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Senator Heinrich Visits Microwave Lab

August 30, 2017

Senator Heinrich Visits Microwave Lab

ECE was an exciting beehive of activity Wednesday morning (Aug 23) when it received a visit from New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich.

Senator Heinrich spent about an hour Wednesday morning touring the directed energy lab facility in the basement of ECE, guided by ECE Professor Edl Schamiloglu.

Senator Heinrich, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and founder of the Congressional Directed Energy Caucus, earlier announced a $17 million investment for the Department of Defense to acquire directed energy systems that support jobs and boost New Mexico as a center of excellence in this increasingly important space for our military.

“The School of Engineering at The University of New Mexico is proud to be one of the best programs in the country in this important and niche area of directed energy,” said Christos Christodoulou, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing. “This specialty requires very sophisticated and dedicated equipment, and UNM is fortunate to have some of the best facilities and best researchers worldwide in directed energy.”

Elected in 2012, Martin Heinrich serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources, Armed Services, and Intelligence Committees. He is the Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee and the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. With a background in engineering, Heinrich brings a unique perspective to the Senate.

“With our state’s unique expertise in directed energy work, this funding will jumpstart the deployment of this critical technology and bring more high-paying jobs to the state,” said Senator Heinrich. “This is an area where New Mexico can make yet another significant contribution to our nation’s defense—and in the process, we can see millions of dollars of investment and many new jobs in our state.”

To learn more about Senator Heinrich's involvement with directed energy technology, please watch the following video: