People
John A. Orr
Professor
Provost
Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Faculty Listing
Office: Boynton Hall, First Floor
Phone: +1-508-831-5222
Fax: +1-508-831-5774
orr@wpi.edu
orr@ece.wpi.edu
Educational Background
- B.S., University of Illinois, 1969
- M.S., Stanford University, 1970
- Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1977
Research & Teaching Interests
Digital signal processing; image analysis/pattern recognition; power quality; communications
IQP Advising Interests
Recent Publications
Honors & Awards
- Joseph Samuel Satin Distinguished Fellow in Electrical Engineering, Academic Year 1983-84.
- Weston Hadden Professor of Electrical Engineering, 1988-1993.
- George I. Alden Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 1993-1996.
- IEEE-WPI Community Service Award, 2003.
- Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2003.
- Leadership and Service Award, ECE Department Heads Association, March, 2004.
Years of Service at WPI
- Dean of Undergraduate Studies, July, 2006-present.
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Head, July, 1988-June, 2003.
- Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, July 1986-present.
- Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, July, 1981 - July 1986.
- Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, September, 1977-July 1981.
Professional Experience & Activities
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Bell Telephone Laboratories, Holmdel, New Jersey:
- Member of Technical Staff, June 1969 - June 1974.
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Consultant in Engineering Education, numerous universities
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Visiting Scientist, August 1985; sabbatical position, 1985-1986; subsequent consulting.
- Stanford University, Visiting Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, August, 2003 - June, 2004.
- Santa Clara University, external reviewer of EE department, including undergraduate program, faculty, and scholarship, March 16-17, 2004.
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, consultant regarding accreditation of Electrical Engineering program, April, 2004.
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Major Professional Activities
- Organizing Committee Member and Session Chairman for the International Conference on Harmonics in Power Systems, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, Oct. 22-23, 1984.
- Working session coordinator, National Electrical Engineering Department Heads' Association Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.
- Program Committee member, IEEE ELECTRO, '92 and '94
- Planning Committee Member, Electronic Industries Forum '97, Boston, May 6-8, 1997.
- Steering Committee member, IEEE Conference on Personal, Indoor, and Mobile Radio Communications, Boston, 1992 and 1998.
- Steering Committee member, Technical Conference on Telecommunications R&D in Massachusetts, March 12, 1996.
- Reviewer, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, IEEE Transactions on Power Apparatus and Systems, ASEE Journal of Engineering Education, IEEE Spectrum.
- Evaluator for accreditation of EE programs, Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), 1992-present, ABET Criteria 2000 Evaluator, 1997-present.
- President, National Electrical Engineering Department Heads' Association (NEEDHA), July 1, 2000-July 1, 2001; Vice President, July 1, 1999-July 1, 2000, member of the Board of Directors, July 1, 1994 – July, 2003.
- IEEE Educational Activities Board, Chair, Finance Committee, 1999-2000, Member, 1998-2000.
- IEEE CEAA (Committee on Engineering Accreditation Activities), elected member, January, 2001 – present.
- General Chair, Frontiers in Education (FIE) 2002.
- Steering Committee member, Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference, 2003 - present.
- Member of the Board of Directors of the International Engineering Consortium (IEC), March, 2001-present.
- Advisory Board member, IEEE Education Society, 2002 - present. Secretary, 2005.
- Chair, IEEE, CEAA (Committee on Engineering Accreditation Activities), July, 2004 - present.
- Member, Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, July, 2006-present.
Professional Societies/Memberships
- Fellow, IEEE
- Member, ASEE
- Member, ION
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