Assess everyone's understanding

UTA graduate students typically serve as teaching assistants and have additional responsibilities such as grading papers, conducting lab work, and holding office hours. According to Professor Frank Lewis at UTA, graduate students often work more than the standard 40-hour work week. In addition, they must also dedicate time to their own research for their degree. As a result, most graduate students end up working an extra 10–20 hours per week, including weekends.

Professors in the Electrical Engineering Department have a policy of teaching a set curriculum each week and assigning homework for students to complete. Students are required to read the textbook or class notes and write a response to turn in. Frank emphasizes the importance of students reading and comprehending the course material. Attending lectures and accessing class notes online are recommended methods for achieving this. While attendance is not mandatory, it is advised for students to make their learning experience more manageable. Additionally, Frank stresses the significance of individual work and condemns the unethical practice of copying others' assignments and passing them off as one's own.

Frank suggests that students should learn the course content by reading the text or online notes. If they still have difficulty understanding, they should seek help from the teaching assistant or instructor. Frank's textbooks and online course notes have made it easier for his students to grasp the material compared to others.

There are numerous clubs and organizations at the university, including the IEEE Student Society. The IEEE Student Society and EE Honor Societies also provide counseling to students who are struggling with their understanding. This student-led group, affiliated with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, arranges various activities like robotics competitions and Best Paper Award presentations. Other UTA student organizations include: Engineers Without Borders, AeroMavericks, Society of Automotive Engineers (UTA Racing), and Unmanned Vehicle Special Interest Group. There are also several honor organizations for top-performing students, including Alpha Pi Mu (IE honor society), Tau Beta Pi (engineering honor society), Eta Kappa Nu (HKN - EE honor society).

Starting as a junior faculty assistant professor, it is difficult to teach new courses and become familiar with the material. Most professors use textbooks written by others, but Frank wanted to create his own textbooks and course notes for all his classes. He teaches graduate courses in control theory and has created his own textbooks and online course notes. This makes things much easier for his students. In addition, most instructors have a three-hour office hour once a week for students who need additional assistance and the teaching assistant also holds office hours to provide support to students. This required a lot of extra work and was challenging, but it ultimately made him well-prepared to teach and helped his students learn more easily. Another challenge was organizing the controls courses in a sequence and determining prerequisites, but Frank successfully defined the sequence for all the EE Controls Courses, allowing students to understand how the concepts connect. He puts the UTA Course Sequence for Control Systems and all course material online at https://lewisgroup.uta.edu/controls/controlcrse.htm.

Besides, UTA offers an industry internship program where students can apply for summer internships. If successful, the company they intern with might hire them. UTA has connections with a variety of companies, and many of their PhD students have already secured jobs in the industry. Additionally, UTA has established contracts with several companies that often hire their students. The professor also tailors his teaching to align with the needs of the industry programs.

Electrical engineering courses focus on technology and require students to have a background in mathematics and computers. The courses involve studying specific content from textbooks or online class notes and completing homework assignments. Mathematics and system simulation software are used throughout the course material. Additionally, computer software like MATLAB, or Robot Operating System (ROS), is commonly used. Simulations are conducted using software models of unmanned ground vehicle robots or unmanned aerial vehicles. In some courses, students also have to implement control systems on real robot vehicles in a lab setting.

UTA students are very successful after getting their degree. One can see the UTA News at www.UTA.edu, says Frank. His PhD students at UTA have achieved success in their research work, consistently publishing journal papers and books. Some of his recent students have secured positions at prestigious universities and international institutions, while others have found top jobs in industry at companies like Google and Lockheed.

For more information, one can visit his website: https://lewisgroup.uta.edu/