Q: What is your academic and/or professional background?
A: I obtained my B.S. and master’s degree in electrical engineering from Egypt, and then I came to the United States in 1986 to get my Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in electrical engineering. I always worked at the university throughout my studies, as a TA and instructor.
Q: Did you always know that you wanted to teach? How did you become a professor?
A: Yes! But, my father wanted me to go to medical school because I’m female and he thought people would like to have a female as their physician. He thought it would be very difficult for me to be an engineer. He was right 100%, but I insisted because he was an engineer and I wanted to be like him. It is challenging for females to be in this area because it is a male dominating area.
Q: What is your role within your department?
A: I am a full professor now. I came here as an assistant professor, so I went from assistant to associate to full professor. I teach electromagnetics courses, including signals and systems, signal design, and antennas classes. I also teach advanced electromagnetics classes.
Q: Can you describe the program?
A: The big umbrella for my research program is electromagnetics. My main focus is on imaging breast cancer. I use several methods to image breast cancer starting with the microwave imaging which is in the lower frequency range. During the last four years I’ve focused on high frequency Terahertz. This is a hot topic right now because it is a new technology. We look at and image breast cancer tissue to try to find the clear boundary between cancer and no cancer.
Q: Are you involved in any research at the moment?
A: We work with human tissue and cadaver tissue. We are trying to move to hospitals, but we are stuck at some paperwork. Legalities are necessary in hospitals where we try to get fresh tissue from the patient immediately in the operation room.
Q: What opportunities are available to students (internships, research opportunities, assistantships, etc.)? Where to find out about these opportunities?
A: Right now I am looking for two Ph.D. students. International students should contact me early in the process so things will run smoothly. The best way is for students to contact me through email and I will explain what I have available for them. All my funding is for Terahertz so anyone who comes will work with Terahertz imaging.
Q: Where are students now (recent graduates and alumnae)?
A: Last year I had two master’s students graduate. One went to Arizona and the other is getting a Ph.D., but in a different area. One of my Ph.D. students opened a company here in Arkansas. Another Ph.D. student is an assistant professor in Kansas, Missouri. The third Ph.D. student works for a company in microwave imaging. All of them have found extremely good jobs when they finished. It doesn’t matter if they are international or American. Once international students get a degree from the United States, all doors will be open for him or her to find jobs.
Q: What are the most challenging and the most rewarding parts of your job?
A: The most challenging is the graduate students. I have to change their mentality. If they have a project, that project is funded by some agency. The agency wants reports (papers), so I ask my students to focus on writing papers. We need results soon. Also, the project has a time limitation, it isn’t open ended. The problem is that overseas, this time limit is not there. Whenever you finish, you finish. Here, the master’s degree is two years, sharp, and the Ph.D. is four years, no more. We have a schedule, this isn’t open ended. We all have to work hard.
Q: What is your best memory or favorite part of your job from your time at the U of A?
A: All of it was good. Opportunities are always there. I am independent; I can pick up a project I want to apply for funding. If I get the funding, it is a really, really exciting moment. You get money for three years to do the ideas that you have. There are totally open opportunities. There is no limit, I challenge myself. And the university is very supportive.
Q: What is your favorite part about Arkansas/NWA/Fayetteville?
A: This is a very nice area. My international students who come to this area love it because it is safe, quiet and very pretty. All my international students come from very crowded cities, so they love Arkansas, especially now, during the fall.
Q: What is your favorite part about working with international students?
A: They are motivated, meaning they come for a reason. It’s not like they don’t know what to do: should I work for a company or should I get a degree. That is not there, they come here to get a degree. They are motivated and they know what they want to do.
Q: Do you have any advice for prospective and/or current students?
A: I am like a small company. I am the manager and we hire students to work. Everyone has to do his or her job to deliver results so we can publish and keep the agency happy.
Q: What is your favorite place you’ve visited?
A: I visited France several times around the Mediterranean Sea. There is a city called Nice. It is so beautiful with the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains. When I drive to Fort Smith or Little Rock in Arkansas, the Ozark Mountains are unbelievable. It is a very nice area; it’s like Switzerland.
Read more about Dr. El-Shenawee, the electrical engineering program, and her Terahertz research here.
