Four outstanding faculty in the College of Engineering & Computing joined colleagues from throughout FIU to receive well-deserved recognition at the 2015 Faculty Convocation. These individuals have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to students, the university and their fields. Their efforts inspire all of us to reach ever higher in working toward the common goals of graduating students ready to be productive in the workforce, pursuing cutting-edge research and impacting the local and global communities.
Stavros V. Georgakopoulos, Ph.D.
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
President’s Council Worlds Ahead Faculty Award
Dr. Stavros V. Georgakopoulos has been recognized with a President’s Council Worlds Ahead Faculty Award, the highest honor that FIU extends to a faculty member. The prize highlights the contributions of individuals who excel in every aspect of their work, including teaching and mentorship, research and service.
In his eight years at FIU, Dr. Stavros has distinguished himself through collaborative research that should lead to the discovery of novel electromagnetic technologies that integrate across traditional boundaries between engineering, science and medicine to yield important societal benefits. His lab focuses on wireless powering of implantable and wearable medical devices as well as reconfigurable, “origami-style” folding antennas that will have a significant impact on next-generation airborne and spaceborne communication systems, his investigations into which are creating an entirely new research area called origami electromagnetics. His pioneering research and his inventions have attracted national and international attention. His external research funding totals $2.5 million, and his work has led to the filing of four utility patents. He has published 16 papers in top peer-reviewed journals and 81 papers in conference proceedings, which have been cited 475 times according to Google Scholar.
Dr. Georgakopoulos’ transformative research is coupled with a dedication to teaching and students. He has served as a faculty mentor on nine senior design projects and created a new undergraduate web-accessible laboratory that allows students to conduct hardware experiments from any remote location. His commitment to community outreach includes a grant-funded program to engage the interest of underrepresented students in local elementary schools in the STEM fields.
Dr. Georgakopoulos continues to help raise the profile of the university and the college through his senior membership in the technology association IEEE, his service as a member of the editorial board for the new International Journal on Wireless Power Transmission Technology by Cambridge University Press and his relationships with government agencies, private companies and top-tier institutions, such as Georgia Tech.
Jiuhua George Chen, Ph.D.
Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Excellence in Advising & Mentorship
Dr. Jiuhua Chen joined the faculty in 2007. A renowned international scholar, he earned his M.S. in condensed matter at the Jilin University in China and a doctorate in physics at the Japan Graduate University for Advanced Studies. In addition to being an active contributor of new research, he mentors many students. He encourages them to present at national and international conferences and offers his support by accompanying them whenever possible. Through his promotion of emerging scholars, he not only builds their confidence but also helps to raise FIU’s reputation in the field.
Jill We
iss, MS
Department of Computing & Information Sciences
Excellence in Teaching
Senior instructor Jill Weiss joined the faculty in 1989. She uses humor and lively interaction to boost classroom engagement, and the success of that approach continues to show in the large numbers that enroll in her courses. She teaches between 700 and 800 students per semester and, despite this load, takes time to mentor as many as possible. Her advocacy of individuals with intellectual disabilities has earned her particular recognition, and she is actively involved with the FIU’s Project Panther Life, which caters to such students.
Jeffrey H. Greenfield, Ph.D., PE
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Excellence in Adjunct Teaching
Dr. Jeffrey Greenfield, an adjunct instructor, began teaching at FIU full time in 1985. His experiences as an educator and a professional inform his approach to teaching, which combines both technology and creativity. Students say that what that they most appreciate about his lessons is the link he makes between classroom material and what they will encounter in the real world. Such connections move them a step closer to becoming successful engineers.