Article in the College of Engineering and Technology (Old Dominion University) Newspaper UPDATE
SPRING 2000

Trailblazer at Old Dominion University

Audra Bullock Blazes the Way for Women in Engineering Research

The externally polite and gentle person who is Audra Bullock comes with all the determination, resolve and perseverance needed for successful research work in Electrical Engineering. Ms. Bullock started her academic career at Old Dominion University eight years ago as a freshman in Engineering. She graduates with a Ph.D. in May 2000, having gathered the baccalaureate and master’s degrees, as well as four journal papers and seven conference papers, along the way. Ms. Bullock became interested in the laser-related research being conducted by Dr. Amin Dharamsi, a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in her junior year. She undertook the work and, from that point onward, there was no looking back. She took the fast track master’s program and finished her thesis within one year of obtaining her BSEE, no small feat, given that her research is experimental. She did not stop there, but had planned her research carefully so that she would hit the ground running as she continued toward her doctorate. In the Laser Applications Laboratory of the Physical Electronics Research Institute, Audra has been working on a novel, non-intrusive measurement of gaseous molecules using low power, diode lasers.

“She is one of the most organized persons that I have known”, says Professor Dharamsi. “Her ability to push any aspect of the project through, and her methodical way of performing research, make her an invaluable researcher. The laser sensor research has many applications in different areas, including in pollution detection and measurement, atmospheric sciences and in industrial applications involving semiconductor manufacturing. Ms. Bullock has been the recipient of prestigious fellowships, including those from the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and NASA. For the last three years Audra has held the very prestigious Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship from the Environmental Protection Agency. The competitive nature of the award becomes clear when it is recognized there were only two recipients, in the state of Virginia, of this national award. In addition to these awards, two years ago Audra also won the best student paper award at the International Lasers and Electrooptic Society Meeting held in Boston, MA. Professor Dharamsi said, “Winning an award such as this one at the prestigious LEOS Conference, especially when it is in Boston, the backyard of hallowed universities such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, shows that Old Dominion University is making its presence known. And, it is dedicated students like Audra who play a vital role in making Old Dominion a vibrant and exciting place to be.”

Dr. Amin Dharamsi
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
USA 23529-0246
E-mail: adharams@odu.edu