Gift enables Lehigh's electrical and computer engineering department to gain next-level excellence

Keysight Laboratories

Ron Nersesian ’82, executive chairman of Keysight Technologies (center) tours the new Keysight Lab with computer engineering major Clay Boice '22 (right). (Photo courtesy Marco Calderon Photography)


The new Keysight Technologies Lab in Packard Laboratory features 20 stations of high-tech testing and measuring equipment that allow electrical engineering and computer engineering students to perform state-of-the-art industry-ready experiments, conduct innovative design projects, and engage in experiential learning.

The space was made possible by a gift from Keysight Technologies Inc., a California-based company and global provider of electronics test and measurement solutions. The firm’s executive chairman (and former CEO) is Ron Nersesian ’82, a Lehigh electrical engineering alumnus.

At a dedication ceremony held in March, Nersesian said: “Lehigh Engineering students are widely regarded as among the most innovative and industrious in the world. We’re very glad to provide this support to Lehigh’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. With this new lab at their disposal, its students will graduate and be ready to contribute on job day one.”

Dr. Doug Baney

Professor Chengshan Xiao, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), collaborated with Keysight’s corporate director of education, Dr. Doug Baney, on the effort.

“This wonderful story started in March 2019 when I first met Dr. Doug Baney, Keysight Corporate Director of Education, at a conference in Arizona," said Xiao. “We worked together for over two years, which led to Keysight donating 20 sets of professional level testing and measurement equipment to the Lehigh ECE department.”

The new equipment allows students to perform state-of-the-art industry-ready experiments, innovative senior design projects, and more.

“Our ECE faculty have already designed new and advanced courses to fully utilize the Keysight equipment such as vector signal generators, signal analyzers, multi-channel oscilloscopes, Internet of Things systems, etc.,” said Xiao, “and our students love them.”

Keysight Technologies Lab Dedication
A dedication ceremony for the new Keysight Technologies Lab was held March 31, 2022.
Ron Nersesian

About Ron Nersesian

Ron Nersesian is Executive Chairman, and former chief executive officer of Keysight Technologies. Prior to Keysight’s separation from Agilent Technologies in 2014, Ron served as Agilent’s president and chief operating officer. Ron has spent most of his career working for the Hewlett-Packard Company, Agilent’s predecessor, Agilent, and led the spinout of Keysight Technologies from Agilent. Ron holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from New York University, Stern School of Business.

 

Keysight Technologies

About Keysight Technologies

Keysight delivers advanced design and validation solutions that help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Keysight's dedication to speed and precision extends to software-driven insights and analytics that bring tomorrow's technology products to market faster across the development lifecycle, in design simulation, prototype validation, automated software testing, manufacturing analysis, and network performance optimization and visibility in enterprise, service provider and cloud environments. Its customers span the worldwide communications and industrial ecosystems, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics markets. For more information about Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS), visit www.keysight.com.

Keysight Technologies Lab Dedication

From left, Rossin College Dean Steve DeWeerth, Lehigh University President Joseph Helble, Keysight Technologies Executive Chairman Ron Nersesian, and Lehigh ECE Chair Chengshan Xiao.

Keysight Technologies Lab Dedication

Computer engineering major Andrew Vander Pallen '23 in the new Keysight Technologies Lab.

Keysight Technologies Lab Dedication

The lab includes 20 stations of testing and measuring equipment for students in electrical and computer engineering classes.

Keysight Technologies Lab Dedication

ECE professor Yahong Rosa Zheng teaches an introductory class in robotic sensing and computer vision that uses the lab.