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Western's College of Science and Engineering launches the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and its first engineering graduate program

by Mikayla King

WWU Communications

EECE student, now alumnus, Anthony Pierzchala demonstrates his senior project during an EECE open house. Photo by Luke Hollister.

Western Washington University's College of Science and Engineering has launched its Electrical and Computer Engineering (EECE) Department as well as its first engineering graduate program, which will admit its first cohort next fall. 

EECE was previously a program housed in the Department of Engineering and Design.  

The expansion of the EECE program into a department allows the college to meet the needs of students in the increasingly popular major. 

“The decision to create a new department for electrical and computer engineering was based on a number of factors, but primarily the motivation was to accommodate the significant and sustained growth in student demand for these majors, as well as the demand for graduates with these degrees across the region and state,” said CSE Dean Janelle Leger. “Recently, Western received state support to increase access to electrical and computer engineering degrees at Western, making the expansion of those programs and the structure to support them even more critical and impactful.” 

 

EECE student, now alumna, Tamari Rekhviashvili demonstrates a circuit board as part of her senior project. Photo by Luke Hollister.

Students will be able to choose from four programs within the major: electronics, energy, artificial intelligence and machine learning, or wireless networking and signal processing.  

Professor Andy Klein will serve as the department’s first chair. Previously, he served as the program director for the electrical and computer engineering program. 

“For years, EECE had been operating with its own specialized curriculum, faculty expertise and industry connections,” Klein said. “Formalizing as a department gives us the right-sized governance and resources to better support our students and faculty.” 

The department will also introduce Western’s first engineering master’s program, with the first cohort enrolling in fall 2026. The master’s program will be the first low-residency engineering program in CSE.  

“By offering most classes in the late afternoon or evening and allowing remote attendance, we're making graduate education accessible to practicing engineers along the I-5 corridor and beyond,” Klein said. “It's about meeting students where they are so they can advance their careers without putting their lives on hold.” 

The expansion will also allow for more industry partnerships and job opportunities for students, Klein said.  

“Becoming an independent department makes it easier to communicate who we are, what we offer and the distinctive value we bring to students, the university and the region,” he said. “A distinct identity makes it easier to form and maintain partnerships with companies, leading to more internships, collaborative projects and guest lectures.” 

Currently, EECE admits 60 students into the major annually with about 100 more students registering as pre-majors each year. In addition, Klein hopes to admit 20 graduate students into the program’s inaugural cohort.  

“I'm most excited about building on the incredible momentum we already have in EECE. As the inaugural chair, I have the opportunity to work closely with our dedicated faculty, staff and students to shape the department's culture from the ground up,” Klein said. “I'm looking forward to creating an environment where students feel inspired, supported and ready to make an impact from day one.” 

The department will be housed in the new Kaiser Borsari Hall alongside Computer Science and Energy Studies, two disciplines EECE faculty work closely with. 

To learn more about EECE, visit https://eece.wwu.edu/   

Mikayla King (‘17) covers the College of Science and Engineering and Woodring College of Education for the Office of University Communications. Reach out to her with story ideas at kingm24@wwu.edu.