Many universities, including Rice, have made the transition to fully remote learning for the remainder of the semester. In fact, at ECE, we went beyond lecture-style courses and have successfully transitioned multiple lab-based classes to distance learning. We’re not stopping there – our ECE community is continuing to develop an infrastructure that allows our students to have the best learning experience possible, regardless of their location.
Moving courses online was the easy part – but we need to do more, much more.
Nearly all our students are now finding themselves in new and uncertain situations, as some internships and even full-time job offers have been rescinded. For many students, their degree progress greatly depended on the resources available at Rice, such as high-speed internet access, computers, and a holistic learning environment.
The entire department is determined to support every student
To meet the demand for resources and real-world work experience, Rice ECE has tripled the number of summer research internships for undergraduates and professional master’s students. More than 80 research internships have been created, with nearly 40 of those being paid positions from research grants. We are also planning to help Houston communities by offering innovative programs for both high-school teachers and students.
We can help more students – with your help
The department has an initial need of $300,000 to reach more students with remote learning and work experiences throughout this summer and upcoming semesters. As the current university situation changes, we’ll continue to update our goals to meet the needs of all students. Alumni and friends of Rice ECE can help us support these current and future needs by contributing to the ECE Student Excellence Fund.
We are turning this challenge into a growth opportunity for everyone.
The new and unique learning experiences we’ve created for our students so far include remote summer internships in research groups, data-a-thons, and enriched learning opportunities with guest speakers from across the country.
We want our students to not just to survive this pandemic, but grow and thrive in these challenging times and come out stronger. We know we can do it with the help of the global Rice ECE family.
Thank you for your continued support,
Ashutosh Sabharwal
Department Chair and Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Rice University
Rice University | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
6100 Main St, MS-366, Houston TX, 77005
