Jorge Aravena Named Permanent ECE Department Chair

Following a national search, Dr. Jorge L. Aravena, Oskar R. Menton Professor, has been named chairman of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), effective July 1. “Having served as interim chair for the past two years, professor Aravena has received superb on-the-job-training. His 30 years of service with the University provides him a long familiarity with LSU and a deep commitment to ECE,” said College of Engineering Dean Rick Koubek.

A native of Santiago, Chile, Aravena received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Chile. He received his PhD in computer, information and control engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His research interests include system theory, computer-based control systems, and signal processing, in particular, the application of artificial intelligence tools.

Speaking of his recent chair appointment, Aravena said, “We have great challenges in front of us and, united, we can convert these challenges into opportunities to grow and become one of the best ECE Departments in the nation.”

In June, 2008, Aravena accepted the appointment of interim chairman for ECE. During his tenure at LSU, he has served as advisor for the IEEE student chapter, ECE graduate advisor, chairman of the graduate studies committee, systems area coordinator and served on many university level committees. While he has volunteered for activities related to international education, he is most proud of his student involvement, both as mentor and as advisor.

Over the years, Aravena has been invited by the National Science Foundation to serve on several evaluation panels in addition to being a proposal reviewer. He has authored or coauthored over 40 articles in archival journals, five chapters in books and more than 70 presentations at technical conferences. He is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE).

- 30 -

Article by Shannon Norwood, Mass Communications Intern, LSU College of Engineering, 225-578-5478,tvabshire@lsu.edu