Trustees approve named professorships, award posthumous degree

WESTVILLE, Ind. — The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday (April 6) approved the appointments of four professors to named positions, a posthumous degree and a resolution of appreciation to friends of the university.

Y. Charlie Hu was named the Michael and Katherine Birck Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Steven D. Pekarek was named the Nick Trbovich Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and David J. Love and Dimitrios Peroulis were named Reilly Professors of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Hu is a renowned researcher in the field of experimental computer systems and networking. He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Since 2010 he has conducted pioneering research on energy profiling on smartphones, which was commercialized and has helped to extend the battery life of hundreds of millions of smartphones. Hu received the National Science Foundation Career Award in 2003 and the 2009 Purdue College of Engineering Early Career Research Award. He was a Purdue Faculty Scholar from 2011-16.

Pekarek is a leader in the fields of electromagnetic component modeling and design, electric machine design, and power electronics. Pekarek’s research addresses challenges related to energy sources and systems. In general, the research has been in three areas: modeling of electric machines and power electronic systems, control of electric drives, and component design. At Purdue he has received several awards for his teaching in undergraduate courses on electromechanics and power electronics.

Love is a renowned researcher in the broad area of wireless communications, with specific emphasis on feedback-assisted adaptive wireless systems. He leads the College of Engineering Preeminent Team on Efficient Spectrum Usage. He has been recognized as an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow and a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher in 2014 and 2015. He was included in the Thomson Reuters list of “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” in 2014 and 2015. Love was a Purdue Faculty Scholar from 2012-17.

Peroulis is a top researcher in the field of adaptive high-frequency electronics and sensors. Since 2007 he has been a key contributor to research leading to widely tunable pre-select radio filters with unprecedented quality factors and power handling for high-frequency applications. He is an IEEE Fellow and a National Science Foundation CAREER award recipient. He has also received 10 teaching awards including the 2010 HKN C. Holmes MacDonald Outstanding Teaching Award and the 2010 Charles B. Murphy Award, which is Purdue's highest undergraduate teaching honor.

Trustees voted to posthumously award a doctoral degree from the College of Pharmacy to Benjamin A. Slaven of West Lafayette. Slaven was a candidate for May 2018 graduation.

Trustees also approved a resolution of appreciation to the following donors who contributed $1 million or more to Purdue: Taltree Arboretum & Gardens Foundation, as well as Damien and Rita Gabis, for their support of Purdue Northwest; The Regenstrief Foundation for its support of the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering; Nancy Uridil and Frank Bossu for their support of the Lyles School of Civil Engineering; Peter and Ann Lambertus for their support of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and WBAA; Terry and Sandra Tucker for their support of the College of Agriculture; Irving Boberski Jr. for his support of the School of Mechanical Engineering; and Dennis Kravetz for his support of the Krannert School of Management.

Writer: Joseph Paul, 765-494-9541, paul102@purdue.edu 

Sources: Y. Charlie Hu, ychu@purdue.edu

Steven Pekarek, spekarek@ecn.purdue.edu

David Love, djlove@purdue.edu

Dimitrios Peroulis, dperouli@purdue.edu