Dr. Nihat Bilgutay 1952-2008
After serving Drexel for more than 25 years, Dr. Nihat Bilgutay, a member of  CoE faculty, died July 1, 2008. Colleagues and friends knew Dr. Bilgutay as hard-working, dedicated and perceptive, fostering an atmosphere of cooperation that resulted in great achievements.

Dr. Bilgutay came to Drexel in 1982 as a Drexel Fellow and was made full professor in 1992. He served the University in many capacities including Vernon L. Newhouse Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, associate dean for graduate programs and research (1990-1995), leader of the Gateway Engineering Education Coalition and, most notably, head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (1995-2006).  In the two years after he stepped down as department head of ECE, he continued to devote great energy to Drexel even as he battled debilitating illness. He served CoE most recently as associate dean for assessment and evaluation. Dr. Bilgutay will be remembered fondly and will be dearly missed by the Drexel community.

A Memorial Service is being planned in the fall at Drexel University and CoE is working to establish a fellowship in Dr. Bilgutay's name with upcoming fundraising.