Min Wu, a Distinguished University Professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD), has been named this year’s recipient of the A. James Clark School of Engineering Poole & Kent Teaching Award for her leadership in developing innovative curricula that bring real-world forensics and research into the classroom.
The selection committee noted Wu’s educational leadership in advancing student learning through forward-thinking curriculum development in signal processing, skillfully translating research findings into classroom education at both undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as the real-world lessons she brings into the classroom by incorporating video forensics and case studies to inspire students’ imagination and logical reasoning.
“This is a very well-deserved recognition for Min, who has been an outstanding educator in our department for the past 25 years, and who has spearheaded many educational initiatives at the undergraduate and graduate levels,” said Sennur Ulukus, a Distinguished University Professor of electrical and computer engineering and department chair.
Wu earned her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Princeton University in 2001, and joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering that same year.
She is now the Christine Yurie Kim Eminent Professor in Information Technology and the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs at the A. James Clark School of Engineering, and holds appointments in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), the Institute for Systems Research, and the Maryland Robotics Center.
Wu also leads the UMD Media, Analytics, and Security Team. Her research focuses on information security and forensics, multimedia signal processing, and applications of data science and machine learning for health and the Internet of Things (IoT).
A recipient of many awards and recognitions from UMD and the Clark School of Engineering, Wu has been honored with the Outstanding Research Award for Senior Faculty, UMD Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, and the UMD Invention of the Year Award twice.
Other honors from outside UMD include the Harriett B. Rigas Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Education Society, the Maryland Innovator of the Year Award, and the IEEE Signal Processing Society Meritorious Service Award.
In 2024, she received an Excellence in Research Award from the Washington Academy of Sciences, recognizing her significant contributions to the research and innovations of multimedia forensics, security, and smart health.
Wu is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the IEEE. She was elected to serve as President of the IEEE Signal Processing Society for 2024-2025, as the first woman of color to take on this leadership role in the technical society’s 75-year history.
“I’m deeply honored by this recognition,” Wu said. “Students have inspired and challenged us to keep learning in this truly two-way process. Their growth and success—short-term and especially long-term—bring an incredible sense of responsibility and achievement to us educators.”
—News brief adapted from an article by the Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering