Professor Yuanxun Ethan Wang Recognized As Mentor of the Year by ECE Graduate and Postdoc Society

The Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate and PostDoc Society is pleased to announce Professor Yuanxun Ethan Wang as the recipient of the inaugural UCLA Electrical and Computer Engineering Department’s Mentor of the Year Award. Professor Wang will be officially recognized during the end of the year ECE Department award ceremony.

Professor Wang received multiple nominations, describing him as a “role model” who “made it his goal to bring out the full potential in all his students.” The nominations highlighted his dedication to individual guidance: “He will sit down and work on the research problems with him,” as well as his willingness to “help not only students in their lab but also other students in their department even if they have not taken their classes.” They describe a professor who genuinely cares for the well-being of his pupils, that extends beyond his research. Professor Wang also influences his student’s career choices, with one of them describing how “thanks to his recommendation, [he] made me more determined to seek a position in academia after graduation.” Two particular nominations summarize Professor Wang well: “I still remember the first day I met him personally in his office. He told me [to not] hesitate to reach out whenever I had any questions,” and “I have worked with him for many years. [He] always sets a higher goal for us and [inspires us] to keep improving ourselves.” We believe that Professor Wang embodies all of the qualities that are meant to be represented by the Mentor of the Year Award.

The UCLA Electrical and Computer Engineering Mentor of the Year award has been created to recognize the faculty mentors who go above and beyond the call of duty to help graduate students in need and assist them in realizing their dreams. This award further reinforces UCLA’s commitment to improving the quality of life and the experience of graduate students during their time here. The recipient is chosen based on submitted student nominations by a committee of five ECE graduate students, including the ECEGAPS president, the award coordinator, and representatives from each academic track.

Wojciech Romaszkan, ECEGAPS President

Akash Deep Singh, Mentor of the Year Award Coordinator