Traditional roles
Electrical engineering is used in technology, information, telecommunications, imaging and electrical power systems. Electrical engineers design life-support systems, personal communications devices, video and audio systems, biometric systems, micro sensors, airbags, solar panels and more.
Today's emerging roles
Electrical engineering is pivotal to the development of a high-tech future. Everything from intelligent sensors for biomedical devices and pipeline monitoring to brain-on-a-chip technologies will involve this engineering discipline.
What software engineers do
Traditional roles
Software engineers are the ones that put the intelligence into the devices that electrical engineers develop. They develop, install, validate and maintain computer programs, system performance and reliability for everything from electronic games to critical infrastructure control.
Today's emerging roles
The future of software engineering is an exciting one. This skill set is critical to artificial intelligence, earth-space technologies, virtual reality, facial recognition, brain-computer interfaces and beyond.
Historical timeline
July 1, 1966
The Department of Electrical Engineering is launched as part of the official establishment of University of Calgary
April 1, 1967
Dr. Fred Trofimenkoff is appointed as acting head of our department
Oct. 1, 1967
Dr. Trofimenkoff becomes our first department head
Sept. 1, 1968
The A Block of the engineering complex is completed and becomes our home
May 1, 1969
The first Electrical Engineering BSc class of 24 students graduates
July 15, 1971
Dr. R.A. Stein becomes the acting head of our department
July 15, 1972
Dr. Trofimenkoff returns to his appointment as department head after a sabbatical
July 1, 1977
Dr. Len Bruton becomes our second department head
Aug. 1, 1981
Dr. Stein returns as acting head of our department
Sept. 1, 1981
The minor in computer engineering is introduced
Dec. 1, 1981
Dr. Gordon Hope becomes our third department head
July 1, 1986
Dr. Jim Haslett becomes our fourth department head
Dec. 13, 1990
We officially become the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
July 1, 1991
Dr. Raj Rangayyan becomes our acting head of the department
July 1, 1992
Dr. Haslett starts his second term as our department head
July 1, 1997
Dr. Ron Johnston is appointed as our fifth department head
Sept. 1, 1999
Software Engineering bachelor’s program is launched
Sept. 26, 2001
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) building opens and becomes our home
July 1, 2002
Dr. Josh Leon is appointed as our sixth department head
Jan. 1, 2005
Dr. Abu Sesay is appointed as our acting head, and then as our seventh department head
July 1, 2010
Dr. Bill Rosehart is appointed as our eighth department head
July 13, 2013
Dr. David Westwick is appointed as our acting department head
Sept. 1, 2014
Dr. Westwick is appointed as our ninth department head
July 1, 2016
Dr. Svetlana Yanushkevich steps in as our acting department head
July 1, 2017
Dr. Westwick resumes his appointment as our department head following a sabbatical
July 1, 2019
Dr. Knight is appointed as our acting department head
March 1, 2021
We officially become the Department of Electrical and Software Engineering
July 1, 2020
Dr. Knight is appointed as our department head