Dr. Cynthia Furse of University of Utah Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Distinguished Professor

Aging electrical infrastructure poses significant safety, reliability, and economic challenges across industries—from aerospace to renewable energy systems. Dr. Furse’s talk will explore the physics of intermittent faults, the evolution of diagnostic technologies, and the engineering breakthroughs that make real‑time fault detection possible. Drawing on her research and entrepreneurial experience, she will illustrate how fundamental electromagnetics can be transformed into practical tools that prevent failures, reduce downtime, and save lives.

In addition to the technical content, Dr. Furse will share career insights, including her path from rural Maine to becoming a distinguished professor, inventor, and company co‑founder; her experiences as Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Utah; and her perspective on building a career that blends academic research, innovation, and real‑world problem solving.

Biography:

Dr. Cynthia M. Furse is a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah and an IEEE Fellow. She is internationally known for developing spread‑spectrum time‑domain reflectometry (SSTDR) to locate intermittent faults in aging electrical wiring—technology now used in aerospace, automotive, and renewable‑energy systems. Her work spans computational electromagnetics, antenna design, and bioelectromagnetics, and she is co‑founder and Chief Scientist of LiveWire Innovation, which commercializes her wiring‑fault detection research. Dr. Furse is a recipient of the Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology and the IEEE Chen‑To Tai Distinguished Educator Award, and she is widely recognized for her leadership in innovative engineering education.