New Laboratory Supports Experiential Learning in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Illinois Institute of Technology held a ceremony dedicating the Adrian and Lorna Nemcek Lab—established with a $300,000 gift from Lorna and Adrian Nemcek (EE ’70)—that will provide system design and fabrication capabilities for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Adrian Nemceck is a trustee emeritus of the university. 

Students have already used the lab to create a range of advanced design projects including a motion-controlled robotic arm, a mobile-controlled smart lock, autonomous drone systems, remote health monitoring systems, an agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) system, and more.

The lab will support the department’s major design experience capstone course, which is taken by all undergraduate seniors in electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer and cybersecurity engineering, and it will also be available for students engaged in independent research projects. 

The lab contains high-performance test and measurement equipment, embedded computing systems for hardware and software co-designs, a computer networking system, tools for printed circuit board fabrication, 3D printing, and servers for cloud computing.

“This laboratory will have a long-lasting, notable impact by providing opportunities to students to carry out independent and group research and design projects, and enabling them to discover innovative solutions for real-world engineering applications,” says Jafar Saniie, ECE department chair and Walter and Harriet Filmer Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Photo: [From left] Illinois Institute of Technology President Raj Echambadi, Lorna Nemcek, and Adrian Nemcek