University of Arkansas alumnus donate more than $1 million to UA electrical engineering program

Alumnus Jeff Sanders and his wife, Kathy, of Richardson, Texas, have contributed more than $1 million to the College of Engineering in support of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Arkansas.

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.

“This extraordinary gift from Jeff and Kathy will make a substantial impact on the department of electrical engineering,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “Both of their gift designations are important and will help the department in meaningful ways.

Established in 1991, the High Density Electronics Center, or HiDEC, is one of only a few working laboratories of its kind in the United States located on a university campus. The center provides undergraduate and graduate students with a hands-on approach to learning and gives them the opportunity to utilize state-of-the-art tools under the guidance of the center’s faculty and staff. The funds designated to HiDEC will be used to purchase equipment and support research efforts.

College of Engineering Dean John English will consult with the donors to determine the purpose of the Jeff and Kathy Sanders Endowment in Electrical Engineering.

A graduate of Springdale High School, Jeff Sanders earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arkansas and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University.

“I felt like I received a rich education at the University of Arkansas,” said Sanders. “My professors were interested in the education of their students.”

After spending two decades working as a radio frequency design engineer, he founded 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. Esterline Corp. acquired the company in December 2010, but Sanders still serves as an adviser.   

“Today, one of my goals is to enable other young people to become engineers,” he said.  “Engineering is an important field because it, along with manufacturing, helps build the economy.”

In addition to his interest in supporting future engineers, Sanders felt compelled to contribute to HiDEC because of his personal interest in packaging technology and the career he has built in that industry.

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 U.S. 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 the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with a bachelor’s degree 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 Sanderses are life members of the Arkansas Alumni Association and are recognized as part of the Towers of Old Main, a giving society for the university’s most generous benefactors.