Department of Computer Engineering
Overview
Nearly everything we touch each day – from coffee machines to cars, smartphones, and wearable devices – is powered by computing systems designed and built by computer engineers. Computer engineering impacts every aspect of our lives. Sensors and networking technology allow for the management of logistics and the inventory systems that facilitate access to the foods and products necessary to daily life. Today’s vehicles are equipped with multiple computing subsystems that control engine operation, performance, navigation, autonomy and much more. Hospitals and health care providers increasingly rely on computer engineering systems to provide medical services from administrative tasks to microsurgery using robotic arms. Computers specially designed for Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and massively parallel tasks that are both reliable and secure are the need of the hour.
Computer engineering offers opportunities for all types of designs and innovations, such as designing the architecture of a new computer, integrating electronics and sensors into a new embedded system, or controlling the smart grid. There is a great demand for computer engineers who can do it all—from designing computer hardware, components and software, to developing next-generation products and appliances that contain computing systems of all sizes and scales ranging from microchips to data centers. As computer technology becomes more essential to commerce and daily life, companies will need computer engineers who possess a well-developed set of skills and who can quickly adapt to change. To meet the challenges of the future, these companies will turn to computer engineers for innovative solutions and technological leadership.
Mission
The computer engineering program mission is “to provide outstanding career-oriented education in computer engineering and engage students in leading edge research.”
The computer engineering program mission is dedicated to furthering RIT’s mission to prepare students for successful careers “through a unique blend of curricular, experiential, and research programs delivered within a student-centric culture." In addition, the computer engineering program’s mission is consistent with the goals of the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. These include the college’s focus to:
- educate students to meet the immediate and future needs of industry and to support the intellectual development and growth of its graduates throughout their careers;
- perform research that is focused on providing viable solutions to the real-world problems facing our global society; and
- partner with industry to accelerate economic growth both regionally and nationally.
Accreditation
The BS degree in computer engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org. For Enrollment and Graduation Data, Program Educational Objectives, and Student Outcomes, please visit the college’s Accreditation.
14
Full-time faculty members from 9 countries
6
International Academic Partner Institutions
5
Affiliated PhD Programs
Research
Research within the department of computer engineering reflects the fundamental role of computing in today’s information age, addressing a broad span of technological challenges that include securing the cyber-physical space, improving industrial processes by integrating Internet-of-Things devices, and harnessing the Artificial Intelligence revolution by bringing to life self-driving vehicles and new computing paradigms. Through participation in cross-disciplinary Ph.D. programs in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computing and Information Sciences, Microsystems Engineering, and Imaging Science, the research activities reflect the diversity of computer engineering. Faculty members and students from the Department of Computer Engineering are actively engaged in various projects funded by federal and state agencies, as well as industry. Current research within the Department of Computer Engineering is organized into the following tracks:
This track deals with hardware resource management, instruction set architectures and their close connection with the underlying hardware, as well as the interconnection and communication of those hardware components. Some of the current computer architecture challenges that are being tackled in the Department of Computer Engineering include energy efficient architectures, high performance architectures, quantum computing, graphic processing units (GPUs), reconfigurable hardware, chip multiprocessors, and Networks-on-Chips.
Faculty working in this track:
Modern processors demand high computational density, small form factors, and low energy dissipation with extremely high performance demands. This is enabled by the nanoscale and heterogeneous integration of transistors and other emerging devices at the massive-scale. This research track focuses on designing computers with emerging novel technologies in the presence of severe physical constraints; investigating dynamic reconfigurability to exploit the power of nano-scale electronics for building reliable computing systems; solutions for post Moore’s Law computing, such as neuromorphic technology, and studying the applicability of emerging technologies to address challenges in computing hardware of the future.
Faculty working in this track:
The prevalence of networked computing devices of all sizes and uses have transformed our way of life. Ubiquitous access to data through these devices with reliable performance and security assurance while meeting end-user quality of experience expectations presents exciting challenges for engineers and scientists. Adaptability to meet the demands from ever-increasing data traffic, and resilience to environmental uncertainty, system failures and cyber-attacks requires advances in hardware, software and networking techniques, as well as the application of innovative transformative technologies, such as machine learning. This research track focuses on intelligent wireless and sensor networks, cryptographic engineering, and predictive cyber situation awareness.
Faculty conducting research in this track are actively engaged in RIT’s ESL Global Cybersecurity Institute.
Faculty working in this track:
Visual information is ubiquitous and ever more important for applications such as robotics, healthcare, human-computer interaction, biometrics, surveillance, games, entertainment, transportation and commerce. Computer Vision focuses on extracting information from image and video data for modeling, interpretation, detection, tracking and recognition. Machine Intelligence methods deal with human-machine interaction, artificial intelligence, agent reasoning, and robotics. Algorithm development for these areas spans image processing, pattern recognition and machine learning, and is intimately related to system design and hardware implementations.
Faculty conducting research in this track are actively engaged in RIT’s Center for Human-aware Artificial Intelligence (CHAI).
Faculty working in this track:
This research area is concerned with algorithms and devices used at the core of system that interacts with our physical world. As such, this area considers the sensing, analysis and modeling of dynamic systems with the intent of measuring information about a system, communicating this information and processing it to adapt its behavior.
Faculty working in this track:
Featured Work and Profiles
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RIT Research Minute: DNA Computing
Amlan Ganguly DNA molecules and computing? RIT computer engineering department head, Amlan Ganguly and his research team are working to change DNA for more sustainable and effective computing.
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RIT Professor Drives Quantum Computing Advancements with New NSF-Funded Research
Dr. Sonia Lopez Alarcon has received a prestigious NSF grant to develop advanced compilation strategies for quantum computing, aiming to improve qubit routing scalability and reliability.
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Professor Awarded NSF Early Career Grant for Sustainable Methane Conversion
Chemical engineering professor Obioma Uche has received an NSF Early Career Award to explore new catalysts that could convert methane into ethylene more efficiently,
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Researcher Heads Team to Develop DNA-Based Processor for Future Tech
RIT’s Amlan Ganguly and his team have developed a groundbreaking system that leverages DNA for data storage and processing, offering a compact and sustainable alternative to traditional data centers.
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Professor Explores AI’s Impact on the Future of Digital Art in Hollywood
Professor Shaun Foster highlights how AI tools are transforming art creation, speeding up processes, and democratizing content while emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and human...
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Professor Deese Champions Human Creativity Over AI in Screenwriting
Professor Frank Deese argues that while AI can assist in the storytelling process, it cannot replace the unique emotional depth and originality that human screenwriters bring to the craft.
Read More about Professor Deese Champions Human Creativity Over AI in Screenwriting
Latest News
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May 13, 2025
RIT showcase offers glimpse of early tech innovation cycle
TechTarget speaks to Paloma Hamilton, fifth-year mechanical engineering student; Geoff Twardokus, electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student; and Christopher Collison, director of RIT's AI Hub and Initiatives, about the innovative developments featured at Imagine RIT.
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April 2, 2025
Student devises gamified cybersecurity program for peers
The computer engineering undergraduate has been focused on building workforce development security tools with Michael Zuzak, assistant professor, to develop workforce development security tools to help students prevent online exploits.
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January 22, 2025
New research shows AI systems are getting closer to processing information like humans
RIT engineering professor Cory Merkel was one of more than a dozen researchers in neuromorphic computing contributing findings published on Jan. 22 in Nature.
Student Resources
The computer engineering department offers a variety of resources for our students, including academic support, curriculum flow charts, handbooks, and more. Visit our Student Resources page for more information.