Support and Supper: Building Community for ECE Ph.D. Students and Faculty
ECE hosted a dinner for first year Ph.D. students and faculty to network, chat and dine.
April 28, 2026 
Pooja Coimbatore
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) hosted a dinner for first year Ph.D. students and faculty on April 8, 2026 at NC State’s JC Raulston Arboretum. These students had the opportunity to connect, chat and dine with one another and faculty members, including ECE Department Head Veena Misra and members of the ECE Committee for Promoting Unity, Leadership, Success, and Excellence (PULSE).
The first year of a Ph.D. program can be both challenging and exciting, and this event provided first year Ph.D. students with a relaxed opportunity to network, hear advice from faculty and be introduced into the NC State community.
“I did get some insights about ‘how do you deal with life in grad school and also after grad school?’” said Dhanush Vijayanagaram, a graduate student and member of Graduate Student Association. “The event was extremely insightful and motivating.”
Attendees were able to socialize in an informal setting, discussing friendly ice-breakers like, “How would you describe your research to a 10 year old?” or, “What’s one NC State or Raleigh recommendation?”
Michael Daniele, ECE professor and University Faculty Scholar, helped organize this event. As an undergrad, Daniele attended faculty-student dinners and found them valuable in helping students build stronger relationships with faculty.
“It’s a great way to connect and tell them a little bit more about the department,” said Daniele.
Events like these are crucial for Ph.D. students because the transition from an undergraduate to a Ph.D. program is a daunting step into a new chapter of their lives, and faculty can serve as a support system as well as a resource.
“For a lot of them, it’s a very big change from undergraduate… they have a different set of expectations and responsibilities,” said Daniele. “We can show them what it’s like or how it works, and I think examples are the best way to help them out.”
This dinner underscored the importance of community for the success of students and faculty at NC State, and the department is excited to support these students as they enter their first year in their Ph.D. programs.
“We are very excited to welcome our newest class of Ph.D. students,” said Misra. “As these students begin this journey, we celebrate not just their potential, but their willingness to take on some of the hardest and most meaningful problems of our time.”