Princeton University Graduate School

Bede Liu, a beloved graduate student mentor and a pioneer in digital signal processing, died on May 7 at age 91. The emeritus professor of electrical engineering mentored 53 Princeton University Ph.D. students during his career, many of whom went on to become leaders in academia and industry.

Liu’s first graduate student at Princeton, co-advised with Professor John Thomas, was Robert Kahn *64. Kahn went on to create an early computer networking protocol that paved the way for the Internet.

“[Liu’s] former students were very successful, and I think that’s a testament to his skill as a mentor. But he also mentored the younger faculty,” said H. Vincent Poor *77, the Michael Henry Strater University Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Liu modeled the importance of continuing to support his students well beyond their graduation, said Poor.

After Min Wu earned her Ph.D. in 2001, she was wavering between industry opportunities and an academic career. “[Liu] gave me the room to struggle to make that decision, even though I know he had his own opinion,” said Wu, who is now a professor and associate dean at the University of Maryland’s engineering school. Some of her hesitation to pursue an academic career stemmed from the lack of women faculty members at the time. As a young female professor, “having support from people like Bede really meant a lot.”

Liu’s legacy in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has been recognized since 2007 with the Bede Liu Fund for Excellence in Electrical Engineering, and since 2016 with the Bede Liu Best Dissertation Award. Both support graduate students, representing the gratitude of those who were fortunate to learn from Liu.

Read more about Liu’s impact and mentorship: https://bit.ly/4wbVaSR

Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni
Princeton Engineering

These free concerts are always among the best sounds of summer to us! Bring a chair and a picnic and enjoy the glorious Music in the Sky over the Graduate College. Open to all.

Music in the Sky
When Towers Sing, Walls Can’t Contain the Music

Celebrating over 30 years of community recitals, the Princeton University Carillon at the Princeton University Graduate SchoolGraduate School located at 88 College Road West, Princeton, NJ 08544 will again host a season of summer concerts for the surrounding community. All concerts start at 1:00PM every Sunday July 5 through Labor Day Sunday and are held rain or shine. Admission is free. Please call 609-258-7989 or visit
http://www.princeton.edu/gradschool/studentlife/residential/gradcollege/directions
for additional information and directions. https://gradschool.princeton.edu/about/carillon