This fall, students, faculty, and staff will move into ECE ILLINOIS’ new home. Thanks to generous contributions from alumni and private donors, ECE students and faculty members will work and learn in an environment just for them. But along with the building itself, equipment and supplies will be key to making sure students have the resources to succeed.

The department welcomes you to explore a new way to do your bit: the Buy a Bit Wish List. Donors can provide students and faculty with the materials they need to design, learn, and teach. Items on the list range from $50 to $10,000.

“We wanted a fun way for all of our alumni, faculty, staff, and students to get involved in the project,” said Steve George, ECE ILLINOIS senior director of advancement. “It’s a way to look inside the project and see some of the items we need, and to see what some of the spaces are going to look like.”

The wish list has a wide range of items, from electronic equipment to furniture. Donors can provide students with supplies in the Open Projects Laboratory and clean room apparel for the Nano Laboratory. They can provide projectors for the auditorium, furniture for faculty offices, and chalkboards for classrooms. They can even help bring the department’s net-zero energy goal in reach by providing solar panels.

The wish list also includes furniture to outfit the Student Organizations Space, located right off the lobby and next to the café.

“The thousands of ECE alums who were part of ECESAC, IEEE, HKN, and WECE have an opportunity to directly support those groups by buying furniture for the student space,” George said.

While recognition will not be provided for individual items – the money donated is ultimately given to the overall campaign – all donors will be recognized on the campaign website, and at checkout they may share their purchases on social media to show their support for the department. Donations through the Buy a Bit Wish List will help ECE along the final stretch toward its building campaign funding goal.