InterFET Corporation President/CEO Appointed to Industrial Advisory Board for Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at University of Tennessee, Knoxville

InterFET Corporation, a leading manufacturer and global supplier of discrete Junction Field Effect Transistors (JFET) devices, announced today that Dan E. Roberts, the company's President/CEO and Chairman, has been appointed to the Industrial Advisory Board for the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville). The purpose of the Industrial Advisory Board is to help UT Knoxville EECS build a stronger image and achieve wider recognition for its curricula and accomplishments. The Industrial Advisory Board is composed of UT Knoxville EECS stakeholders - alumni, employers and business leaders - who provide input about, and assessment of, educational directions and curricula. For example, on an overview level, the Industrial Advisory Board provides advice on how UT Knoxville EECS can improve its relationships with business, industry and the national labs. The Industrial Advisory Board also has a "hands on" role in that it advises and/or participates in Senior Design projects. Mr. Roberts, who earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering at UT Knoxville in 1975, envisions his appointment to the UT Knoxville EECS Industrial Advisory Board as an opportunity to encourage engineering students at all levels to increase their knowledge of analog and mixed-signal technologies. "Today's engineering students need to be attuned to the vital role that analog and mixed-signal technologies play in the development of technological innovations. We live in an analog world in which analog and mixed-signal technologies are absolutely necessary for ensuring that digital-based systems operate correctly. Unfortunately, many engineering colleges today have lost sight of this fact. As a member of the UT Knoxville EECS Industrial Advisory Board, I will have the opportunity to encourage UT Knoxville EECS to add or improve existing courses in analog and mixed-signal technologies." In July 2007, the UT Knoxville EECS was established when the UT Knoxville College of Engineering's (COE) Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Computer Science (CS) were officially merged as the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). The combined departments have been able to provide more opportunities for the engineering students and joint research both within the university and with nearby Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). In the fall of 2011, the UT Knoxville EECS will move into its new headquarters, the new Min Kao Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Building, which is named in honor of Dr. Min H. Kao, PhD, the CEO of Garmin, Ltd. A University of Tennessee COE alumnus, Dr. Kao earned both his M.S. and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering at UT Knoxville in 1975 and 1977 respectively. Dr. Kao provided $12.5 million in initial funding for this building. Dr. Kao also donated $5 million to UT Knoxville for funding scholarships, fellowships and professorships in EECS. For more information on UT Knoxville EECS, click here: www.eecs.utk.edu.