Faculty Spotlight:

Jan Van der Spiegel

Jan Van der Spiegel
Professor of Electrical and System Engineering
Rachleff Scholars Program

Jan's Systems research focuses on the use of top-down nanotechnology in the design of intelligent sensors and sensory processing systems. He is primarily engaged in researching low-power analog and digital integrated circuits for intelligent sensors, data acquisition, and sensory data processing systems. He has done considerable work on image sensors that are modeled after the biological vision system. Jan is currently focused on imagers with on-chip analog-to-digital converters, and on sensors for polarization imaging by combining micro/nano polarizer arrays with CMOS imager technology.

Faculty Committees

Academic Year 2011-12

Dean's Committee

Administrative Committee
E. D. Glandt (Chair), R. Carpick, S. B. Davidson, P.K. Davies, D.E. Koditschek, V. Kumar, D. F. Meaney, G. J. Pappas, K. Stebe (S. Khanna, Chair, Faculty Personnel Committee, ex officio).

Scope: Advises the Dean in matters of planning, budgets, and personnel. Serves as the primary communications link between the departments and the administration of the School.

Awards Committee
V. Vitek (Chair), R. Alur, C. Chen, S. W. Churchill, A. Jackson, A. Joshi, C. J. McMahon, J. A. Quinn, (G. J. Pappas, ex officio).

Scope: Proposes deserving faculty members and others for major awards (including the School’s annual recognition of distinguished research); raises awareness of departmental responsibility for continually promoting faculty for their area’s professional awards. (Also encourages engineers for Honorary Degrees at Penn.)

Faculty Council

Jason Burdick (two-year term), Dennis Discher (two-year term), Dan Lee (one-year term), Benjamin Pierce, (one-year term), Stephanie Weirich one-year term), Shu Yang (two-year term), E.D. Glandt, G. J. Pappas, and S. Khanna, Chair, Faculty Personnel Committee, ex officio.

Scope: Serves as the elected Executive Committee of the Faculty and acts on all matters that require decisions between Faculty meetings; communicates the sentiments, wishes, and grievances of the Faculty to the administrative officers of the School; continuously examines the state of the School and makes recommendations to the Dean and Department Chairs on any matter involving the School or the University; advises the Dean in matters of long-range planning.

Standing Committees

Undergraduate Affairs Committee
V. Kumar (Chair), A. Tsourkas (ASBS, BE), Wen Shieh (CBE), D. Pope (MSE), S. Zdancewic (ASCS, ASCB, CSE, CS, CSCI, DMD), S. Venkatesh (CTE, EE, SSE, INDM), A. DeHon (CMPE), H. Bau (MEAM), Z. Ives (MKSE), Matthew Sternberg (EDAB Representative, non-voting), J. Van der Spiegel, (APO, ex-officio), J. Sun (APO, ex-offcio, non-voting), S. Gwak (APO, ex-offcio, non-voting).
Scope: Recommends to the Faculty all matters concerning undergraduate students and their education. This shall include courses and curricula, new educational programs, and undergraduate student recruiting and admissions. This committee is also responsible for supervising the selection of student award recipients by the Faculty.

Graduate Affairs Committee
V. Kumar (Chair), J. Shi (CIS), R. Composto (MSE), R. Gorte (CBE), S. Sarkar (ESE), B. Winkelstein (BE), J. Lukes (MEAM), R. Ferrier (GSEG Representative, non-voting), J. Van der Spiegel (APO, ex officio, J. Sun (APO, ex offcio, non-voting), S. Gwak (APO ex officio, non-voting).

Scope: Recommends to the Faculty all matters concerning graduate students and their education. This shall include recommendation of courses and curricula, recruiting and admissions, and matters concerning student academic progress.

Faculty Personnel Committee
Sanjeev Khanna (Chair), Chris Chen, John Crocker, Robert Ghrist, Karen Winey (Haim Bau and Vasek Vitek, Alternates).

Scope: Considers Faculty appointment, promotion, and tenure cases to determine the academic qualifications of the candidate for membership on the Faculty at the rank proposed. Makes recommendations to the Dean in accordance with established University procedures.

Academic Performance Committee
J. Van der Spiegel (Chair), D. Bogen (BE), T. Sinno (CBE), S. Weirich (CIS), A. Jadbabaie (ESE), P. Purohit (MEAM), S. Yang (MSE), (J. Sun, ex officio), E. Eckert (ex officio non-voting), S. Gwak (ex officio, non-voting), C. Ingrum (ex officio non-voting).

Scope: Acts for the Faculty on all matters concerning the education, status, and records of undergraduate students, including the interpretation of and exceptions to the B.S.E./B.A.S. curricula requirements. Actions of this Committee may be appealed to the Faculty Council acting for the Faculty. Actions of the Committee are reported to the Faculty by the Associate Dean and are considered to be approved by the Faculty unless specific action is taken at the next meeting of the Faculty or unless an appeal to the Council is pending. Copies of the Minutes of the Academic Performance Committee shall be available to all members of the Faculty.

Standing Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility
S. A. Kassam (Chair), D. Pope, M. Mintz (W. D. Seider and A. K. Joshi, Alternates)

Scope: Recommends to the Faculty action in any case involving an alleged violation of academic freedom or responsibility; normally acts only when a formal complaint is made.

Information (Library and Computing) Resources Committee
N. Engheta (Chair), D. Bogen, I-Wei Chen, J. Crocker, S. Khanna, K. Kuchenbecker) (Undergraduate Representative, TBA, Graduate Representative, TBA), (H. Anderson, Senior Director, CETS, and D. McGee, SEAS Librarian).

Scope: Considers the role of all resources in information exchange, especially electronic resources, and innovations in education and research.

SEAS ABET Committee
V. Kumar, Chair, J. Sun, Co-Chair, D. Bogen (BE), W. Shieh (CBE), S. Zdancewic (CIS), A. DeHon (CMPE), J. Van der Spiegel (ESE), H. Hu (MEAM), R. Agarwal (MSE).

Scope: Assesses and evaluates core academic programs in compliance with the guidelines of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

University Committees

(where School Faculty/Dean appointment is required)

Graduate Council of the Faculties
R. J. Gorte (SEAS Faculty-elected Representative).

Scope: Advises the Provost through the Deputy Provost on policy matters regarding graduate education and determines, as Faculty representatives, the University-wide basic standards for admission and degree requirements.

SEAS Faculty Affirmative Action/President's Affirmative Action Council
D. Bogen (Dean's appointee).

Scope: Monitors affirmative action and equal opportunity in employment without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam Era Veteran or disabled Veteran.

Faculty Senate Executive Committee
(To be selected)

Faculty-elected Representative of Constituency #18 - BE, CBE, MSE, MEAM and
Faculty-elected Representative of Constituency #19 - CIS, ESE.