Professor Svetlana Tatic-Lucic, an expert in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) in cell biology and neuroscience applications, has been named Chandler Weaver Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, effective January 1, 2024.
She succeeds Chengshan Xiao, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who concludes his term as chair after leading the department for the past six years.
Tatic-Lucic served as interim department chair during the 2016-2017 academic year and was the Rossin College’s associate dean of faculty development from 2017-2021. Over that period, she helped form the Rossin College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and led the development of the college’s Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
“I am very excited to lead the ECE department, having enjoyed the time I spent as interim chair,” says Tatic-Lucic. “I am also keenly aware that I am the first woman to serve in this role in the long history of Lehigh’s ECE program. I have big shoes to fill, but I don’t shy away from new challenges—it is the only way to grow and get a better picture of the world around you. I look forward to working with the ECE faculty to continue to strengthen our research and educational programs while simultaneously focusing on student learning and outcomes."
Tatic-Lucic recently concluded a two-year stint with the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, serving as a rotating program director within the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems. As a member of the Communications, Circuits and Sensing Systems program cluster, she managed the interdisciplinary science and engineering research thrust in the area of sensing and biomedical applications of advanced technologies.
Tatic-Lucic conducts research in areas including BioMEMS, micro-fabrication technology, and design, packaging and reliability of micro-sensors. Her work has been supported by the NSF, NASA, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance.
She is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award and holds three U.S. patents. She has been recognized by Lehigh University with the Alfred Noble Robinson Award from and a P.C. Rossin Assistant Professorship.
Before joining Lehigh, Tatic-Lucic began her research career with Ford Microelectronics and Coventor.
She earned both a PhD and MS in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, and she holds a BS from the University of Belgrade in Serbia.
“We are positively delighted to welcome Svetlana back to campus and to the Rossin College leadership team,” says Steve DeWeerth, professor and dean. “Svetlana will undoubtedly bring the same passion and insight she developed as a researcher and scholar to her new role in ECE. The ECE community, as well as the entire Lehigh community, will also benefit from the experience and skills that Svetlana brings back from her rotation with the NSF. We thank Chengshan for his dedicated service to the ECE department and his achievements on its behalf over the last six years, and we look forward to Svetlana’s impact as she takes the helm.”
Recognizing research and educational impact
Xiao, a renowned researcher and educator in communications, high-frequency technologies and theoretical electrical engineering, joined the Lehigh faculty in 2017. He previously served as a professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology and as a program director with the NSF’s Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems.
Under Xiao’s leadership, ECE department faculty generated nearly $20 million in research funding and expanded the department’s focus into areas such as power electronics, energy systems, underwater acoustic Wi-Fi networks, and cybersecurity.
He hired five new tenure-track faculty members as well as three teaching professors, in support of initiatives to revamp the undergraduate ECE curriculum. Included in those efforts was establishing the Keysight Technologies Lab, supported by a gift from the global electronics company, in 2022. The state-of-the-art facility located in Packard Laboratory features professional-grade testing and measurement equipment that enables students to perform industry-ready experiments and innovative senior design projects.
Xiao will continue his research in areas including wireless communications, signal processing, and underwater acoustic communications.
“It has been an excellent experience to work with so many talented students, outstanding faculty, and excellent staff to fulfil our research and educational missions,” he says.
Xiao has received several distinguished research awards, including the prestigious Humboldt Research Award, and holds three U.S. patents. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional society, where he held numerous editorial and leadership roles. He currently serves as Vice President for Conferences of IEEE Communications Society.
