The Ralph E. and Rose A. Hoeper Engineering Professorship was awarded to Shamik Sengupta, associate professor in the department of computer science and engineering, and Krishna Pagilla, professor and environmental engineering program director.
Sengupta, also the executive director of the Cybersecurity Center at the University of Nevada, Reno, stated that he is "grateful to the University for this honor."
"I plan to dedicate this fund from the Hoeper Professorship to advance interdisciplinary cybersecurity research and education at the University and outreach to the state of Nevada," Sengupta said. "We at the University Cybersecurity Center are putting great effort to provide education and research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students that will prepare them to pursue careers in cybersecurity and other related fields."
Pagilla stated that the professorship will provide an opportunity for visibility and distinction to continue the leadership position in water research while promoting sustainable water management in the community.
"Personally, I am honored to be recognized with this professorship and it motivates me to do the best I can in leading-edge water research," he said.
The awards were announced at the 2019 Spring Celebration, which honors the College's outstanding students, faculty and staff.
About the Hoeper Professorship
Ralph, who earned his bachelor's in electrical engineering from the College of Engineering in 1951, and Rose Hoeper were long-time supporters of the University of Nevada, Reno. Ralph was one of the pioneers in California independent telephony industry. A submariner in World War II, Ralph bravely served his country and made many positive contributions to his rural community. Many believe Ralph was the prototypical telephone man and he embodied the importance of community. He bought Foresthill Telephone when it had a handful of lines in the 1940s.
Together, Ralph and Rose led the company and the Foresthill community into the digital age. Ralph was posthumously awarded the James Graves Scrugham Medal in October 2006; he was one of nine alumni to receive this inaugural award for professional achievement.
After Ralph's passing in 2001, Rose remained interested in and supportive of the University. At the time of her death in 2018, Rose had established multiple endowments to benefit the College of Engineering including the Ralph E. Hoeper Professorship in the College of Engineering. Rose provided for an additional gift to the University in her trust, which is being used to establish the Ralph E. and Rose A. Hoeper Professorship in Engineering in memory of both Ralph and Rose Hoeper. The initial professorship was the first in the College of Engineering.
