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By Natalie Saleh

Baylor University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science is a center of innovative new research. Professors and graduate students are working on many exciting projects, as Baylor is a high research university.

Willis Troy is one of the many electrical engineering and computer science graduate students who came to Baylor to pursue new avenues of research.

“I do electronic warfare, which is basically modeling mission planning scenarios with escort jamming support,” explains Willis. “What that means is you’re basically flying somewhere you don’t want radars to detect you, and you have another plane that jams the radars as you go.”

Willis completed his undergraduate degree at Baylor in electrical engineering. After graduating, he spent some time studying at Virginia Tech, but he was eventually drawn back to Baylor for the opportunity to conduct research alongside Baylor professors.

“I decided to come back, more so because the relationship the professors have with the students is so personal which allows a lot of freedom,” says Willis. “They lead you where you’re going. It seems like genuinely all the professors care about you, not just on an academic level but a personal level.”

Willis spends most of his time researching in the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC), which houses state-of-the-art research equipment. In addition to the many meeting and work spaces, the BRIC houses many technologies that aid in graduate research, including a powerful scanning electron microscope.

“We obviously have plenty of computers and there’s lots of space. I have access to several labs. We have radars, VNAs, antennas, and there’s space so I can construct models here. It pretty much has all you need,” says Willis.

After graduating, Willis hopes to continue researching and teaching at a university. He is excited about the opportunity to work independently on research projects while impacting his future students. Though he could find employment in the private industry, he prefers to go the academic route.

“There’s more resources available to teachers. Plus it’s nice to be doing something where you’re helping someone else. In the industry, it’s kind of self-preserving. You ask, ‘What do I do to maintain my job?’ As a professor, you ask ‘how do I help these students learn?’”

With all of Baylor’s resources and support for engineering research, Willis is sure to have all the experience and knowledge he needs to be a great researcher and professor after he graduates.

To learn more about the research and opportunities in Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science click here.