Ming Hsieh ECE Changemakers
Honoring 20 years of impact.
Nominations open for the inaugural class.
Deadline: October 2, 2026
In 2006, a transformative gift from distinguished ECE alumnus, Ming Hsieh, gave our department the name it carries today. Twenty years later, we are marking the anniversary the way it should be marked: by recognizing the alumni who have carried that name into the world.
The Ming Hsieh ECE Changemakers honors graduates of USC's Electrical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering programs whose work has changed something: a field, an industry, a technology, a community. The inaugural class will be recognized on campus this October.
Who to nominate:
The classmate who founded a company. The professor who trained a generation of engineers. The researcher whose paper had a big impact on a field. The alum whose circuit design sits inside a million devices. The one who went into public service. The engineer who quietly kept critical infrastructure running for twenty years.
If someone came to mind while reading that, you are the right person to nominate them in one of two categories:
- Changemakers: for alumni who graduated in 2011 or earlier and have built a record of sustained distinction and impact.
- Emerging Changemakers: for alumni who graduated in 2012 or later and have already made an outsized mark early in their careers.
Nominees may come from academia, industry, entrepreneurship, government, public service, or any other path. We are looking for a class that reflects the real range of what Ming Hsieh ECE alumni do.
Who may nominate:
Anyone may nominate: faculty, staff, alumni, colleagues, friends, or anyone who knows the work. Self-nominations are also welcome, but must still provide an independent letter.
What a nomination includes:
- A nomination statement of 200 words or fewer: what they have done, why it matters.
- A 1–2 page résumé or CV.
- One letter of support/recommendation from someone who knows the work well.
The form will also ask for the nominee's USC degree program and graduation year, current position, and contact information. Most nominations take about fifteen minutes to complete.
Recognition:
Honorees will be named as the inaugural class of Ming Hsieh ECE Changemakers and recognized at the Department's 20th Naming Anniversary Research Festival and Alumni Symposium, held on the USC campus October 22–23, 2026. Recipients must attend in person.
Nominations are reviewed by the Ming Hsieh ECE Department, with selection based on the significance of the nominee's accomplishments, their leadership and contribution to the profession or to society, and their connection to the values of this department.
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Huang: chiachih@usc.edu