In 1978, computers were beginning to use the 5.25-inch floppy disk, Microsoft Corp. released the BASIC programming language, and Washington University in St. Louis was celebrating its 125th anniversary.

While much has changed in computing and at Washington University in the past 45 years, one thing hasn’t changed — Myrna Harbison’s presence in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering. That year, Harbison joined the small staff in the department, then located in Bryan Hall, as a departme

The omnipresence of computers in our lives makes Introduction to Computer Science (CSE 131) offered by the McKelvey School of Engineering’s Department of Computer Science & Engineering the most popular undergraduate course at the university that is taken by students in all majors. While it requires no previous programming experience, it assumes that students have had high school algebra and geometry.

Most of today’s undergraduate students have been using computers throughout their education and

Patwari, who holds a dual appointment as a professor of electrical & systems engineering and of computer science & engineering, is an expert in using radio waves, the signals used by wireless devices, to develop sensors that can be used in applications including medical devices or to detect motion in a home. He and his lab, the Sensing and Processing Across Networks (SPAN) lab, use the same range of frequencies used in cell phones and other wireless devices to create these sensors.

Nearly eight

The writer Isaac Asimov is quoted as saying “Science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world.” Washington University in St. Louis Engineering alumnus Frank Bergh has taken that to heart, using his education to take electricity to remote regions of the world and changing the lives of those getting electricity for the first time.

Bergh, who earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a minor in Spanish in 2008, has spent much of the past several

Editor’s note: In Engineering Momentum, we frequently tell you about the strengths and opportunities in McKelvey School of Engineering and the progress toward new goals. We do this because we are proud of what we do, and we want you to be proud as well. However, this story takes a different tack: Here we address the challenges we face as a school in addressing diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as where we have fallen short and how we plan to improve.

Amid the weight of the global pandemi

It's a tall order, not only because of the effect of Boeing's products on society, but also because of the scope of his position, leading the technical team of the world's largest aerospace company, and the need to take on his one overarching challenge: to find what needs to change and lead that change. Yet it's a role Hyslop is managing deftly after advancing through various leadership positions over his 35-year career with the company.


While Hyslop's titles of CTO and senior vice president

While engineering is a challenging discipline for anyone, some of the earliest black students in the McKelvey School of Engineering — both male and female — often experienced an unlevel playing field. For some of the female students, having to fight harder for their education while overcoming obstacles of racism and an unwelcome environment strengthened their resolve to earn their degrees, which led them to successful careers and prepared them to face hostile work environments.

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