Graduate Fellowships
Bingqing Song shares what the George Sery Fellowship means to her:
I am a first year PhD student majoring in ECE. My research interests include machine learning and optimization in wireless communication and statistical learning. I feel honored to receive the fellowship. It has let me focus on my academic performance entirely and learn a lot more about my research interests. Thank you for supporting me!
Your gifts have helped us attract and build a diverse graduate student body with extraordinary potential to grapple with and turn up solutions for challenges we have yet to face. Your support has been critical to the impact our students make on the community, our nation, and globally through advancements in technology, healthcare, and overall quality of life in ways that are conspicuous and inconspicuous.
To attract the best and brightest students from around the world, and be comparable to other top ranking institutions' aid packages, supporting graduate fellowships is a continual and imperative task. We encourage you to support our students by establishing a named fellowship or making a gift to one of the funds listed below.
Our External Relations Officer Anastacia Quinn Davis can help you take the next step:
Email: aqdavis@umn.edu
Phone: 612-625-4509
Or you can take the next step directly Make a Gift Online
Bruce J. Bergman Graduate Fellowship Fund
The Bruce J. Bergman fellowship fund was established in 2007 by 1964 ECE graduate Bruce Bergman in appreciation of the education he received that led to his success in industry. The fellowship supports full time graduate students in ECE who are in good academic standing and demonstrate potential in their field.
Dr. Steven K. Case Optics Fellowship
The Dr. Steven K. Case Optics Fellowship was established in 2009 by the CyberOptics Corporation in memory of Dr. Steven K. Case who joined the University of Minnesota as a professor in electrical engineering in 1979. While at the University, he developed a system of laser-based sensors used as a quality control tool by circuit board manufacturers. CyberOptics was spun out of the university into a private company in 1984, and Case served as its president until 1998. In 1995 he became the company chairman, and continued to serve in the position till his death in 2009. The Case Optics fellowship supports full time graduate students in ECE with a focus on optics and who show exceptional potential in their field.
Gary H. Glover Fellowship
Established in 2004, the purpose of the Gary H. Glover fellowship is to support outstanding graduate students who are pursuing a degree in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at full time status.
Kelen Family Foundation Graduate Fellowship Fund
The Kelen Family Foundation Graduate Fellowship was established by Miriam and Erwin Kelen in 2013. Erwin Kelen earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1960 at the University, and the Kelen family have consistently supported the University of Minnesota. In keeping with the family’s dedication to increasing accessibility to quality education, the fellowship supports graduate students in ECE, with preference given to first generation immigrants or children of first generation immigrants.
Daniel Sun and Helen Hu Electrical and Computer Engineering Fellowship Fund
Established in 2007 by ECE alumni Daniel Sun and Helen Hu who graduated from ECE with master’s degrees in electrical engineering, the fellowship is dedicated to enhancing the educational experience of graduate students in the area of electric power research. The fellowship supports full time graduate students with exceptional potential in the area.
E. Bruce Lee Memorial 21st Century Fellowship Fund
Established in 2005, the E. Bruce Lee Memorial fund honors the memory of ECE professor E. Bruce Lee. The fellowship supports full time ECE graduate students.
Kevin and AJ KleinOsowski Fellowship Fund
The fellowship was established in 2004 by Kevin and AJ KleinOsowski to provide fellowships that benefit ECE graduate students.
Leo D. and Bella Yau Fellowship in Electrical Engineering
Leo Yau earned his master’s degree in 1965. A renowned engineer and inventor (Yau's pioneering research became the backbone for microprocessor technology and the evolution of the microchip), Yau is an IEEE Fellow, an Intel Fellow, and a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award through the College of Science and Engineering. The Leo D. and Bella Yau Electrical Engineering Fellowship Fund was established in 2005 and provides fellowship support to graduate students in ECE.
Bernard D. Paul Graduate Fellowship in Electrical Engineering
ECE alumnus Bernard D. Paul earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1963. The Bernard D. Paul Graduate Fellowship fund established in 2009 marks his appreciation for the education he received in ECE that set him up for success. The graduate fellowship fund will support students in the department and help continue the tradition of excellence in education.
Dr. F. Robert Naka and Patricia N. Naka Fellowship
ECE alumnus Dr. F. Robert Naka earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1947. He was a pioneer in the development of stealth technology for concealing military aircraft, space communications, space command and control, and active and passive sensors. He made critical contributions and held numerous leadership positions that were vital to national security. Dr. Naka’s wife, Patricia Ann Neilon Naka earned her master’s degree through the College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Naka and Patricia Naka strongly believed in the importance of access to education. Established in 2008, the Dr. F. Robert Naka and Patricia N. Naka Fellowship supports full time master’s students conducting research and engaged in the writing of their theses.
Rudolph and Mildred Nelson Fellowship
The Rudolph and Mildred Nelson Fellowship Fund was established in 2008 by Rudolph and Mildred Nelson. The fellowship fund supports full time graduate students in ECE who are in good academic standing and demonstrate outstanding potential in their field.
Dr. Mostafa and Carol Kaveh Fellowship
Established in 2010, the Dr. Mostafa and Carol Kaveh Fellowship recognizes the scholarship and potential of graduate students. Currently serving as the dean of CSE, Dr. Kaveh has advised over 60 graduate students, around 30 of them being doctoral students. The Kaveh fellowship fund supports full time graduate students who show exceptional potential in their field.
Louis John Schnell Endowed Fellowship in Electrical Engineering
Established in 2000, the Louis John Schnell Endowed Fellowship in Electrical Engineering honors Mr. Schnell’s wish to support deserving graduate students. The fund helps retain promising students, and attract new graduate students who show tremendous potential.
Dr. Krzysztof K. Burhardt and April L. Spas Fellowship
Dr. Burhardt earned his doctoral degree through ECE and went on to have a successful career as an executive with 3M, Imation, and Honeywell. His wife April Spas was the recipient of a Regents Scholarship in New York, and she credits the scholarship as laying the foundation for her professional success. Both Burhardt and Spas strongly believe that one generation of scholars should support the next as best as they can. The Dr. Krzysztof K. Burhardt and April L. Spas Fellowship, established in 2010, supports exceptional graduate students in good academic standing who are pursuing their academic work under full time status.
Carl E. and Ethel A. Swanson Electrical Engineering Endowment Fund
Set up in 2000 by Ethel A. Swanson as a lasting memorial to her husband, an alumnus, and driven by her own interest in higher education, the endowment fund supports graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who are Minnesota residents.
Dr. John D. and Barbara E. Holm Fellowship
The John D. and Barbara E. Holm fellowship fund established in 2004 supports graduate students in ECE who are pursuing a degree under full time status.
Lowell E. Norton Fellowship
Established in 2003 by Claire B. Norton in honor of her late husband, Lowell E. Norton, the fellowship supports graduate students in ECE
Gordon W. Sprague Fellowship Fund
The Gordon W. Sprague was set up in 2004 by Thomas M. Sprague in memory of his father to support deserving full time graduate students through fellowships.
George E. Sery Fellowship
Established in 2019, the fellowship marks 1978 MSEE alumnus George E. Sery’s acknowledgement of the educational opportunity he had which then led to a rewarding career in the semiconductor industry. Sery is keen to help others have access to education that could determine society’s future success. The fellowship supports full time graduate students working towards electrical or computer engineering degrees with a focus on biomedical and biological computational methods, devices, and systems, or energy systems and power electronics.
Professor Aldert van der Ziel Memorial Graduate Fellowship
Professor van der Ziel’s daughters (Cornelia van der Ziel, and Joanna van der Ziel Beachy) and daughter-in-law (Madeline van der Ziel-Meyer) established the van der Ziel Memorial Graduate Fellowship in 2014. Professor van der Ziel was a faculty member with ECE from 1950 to 1980, and supervised nearly 80 doctoral students and numerous master’s students. He was a researcher, educator, and a consultant to industry. Most well known for his research into flicker noise, he was the recipient of many prestigious awards, including election to the National Academy of Engineering. The Professor Aldert van der Ziel Memorial Graduate Fellowship was established to honor his memory, and support graduate students.
Elmer and Betty Schwittek Endowed Fellowship and Scholarship
Established in 2002 by alumnus Elmer Schwittek, the Elmer and Betty Schwittek fund supports promising graduate and undergraduate students to pursue and complete their degrees in electrical engineering and computer engineering. The fund’s goal is to help attract new students to ECE degree programs and help current students attain their degrees.
James C. Hathaway Fellowship Fund
Established in 2007 by James C. Hathaway, the fellowship fund supports full time graduate students showing exceptional potential in their field, pursuing a degree through ECE.
Leo D. and Bella Yau Fellowship recipient Jeehwan Song says:
The Leo D. and Bella Yau Fellowship has been incredibly instrumental in helping me stay focused on my research and coursework. Without the fellowship, I would be struggling to pay tuition which would be a source of significant stress, and a distraction from my research.