Jeff and Kathy Sanders
Alumnus Jeff Sanders and his wife, Kathy, of Richardson, Texas, have contributed over $1 million to the College of Engineering in support of the electrical engineering department. A portion of their contribution will be used to establish the Jeff and Kathy Sanders Endowment in Electrical Engineering, and the remainder will be used to support the High Density Electronics Center.
The funds designated to HiDEC will be used to purchase equipment and support research efforts to adapt low-temperature co-fired ceramic technology to develop modules capable of adapting to various wireless frequencies in a congested network to optimize consumer reception.
The purpose of the Jeff and Kathy Sanders Endowment in Electrical Engineering will be determined by the donors, in consultation with College of Engineering Dean John English at a later date.
A graduate of Springdale High School, Jeff Sanders was “always interested in becoming an engineer” and holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University.
After spending two decades working as a radio frequency design engineer, he founded his own company, Eclipse Electronic Systems, in 1993. Based in Richardson, Texas, the company supplies specialized receivers for the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, industry, which is a vital part of the nation’s military and intelligence efforts. Eclipse counts Northrop Grumman, L-3 Communications, and Lockheed Martin as its customers, as well as the government defense and intelligence communities. In December 2010, the company was acquired by Esterline Corporation, but Sanders still serves as an advisor.
Jeff Sanders was elected to the Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering in 2000 and has been a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers since 1966. He is also a member of the Association of Old Crows, which provides advocacy and education forums to the Department of Defense, industry and academia. In 2011, he was named a College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus.
Kathy Sanders attended the University of Arkansas and graduated from UAMS with a Bachelor’s of Science in Pharmacy. After spending 30 years working as a pharmacist in a neonatal intensive care unit, she and her husband established the Jeff and Kathy Lewis Sanders Endowed chair in Pediatrics within the UAMS College of Pharmacy.
The Sanders are life members of the Arkansas Alumni Association and are recognized as part of the Towers of Old Main.