Dr. Cynthia Furse (University of Utah BSEE '85, MSEE 88', PhD '94) is the Associate Vice President for Research at the University of Utah and Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Dr. Furse's expertise in electromagnetics is applied to sensing and communication in complex lossy scattering media such as the human body, geophysical prospecting, ionospheric plasma, and aircraft wiring networks. She is recognized internationally for development of a system for on-board intermittent electrical fault location for aging aircraft wiring during flight to prevent in-flight fires and loss of signal. This research is now being commercialized through LiveWire Test Labs, a spinoff company from the University of Utah for which Dr. Furse is a founder and Chief Scientist. She has 11 patents, over 190 professional publications and presentations, has written two books and several book chapters, and is a Fellow of the IEEE.

Dr. Furse has taught electromagnetics, wireless communication, computational electromagnetics, microwave engineering, business engineering, and antenna design. Dr. Furse works to interest young students, including women and minorities, in engineering and science and routinely volunteers in Utah's K-12 schools as an engineering mentor and educator. She spearheads the Society of Women Engineers Girl Scout Night, Tau Beta Pi Meet an Inventor Night, and College of Engineering High School Summer Camp. Dr. Furse was the Professor of the Year in the College of Engineering at Utah State University for the year 2000, and Faculty Employee of the year 2002. She also received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah and the College of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Educator Award. Most recently, she received the Harriett B. Rigas award, which is a prestigious IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) medal for excellence in teaching. Dr. Furse has mentored and graduated over 60 graduate students, 100 undergraduate researchers and 11 high school students in her lab.

Dr. Furse is a wife, mom, and grandmother. She enjoys horseback riding, camping, packing, hiking with the dogs, and almost anything outdoors.