Promod Vohra
I am proud to lead this college, which is poised for tremendous growth. I am committed to establishing mutually beneficial partnerships to provide an effective response to the needs of the region. The college is poised to play an important role to influence economic development of the region by providing education, training, and research opportunities in engineering and technology.
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the homepage of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Northern Illinois University.
As the youngest college on campus (established in 1985), we take pride in our accomplishments and in the quality of our programs. The college offers ABET and NAIT accredited programs in engineering and technology. We offer degree programs in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, engineering technology and industrial technology.
The college is committed to providing barrier free admission to its diverse student body. The college has sustained its growth and is proud of its student population of about 1500. The Engineering Building is a world-class facility with state-of-the-art equipment providing excellent learning opportunities to students.
The college has attracted national as well as international recognition for its programs and services. In a short span, the college has been nationally recognized for graduating minority students. The college has rich diversity and has programs and services in place to sustain, encourage and enhance diversity. The mission of the college to be a practice based institution with strong ties with the regional industry is applauded by its stake holders. Over 200 partnerships with industries stimulate economic development, automation, and global competitiveness,
During the past five years, the college has engaged in several high impact research initiatives in partnership with Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Laboratory, and several Industries partners. Some of the ongoing research is addressing issues in Homeland Security, Energy and Environment, Lean Manufacturing, Active Noise and Vibration Control, Cancer Treatment , Supply Chain Management, Biodegradable Products, P-20, Computational Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Nano Science, Health Systems Engineering, Wireless Communications, Power Electronics, Radio Frequency, Mecha-tronics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, etc.
Every student coming to the college receives personalized attention and is supported through effective student support services including mentorship, peer-tutoring, advising, academic residential living and learning, internships, job placement, etc. We are proud of our near perfect student placement with a diverse set of industries.
The college has excellent partnerships with high schools, community colleges and industries in the region. Under a unique Adopt-A-High School initiative, the faculty and staff of the college have adopted more than 200 high schools in the region providing them with career and academic support services.
Faculty of the college are our real strength. They are highly accomplished in their fields with a majority having professional licensures/certifications and industrial experience. We are committed to further enhancing the research interests of our faculty and engaging in outreach activities to provide the best response to regional needs.
The college has more than 8,500 alumni, a majority of which work and stay in the Northern Illinois region. I view them as major stakeholders in collaborating with faculty, students and staff in helping the college accomplish its mission. The college’s alumni society (ETAS), is an active organization reaching out to alumni and friends of the college. ETAS is engaged in several initiatives geared toward helping students succeed in their academic and professional mission.
We in the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology bring great minds together to consider some of our world's most pressing challenges…energy, the environment, health care.
Babies’ auditory, visual, and central nervous systems are the last to mature. For a premature baby, a good part of this development occurs in the incubator. Noise in these incubators has been found to cause hearing loss. CEET’s national experts in noise and vibration cancellation are conducting research that will help prevent auditory damage and make the incubator a safer and healthier place.
Fuel cells generate electrical power quietly and efficiently, without pollution. Unlike power sources that use fossil fuels, the by-products from an operating fuel cell are heat and water. CEET researchers are currently collaborating with Argonne and Fermi National Laboratories on exciting fuel cell innovations with the potential to provide sustainable and renewable energy.
CEET is supporting regional economic development through research that improves the speed, responsiveness, and efficiency of production. Through the Rapid Optimization of Commercial Knowledge Program (ROCK) and the US Army, CEET faculty members are conducting research in innovative advanced manufacturing processes. Once perfected, these processes have helped several Rockford area businesses. At least five new businesses have been created in Rockford as a result of the ROCK program.
As demand for ethanol grows, so does the production of dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS) – a byproduct of the production of ethanol fuel. NIU students and faculty have teamed up with the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency to use DDGS to create biodegradable golf tees. Next on the horizon is using DDGS as filler in plastics.
Looking to reduce their vast consumption of diesel fuel, one of the nations’ largest railroad companies, has partnered with the CEET Department of Technology to find energy saving solutions. Faculty experts are now researching regenerative breaking, bio-diesel fuel, and the use of nano-fluids or lubrication techniques to reduce the thermal output of these massive engines.
Faculty and students from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering are helping validate digital maps of Chicago and simulating traffic flow changes that could save lives during an emergency. Through this project, our faculty and students have the opportunity to collaborate with experts from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Argonne National Laboratory.