Experimentation is important for learning and research in the field of power electronics and drives. However, a great deal of equipment is required to study the various topologies, controllers, and functionalities. Thus, the cost of establishing good laboratories and research centers is high. To address this problem, the authors have developed a…

Nanoelectronics is an emerging area of electrical and computer engineering that deals with the current-voltage behavior of atomic-scale electronic devices. As the trend toward ever smaller devices continues, there is a need to update traditional undergraduate curricula to introduce electrical engineers to the fundamentals of the field. These…

Even in the face of a recession, great careers are currently available in many technical fields, and throughout the nation efforts are under way to grow the workforce in those jobs through greater diversity. In this article, the author describes a weeklong, free summer camp offered by Calhoun Community College, Decatur, Alabama, which gets high…

Present engineering has to deal with increasingly complex systems. In particular, this is the case in electrical engineering. Though this is obvious in microelectronics, also in the field of power systems engineers have to design, operate and maintain highly complex systems such as power grids, energy converters and electrical drives. This is…

The ELEXTEC project was initiated to provide better technical education to students enrolled in electronics technology. It was designed to convert a set of materials developed by the U.S. Air Force for teaching electronic principles in a form which could be utilized by civilian technical education institutions. Fourteen colleges participated in…

The Cooke County College and Gainesville Independent School District (Texas) jointly offer students the opportunity to obtain 4 full years of electronics training--2 in high school and 2 in college--through an articulation agreement. This "2 + 2" program gives students two options from which to choose depending upon their career goals:…

In 1986, Portland Community College (PCC) received federal funding to expand its pilot 2 + 2 Tech Prep program in engineering technology to include five local high schools and to link the program to the upper-division engineering technology program at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT). Program results included the following: (1) eight high…