Mark Dean and Dr. Min H. Kao demonstrate what is possible for generations of Tennessee engineers and computer scientists. Their contributions have helped shape the modern world. It is a privilege to celebrate their careers, accomplishments, and lasting influence as the inaugural class of EECS Hall of Fame inductees.” - Garrett Rose, EECS Department Head. Read the full story at the link below!

🔗 https://bit.ly/4en8m1v

Assistant Professor Jack Marquez received a $260,000 NSF grant last summer to integrate the Global Computing Lab’s (GCLab) open-source tools into an ecosystem that makes geospatial research faster and easier. Over the last several years, GCLab has developed and contributed to several tools that broaden and deepen the research capabilities of Earth and environmental scientists. Learn more about his work:

🔗 https://bit.ly/4d2GZaW

Congratulations to EECS Professor Kevin Bai on receiving an Excellence in Research and Creative Achievement Award. 👏 The award honors tenured faculty members, like Bai, who have received national and/or international recognition in their field to stimulate research and creative achievement, and to emphasize that faculty research and creative achievement are integral to the mission of UT.

Full story at the link below!

🔗 https://bit.ly/4u73NNl

Mounir Laroussi (b. 1955) is best known for his work in plasma science, especially its biomedical applications. Born in Sfax, Tunisia, he was educated in France at the ENSERB in Bordeaux. He attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for his PhD, graduating in 1988. He conducted research and taught at the University of Tennessee until 1998, when he joined Old Dominion University’s Applied Research Center. He is currently the director of ODU’s Laser & Plasma Engineering Institute.

Laroussi is the inventor of the plasma pencil, a low temperature plasma jet that is used extensively in the biomedical applications of cold plasma. The plasma plume can propagate in ambient air and is used to treat surfaces including biological tissues. Laroussi was elevated to Fellow of the IEEE in 2009 for his contributions to plasma science. He was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2023.

You can learn more about Laroussi’s research at the link in the first comment.

📷 Plasma physicist Mounir Laroussi working with the plasma pencil. Gift of Mounir Laroussi, courtesy AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives.

UT’s AI TechX initiative has awarded one of its inaugural grants to Mathworks Professor Michela Taufer and Assistant Professor Kin Ng, allowing them to apply IBM’s advanced AI models to UT research projects. Find out more about their work:

🔗 https://bit.ly/3Q6nN4g

This past Wednesday, EECS celebrated Min Kao Day, honoring Dr. Min H. Kao, benefactor of UT’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department and the building that houses it, both of which bear his name. As an EECS alum, Dr. Kao has been a longtime supporter of innovation, education, and student success at UT.

To mark the occasion, the department welcomed students with cupcakes, hosted student organizations that shared information and opportunities, and offered lab tours showcasing the impactful work happening across our department.

Thank you to the , faculty, and staff who helped make this celebration a success and brought our engineering community together.