November 7, 2005

Electrical and computer engineering school announces speakers' series

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering announces its fall 2005 "TechMakers" with lectures about the changes in mobile communication and the future of industrial automation.

Dennis Buss, vice president of Silicon Technology Development at Texas Instruments Inc., will present "Technology and Design Challenges for Mobile Communication and Computing Products" from 12:30-1:20 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 10) in the Physics Building, Room 114.

Nicholas Gihl, vice president of Industrial Automation and Control for Schneider Electric, North American Operating Division, will present "Fulfilling the Promise of Automation" from 12:30-1:20 p.m. Nov. 17 in Stewart Center's Fowler Hall. A reception in the Stewart Center Gallery will follow after the talk.

"The second year of the TechMakers lecture series continues its tradition of addressing the major technology and career topics that impact our everyday lives," said Linda Katehi, the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering at Purdue. "The lectures also give our students the opportunity to learn from the experiences and insights of prominent Purdue engineering alumni and corporate executives."

Buss' position at Texas Instruments includes responsibility for the company's technology computer-aided design areas. He is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering fellow and the recipient of the 1985 Herschel Award. He received the 1987 Jack A. Morton Award for his pioneering work on infrared monolithic focal plane technology. In 2000, Buss was selected by the Electron Devices Society to be one of the recipients of an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Third Millennium Medal.

He will discuss the challenges of the continued reduced scaling of mobile communication and computing products during his TechMakers talk.

Gihl, who earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1978, is in charge of leading Schneider Electric's industrial automation sales and marketing team in North America. He has more than 20 years experience in automation. Gihl's previous experience includes serving as senior vice president of GE-Fanus in Charlottesville, Va., a joint venture between general Electric and Fanuc, a Japanese CNC/robotics company.

He will discuss the dynamics of the automation industry in growth, distribution, products and others uses during his TechMakers talk.

The previous speaker in the fall 2005 TechMakers lecture series was John R. Chiminski, vice president for Global MR Business with GE Healthcare in Milwaukee, Wis. He presented "Customer Needs Driving Technology" in Purdue's Loeb Playhouse in Stewart Center on Nov. 3. Chiminski earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1987.

Upcoming speakers for the TechMakers lecture series will be announced in the spring.

Writer: Cynthia Sequin, (765) 494-4192, csequin@purdue.edu

Sources: Linda Katehi, (765) 494-5346, katehi@purdue.edu

Thomas Talavage, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, (765) 494-5475, tmt@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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