ECE 2024 Magazine

2024 Magazine ECE

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Leaders Gather at UA to Map the Future of Semiconductors 7

ECE Professor Hao Xin (center) and PhD students Jude Coompson and Hector Garcia testing wireless components and devices in ECE’s anechoic chamber. National

The University of Arizona

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

P.O. Box 210104 Tucson, AZ 85721-0104 ece.engineering.arizona.edu

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LinkedIn: uarizonaece 520.621.6193 | communications@ece.arizona.edu

The 2024 ECE MAGAZINE is published by the University of Arizona Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering.

Produced by Susan Novosel and the College of Engineering Marketing and Communications

Contributors: Karina Barrentine, Jeff Gardiner, David Hostetler, Alexandra Pere, Chris Quirk, Katy Smith, Brian Topping

Photography: Mitchell Masilun, Susan Novosel, Julius Schlosburg, Katy Smith

Some articles are edited for length. Visit ece.engineering.arizona.edu and engineering.arizona.edu for more news, photos and videos.

All contents ©2024 Arizona Board of Regents.

All rights reserved.

The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information in its programs and activities. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the university strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.

Transformative Research, New Degrees Mark Year of Significant Growth

Greetings alumni, friends and partners,

In the fast-evolving landscape of electrical and computer engineering, staying at the forefront of knowledge and technology is a necessity.

This 2024 edition of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Magazine highlights the achievements that define our ECE community and produce a better quality of life for all.

Dynamic Global Force

From a $20 million NSF Engineering Research Center for Quantum Networks, $35 million semiconductor initiative, and three NSF IUCRC centers – cloud computing, digital health and wireless communication – to a powerful new industry-demanded degree program, ECE is a dynamic global force.

Ten new faculty members have joined the department since fall 2022, bringing with them a wealth of research expertise, diverse course offerings and fresh ideas.

The department now boasts two Regents Professors, two University Distinguished Professors, nine IEEE Fellows, 10 NSF CAREER awardees and numerous other distinguished individuals.

ECE’s vibrant academic community – with 14 dedicated staff members, approximately 470 undergraduate students, 250 graduate students and several award-winning student clubs – continues to thrive.

Academics for Today

The department recently announced its newest academic degree programs in Computer Science and Engineering. The curriculum is laser-focused on industry needs and prepares students for roles in critical areas such as AI, robotics, quantum computing, biomedical devices and cybersecurity.

Our dedication to creativity, excellence and inclusivity grows even stronger as we build on a century-old legacy of exceptional education tailored to shape the future and support economic prosperity.

Brighter Future for All

Whether it’s research and technology solving global challenges or academic programs preparing a workforce, every contribution underscores an unwavering commitment to making a meaningful difference.

“Whether it’s research and technology solving global challenges or academic programs preparing a workforce, every contribution underscores an unwavering commitment to making a meaningful difference.”

Thank you for your continued support and involvement. Your enthusiasm fuels ECE’s progress. Together, let’s keep illuminating the path toward a brighter, more interconnected future.

Warmest regards,

Michael Wu, PhD

Professor and Department Head, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Computer Science & Engineering Program Underway

Experiential curriculum will produce graduates to fill a major worker gap.

Right now, United States employers are unable to fill around 1 million computer science-related jobs because of a lack of qualified candidates, as estimated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And the demand isn’t going away – the bureau projects employment in the field to grow much faster than average through 2031, while the number of graduates will continue to lag behind job openings.

This workforce need is the primary reason the College of Engineering is offering a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering, said Michael Wu, head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which houses the degree. The main campus and online programs began in the fall 2023 semester.

The program’s educational model distinguishes it from other degree programs and provides an option for students who are interested in the field and want an interdisciplinary engineering education.

“We’re joining with other educators to develop a qualified workforce for the computer industry.”

Michael Wu ECE department head

“The market is so large that we’re not competing with other institutions or other programs within the University of Arizona,” said Wu. “Instead, we’re joining with other educators to develop a qualified workforce for the computer industry.”

Employers seeking these graduates vary from the biggest companies, such as Meta and Google, to small startups hiring computer scientists to develop apps and websites.

The Regional Industry View

Karla Morales is vice president of the Arizona Technology Council’s Southern Arizona regional office. Among other goals, the Arizona Technology Council is working to develop Arizona as a national tech hub.

Morales is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, and her ongoing discussions with industry representatives inform her service with the college. She believes the new program will address important needs.

“This is such a great opportunity for our community and really for anybody

who wants to take advantage,” Morales said. “It will elevate the College of Engineering’s programs and the workforce abilities within Arizona.”

Members of the trade association have expressed a strong need for more workers with computer science engineering skills. They also want to hire recent graduates who demonstrate the ability to collaborate, communicate and solve problems, Morales said.

“It’s so important for our graduates to start developing those skills at the very beginning of their academic career, and not just as an add-on. We feel it is important to have that simultaneous experiential and theoretical learning,” she said.

A Unique, Experiential Model

The computer science and engineering curriculum plan will engage students in an applied education model that’s likely to extend beyond courses specifically for the degree, said Wu.

“A student could work with a faculty member in aerospace and mechanical engineering, for example, to apply computer science techniques to working with autonomous vehicles,” he said. “Just being part of this very interdisciplinary engineering college will allow our students to not only be exposed to computer science knowledge but find applications in a wide variety of engineering domains.”

Each student’s education will culminate with a senior year Interdisciplinary Capstone, in which they will work with students from other majors to complete a sponsored project as part of the Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program.

“Students will work with theories, but we stress the hands-on part. They will get opportunities to solve realworld problems in every course. In the capstone, they will form teams to solve even bigger problems,” he said.

“It’s so important for our graduates to start developing those skills at the very beginning of their academic career.”

Karla Morales vice president of the Arizona Technology Council’s Southern Arizona regional office

These aspects, and the overall engineering focus, make the new program distinct from traditional computer science degrees and from the program offered by the UA College of Science. However, Wu is looking forward to collaborating with the College of Science – the colleges are sharing some courses and planning joint research projects.

Computer science and engineering is also different from other college degree programs such as software engineering. The former is a broader discipline teaching mastery of computer principles and algorithms as well as concepts including machine learning, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, data analytics, human–computer interaction, virtual reality, robotics, and hardware and software co-design. Software engineering is a more focused specialty, said Wu.

Next Steps for Computer Science and Engineering

College leaders have submitted proposals to launch master’s and doctoral degree programs in the

same subject to the Arizona Board of Regents. They also will propose program extensions to university campuses in Yuma and Chandler in the near future.

In the meantime, the ECE department is recruiting students and faculty. The department is hiring 20 to 25 new faculty members within the next five years to teach the new program and build a research program in computer science and engineering.

“The department will have electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science, giving us the full spectrum of expertise. This will significantly enhance our national reputation and rankings in the area of computing. Our faculty are extremely excited about this opportunity,” said Wu.

The department and college is focused on recruiting and supporting both faculty and students with diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds, said Wu. On the student front, planned measures include visiting K-12 schools, especially those that are under-resourced, to spread the word about the new computer science and engineering program. The department will also invite speakers from underrepresented groups to give seminars, providing diverse role models and perspectives for students.

Local tech leaders want to collaborate with the university to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce and close industry gaps in representation for women and minority populations, said Morales.

“Addressing these gaps is seen as crucial for promoting innovation and achieving better problem-solving outcomes,” she said.

Top 20% ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING Public Universities, 2024

Report

Top 25

ENGINEERING GRADUATE PROGRAM Public Universities, 2024 U.S. News & World Report

4.5 out of 5

BEST GRADUATE SCHOOL PROGRAMS Money Magazine, 2024

DEGREES AWARDED 2022 - 2023 Academic Year

92 BS

102 MS 11 PhD

469 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS Main Campus, Online and Microcampus

243 GRADUATE STUDENTS Main Campus and Online

36 CORE FACULTY

9 IEEE FELLOWS

10 NSF CAREER AWARDEES

Top 20 U.S. PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTION National Science Foundation, 2024

$7M ANNUAL RESEARCH EXPENDITURES 2023

5 RESEARCH CENTERS

6 OPERATIONAL STARTUP COMPANIES

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National Leaders Gather at UA to Map the Future of Semiconductors

About 150 national leaders from higher education, government, nonprofits and industry gathered at a conference sponsored by the University of Arizona’s Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing on Feb. 19 and 20 to strategize around how to shore up the domestic semiconductor industry.

Advancements in semiconductor technologies are indispensable to today’s standard of living. Smart phones, cameras, autonomous vehicles, health care devices and homeland security, for example, all rely on computer chips.

“Applications are exploding with every new generation of semiconductors as they become more and more specialized for particular needs and get smaller and smaller,” said Liesl Folks, director of the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing, which provides regional industry with expertise in manufacturing processes.

Participants at the first FuseNano Future of Semiconductors conference not only tackled the need for technological advancements but also discussed partnerships to improve educational outreach and workforce development.

A Time of Growth and Potential

The 2022 Chips and Science Act, passed after the shortages of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensures federal investments in industry to increase the nation’s global share. Some states, including Arizona, are also investing heavily in their semiconductor industries. The Arizona Commerce Authority committed $100 million statewide in November 2022, including $35.5 million, announced in November 2023, for the UA College of Engineering cleanroom facility expansion and workforce development.

“This moment is particularly important because universities are being called on to play a much stronger role in helping the U.S. semiconductor sector become more effective and efficient in manufacturing, not just in the design and development of new materials,” said Folks, adding that the manufacturing process and global distribution channels are complex.

“The University of Arizona is uniquely positioned due to its connections with local semiconductor titans to instill and refine specific knowledge, skills and abilities,” said keynote speaker Todd Younkin, president and CEO of Semiconductor Research Corp.

Focusing on the People

The association projects 33% growth in today’s approximately 345,000 semiconductor-related jobs by 2030, with 58% at risk of going unfilled. Positions range from technicians to engineers and jobs requiring doctoral degrees.

Arizona, which exported $4.2 billion in semiconductors in 2022, already is experiencing an acute shortage of workers in the state’s fast-growing computer chips industry, said Folks, also the university’s vice president for semiconductor strategy and professor of electrical and computer engineering.

The university and its partners, with support from the Arizona Commerce Authority, are establishing platforms for sharing curriculum digitally and augmented reality training. Additionally, UA is developing training for high school teachers and laying the groundwork for undergraduate and graduate degree programs in semiconductor manufacturing.

“Academic institutions across the state are coming together and pulling in a common direction to ensure a bright future for Arizona’s economic development and semiconductor workforce,” said Folks.

From left: Pratik Satam, SIE assistant professor, Soheil Salehi, ECE assistant professor, Jaeden Carpenter, ECE student and first-place poster presentation awardee at FuseNano 24, Patricia Simmons, associate program director, Division of Engineering Education and Centers at NSF, Elizabeth Greene, global senior director, Organizational Learning & Development at Lam Research and Liesl Folks, vice president of semiconductor strategy, director of the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing and ECE professor.

Hariri’s Cyber Security Startup Purchased

A startup created by ECE professor Salim Hariri has been acquired by LOCH Technologies for its machine learning capabilities. Hariri started Avirtek Inc. in 2006 as an outlet for autonomic cyber security (ACS) technology. Since its creation, Avirtek has benefited from over $10 million in funding from the Department of Defense, Air Force Research Labs, the U.S. Army, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the U.S. Navy.

Today, there are an estimated 15 billion Internet of Things or devices in the world connecting to the Web. By 2030, that number may double. Those devices have become essential tools for everyday life. In some cases, such as medical devices like pacemakers and insulin pumps, people’s very survival depends upon them.

And yet, the fact that they are connected to the internet represents great vulnerabilities, exposing users to potential dangers posed by those with malicious intent. As a result, managing the communications traffic between these devices through encryption has become an essential aspect of their implementation.

“Adding our capability to the LOCH platform provides a new and required threat visibility detection possibility.”

Salim Hariri professor of electrical and computer engineering

“Encrypted traffic has become mainstream in the cyber world today as privacy and data security become more important – however, encrypted traffic

shields malicious traffic introduced by attackers from being detected. Adding our capability to the LOCH platform provides a new and required threat visibility detection possibility,” said Hariri, who is assuming the role of senior vice president of research and development at LOCH.

Avirtek’s ACS technology, analogous to the human nervous system, can self-manage and self-protect systems with little human involvement, using adaptive machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies.

“I look forward to integrating their behavior analytics into our platform and increasing our role in the operations and cybersecurity process,” said Kurt Gurtzmacher, chief scientist at LOCH Technologies. “There are unique and significant advancements being made by Avirtek in analyzing datasets, even those that are encrypted.”

Djordjevic Senior Researcher at Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center

ECE professor Ivan Djordjevic is serving as a senior researcher for the University of Arizona’s New Frontiers of Sound Science and Technology Center. The National Science Foundation has granted UA $30 million over five years to establish a new NSF Science and Technology Center that will exploit the properties of sound in ways that could vastly improve computing, telecommunications and sensing. Applications could include reaching quantum-like computing speeds, reducing the power usage of smartphones, and sensing changes in aging infrastructure or the natural environment due to climate change.

“Scientific discovery is the engine that drives human progress and underlies all of the technologies that we benefit from today,” said NSF director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “NSF’s Science and Technology Centers enable our most creative scientists and engineers to open new vistas of scientific inquiry and make the discoveries that will keep the U.S. in the forefront of scientific discovery.”

To investigate sound through a topological acoustics lens, scientists form a vector by using all of the points in space that a sound travels through as graph points on the Hilbert Space. The angle of this amplitude vector is known as the geometric phase and provides a visual representation of the geometry of sound.

A simplified example: If a sound is traveling through a room and an object is moved, added or removed, the effect on the sound may not be noticeable

when observed through the lens of traditional acoustics, such as frequency. But it could be seen when examined with topological acoustics, because such minor changes alter the geometric phase – that is, they alter the geometry of the sound.

It’s essentially supercharging the field of acoustics and allowing researchers to see information they couldn’t see before – like putting on a new pair of glasses. Or, better yet, a new pair of hearing aids.

“The remarkable field of topological acoustics could help tackle some of society’s biggest challenges, and having our faculty at its forefront will help prepare our students to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. “With this center, the University of Arizona is placing itself at the forefront of a growing field and developing a diverse workforce that holds expertise not only in complex research, but in how to apply it to build a better world for all.”

Ivan Djordjevic

National Academy of Inventors Elects Wolfgang Fink

The National Academy of Inventors elected Wolfgang Fink, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering, to its 2023 Class of Fellows. Only academic inventors who have made significant contributions to improving quality of life and bettering society are eligible for NAI’s highest professional honor.

Fink is the inaugural Edward and Maria Keonjian Endowed Chair, with joint appointments in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Systems and Industrial Engineering, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering,

“This honor

and Ophthalmology and Vision Science.

not only recognizes

my research innovations,” said Fink, “but, even more so, reminds us of the critical importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in a university setting.”

“This honor not only recognizes my research innovations, but even more so, reminds us of the critical importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in a university setting.”

to assess brain injuries and sleep apnea.

Fink joined the UA faculty in 2009 from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Caltech. His work focuses on biomedical engineering for health care, specifically on ophthalmology and vision care; human/brainmachine interfaces such as artificial vision implants; smart platforms for mobile and telehealth; and autonomous systems, such as those for robotic space exploration.

Wolfgang Fink associate professor of electrical and computer engineering

Fink has invented, prototyped and is commercializing numerous technologies. His patented inventions include visual prostheses for the blind; implantable devices to monitor pressure in the eye for glaucoma therapy; and a smartphone-based pupillometer

He has over 265 publications, six NASA patent awards, five awards from Tech Briefs magazine, 23 U.S. and six foreign patents, along with 10 patents pending in biomedical devices, neural stimulation, microelectro-mechanical fabrication, data fusion and analysis, autonomous systems and multidimensional optimization.

Senior officials with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will present medals to the 2023 Class of Fellows at the NAI Annual Meeting in June 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Laying Groundwork to Prototype Lightning-Fast Computer Chip

Ali Akoglu, professor of electrical and computer engineering and the BIO5 Institute at the University of Arizona, has received a third award, $393,000, from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, supporting his work on computer chips capable of lightning-fast processing power.

Chips, or microprocessors, are the foundation for most of today’s electronics — from supercomputers to smart phones to the technology for self-driving vehicles.

In a world connecting more and more computing equipment performing

highly complex tasks and demanding greater and greater processing speeds, “this will enable effective communication systems designed for future generations,” Akoglu said. “This intelligence will be on all of our network devices.”

With this award from the DARPA program –Processor Reconfiguration for Wideband Sensor Systems, or PROWESS –Akoglu and collaborators from multiple universities are mapping out plans for a computer chip with software that makes decisions in 50 nanoseconds, almost a million times faster than the processing power of traditional computer chips.

Akoglu said previous research indicates it is possible to make a lightning-fast chip, but translating theory into a physical prototype will be difficult, adding that 50 nanoseconds is quite aggressive.

Akoglu’s team is working with researchers from Arizona State University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Michigan. Phase 1 of the project, “Dynamic Runtime Domain-Focused Software-Reconfigurable Heterogeneous (DR-DASH) Processor,” consists of a highly adaptable chip housing an autonomous runtime manager.

“The challenge is to be able to support hundreds of applications on the system. There’s so many algorithms running at the same time.”

Ali Akoglu professor of electrical and computer engineering

“Michigan is handling the chip fabrication, ASU is developing the algorithm, and then my group is kind of the glue,” said Akoglu.

Akoglu is the principal investigator of the

Ali Akoglu (center in plaid sweater) and his team of graduate students – (from left) Umut Suluhan, Serhan Gener, Maisha Hafiz, Mustafa Ghanim and Joshua Mack – are investigating the best ways to integrate software, hardware and algorithms.

team focusing on the software of the DR-DASH project. He is working closely with University of Wisconsin researchers.

“The challenge is to be able to support hundreds of applications on the system,” he said. “There’s so many algorithms running at the same time.”

Laying the groundwork, researchers in Akoglu’s Reconfigurable Computing Laboratory developed a runtime manager called CEDR (Compile Integrated Domain Specific System on Chip Runtime) for two other DARPA-funded programs – Domain Specific System on Chip (DSSoC) and Space-Based Adaptive Communications Node (Space-BACN).

Runtime managers in computer chips allocate resources for starting,

stopping and monitoring multiple applications.

CEDR’s autonomous decision-making lends significantly to faster computing time, and Akoglu’s team plans to incorporate the runtime manager onto the DRDASH chip.

If DARPA approves Phase 2, Akoglu’s team will receive an additional $668,000 to lead software integration on the chip prototype.

“In the context of the Internet of Things, you will have these highly capable communication nodes in your cellphone, on your network devices, or even in health care with your wearable devices,” he said. “Anywhere that communication is key –these processes will be handled autonomously.”

Simmons-Potter Takes Helm in Academic Affairs

ECE professor Kelly Simmons-Potter has been named as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the College of Engineering.

Simmons-Potter joined the College of Engineering faculty 20 years ago, leaving a prominent role at Sandia National Laboratories.

“I recognized the impact I could have by sharing the fun of science and engineering exploration with students while engaging in cutting-edge research with the exceptional faculty and students in the University of Arizona College of Engineering,” said Simmons-Potter, who is also a professor of optical sciences and materials science and engineering.

“I am confident Kelly will bring strong leadership to academic affairs at an exciting time,” said David W. Hahn , the Craig M. Berge Dean. “Her perspective will help us achieve all our strategic goals – to become not only larger and more renowned, but she is highly aligned with our commitment to broadening access to education and creating a welcoming and diverse community of learners.”

Simmons-Potter’s initial plans as associate dean include strengthening educational programs to best serve the growing populations of undergraduate and graduate students.

Ali Akoglu

Liesl Folks and Kathleen Melde: Women of Impact 2023

Two College of Engineering faculty were named 2023 Women of Impact at an October 2023 ceremony. The Office of Research, Innovation and Impact gives the awards to 30 women at the University of Arizona to highlight faculty and staff who make significant contributions to the university’s efforts as a world-class research institution, and who empower colleagues and students to excel.

“I’m so proud that two Engineering faculty members are among the 30 awardees,” said David W. Hahn, Craig M. Berge Dean. “The College of Engineering is growing quickly –we continue to set records for both new faculty and enrollment. Liesl and Kathie are not only helping drive that growth, they’re providing examples for standards of excellence and inclusion within the college.”

Liesl Folks: A Force in Her Field

Liesl Folks is the vice president for semiconductor strategy and a professor of electrical and computer engineering. She is an internationally recognized authority on magnetic materials and devices research, as well as nanoscale metrology, and she holds a dozen U.S. patents for her inventions.

Hailing from Perth, Folks was the first woman to earn a doctorate degree in physics at the University of Western Australia in 20 years. The pioneering spirit runs in the family. Both of her parents were pilots, her mother being one of a very few women in a maledominated field. Folks’ background and experience have forged her determination to be a force for inclusion and equality in her field.

“In my studies and working career, I’ve often been the only woman in the room, and sometimes the environment was hostile,” she said. “At the same time, I had amazing support mentors. I want other women to feel that they are welcomed and belong, which is how I got interested in diversity and inclusion.”

Folks regularly mentors students one-on-one and is also looking to the university’s semiconductor initiatives to reach out to the broader community.

“We should not only build and expand the workforce to support the semiconductor industry, but that workforce should be as diverse as possible, and representative of the population in the United States,” she explained. “For us here at the University of Arizona, it means looking explicitly at how we can bring women to the table, and also traditionally underrepresented minorities in the STEM disciplines, especially as a Hispanic-serving institution.”

“Dr. Folks continues to support women in STEM fields and women in underrepresented populations at the University of Arizona,” said Nina Bates, director of operations and strategic

initiatives in the Office of the Provost. “During her tenure as provost, she supported and funded University of Arizona Faculty Women of Color to participate in the Faculty of Women of Color in the Academy Conference. I had the opportunity to participate, and it was such amazing experience to be in the space with so many accomplished women of color.”

Kathleen Melde: More Than Welcoming

For Melde, the college’s associate dean of faculty affairs and a professor of electrical and computer engineering, the Women of Impact award is the second recognition of extraordinary service to the university community this year. In March, she was the first person to receive the Outstanding Supporter of Diversity & Inclusion award from the College of Engineering.

Melde is a leading expert in the field of small integrated antennas and the implementation of antennas in electronic devices. She has five U.S. patents, and her innovations have been incorporated into semiconductors technology, telecommunications and other sectors.

Melde is also a Fellow of IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, an honor bestowed on only one in a thousand IEEE members.

As the first female faculty member to serve in an associate dean position at the College of Engineering, Melde is uniquely positioned and attuned to expanding opportunity. She created a new faculty program that serves as 360-degree career resource initiative so that incoming faculty members can get their sea legs quickly and have the tools to advance their research and careers in academia.

“When we interview people, we want them to know that they can thrive here,” Melde said. “The Engineering Onboarding Program also helps create a sense of community among the faculty and builds a supportive professional cohort.”

Melde is finding the benefits work both ways. “Over time, we’re getting better hires and candidates as a result of the program,” she said. “They are better qualified, and they want to come here because they see we’re building a community.”

Melde has helped the college make great strides in its diversity goals, said Mark Van Dyke , the associate dean of research at the College of Engineering and professor of biomedical engineering.

“She has brought about a change in mindset that we cannot simply be welcoming; we must be proactive in our outreach and intentional in the development of an inclusive environment.”

BG Networks Wins Startup of the Year

A technology company founded by two ECE faculty earned the award for Startup of the Year by Tech Launch Arizona at the I-Squared Awards in September 2023. ECE professor emeritus Roman Lysecky and ECE distinguished professor Jerzy Rozenblit co-founded the startup BG Networks to protect everything from autonomous vehicles to the power grid.

BG Networks was founded to commercialize cybersecurity inventions from the College of Engineering. This past year, the startup achieved a great milestone, releasing its second product, AnCyRTM (Anomaly Detection and Cyber Resilience), a hostbased software anomaly detection technology based on UA.

“I was absolutely thrilled and honored to hear this unexpected and exciting news,” said Rozenblit. “This recognition further reinforces our commitment to

transferring university-based research into the marketplace. TLA’s support has been indispensable in getting us off the ground.”

“This recognition further reinforces our commitment to transferring universitybased research into the marketplace.”

Jerzy Rozenblit

distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering

Lysecky was likewise excited about the honor, saying, “BG Networks is deeply honored to be recognized as TLA’s Startup of the Year. I’m delighted by the quick progress we have made in developing our research outcomes into a commercial product, which would not be possible without TLA’s support.”

The BG Networks team, from left, Colin Duggan, Jerzy Rozenblit, Gary Gill, Roman Lysecky and Sam Winchenbach

Faculty Fellowships & Awards

We are pleased to recognize our department’s exceptional, award-winning faculty.*

American Ceramic Society

Wolfgang Fink

Kelly Simmons-Potter

Janet Meiling Roveda

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellow

Wolfgang Fink

Arizona Board of Regents Professor

Marwan Krunz

Michael W. Marcellin

Arizona Center for Accelerated BioMedical Innovation (ACABI) Fellow

Wolfgang Fink

Janet Meiling Roveda

Jerzy W. Rozenblit

Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association Fellow

Marwan Krunz

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Fellow

Wolfgang Fink

College of Engineering da Vinci Fellow

Wolfgang Fink

Janet Meiling Roveda

Bane Vasic

Hao Xin

College of Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Advisor/Mentor

Ming Li

College of Engineering Outstanding Supporter of Diversity & Inclusion

Kathleen Melde

College of Engineering Teacher of the Year

Ratchaneekorn “Kay” Thamvichai

Craig M. Berge Dean Fellow

Ivan B. Djordjevic

Ming Li

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow

Ivan B. Djordjevic

Marwan Krunz

Ming Li

Abhijit Mahalanobis

Michael W. Marcellin

Kathleen Melde

Bane Vasic

Michael Wu

Hao Xin

National Academy of Inventors Fellow

Wolfgang Fink

Liesl Folks

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Trailblazer Award

Siyang Cao

National Science Foundation CAREER Awardee

Tosiron Adegbija

Boulat Bash

Ivan B. Djordjevic

Marwan Krunz

Loukas Lazos

Ming Li

Janet Meiling Roveda

Ravi Tandon

Michael Wu

Danella Zhao

*For a comprehensive ECE faculty awards list, visit ece.engineering.arizona.edu/honors-and-awards.

Optica Fellow

Ivan B. Djordjevic

Raymond Kostuk

Abhijit Mahalanobis

Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) Society Fellow

Wolfgang Fink

Society for Computer Simulation Fellow

Jerzy Rozenblit

Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Fellow

Wolfgang Fink

Raymond Kostuk

Tech Launch Arizona Startup of the Year

Roman Lysecky

Jerzy Rozenblit

University Distinguished Professor

Jerzy W. Rozenblit

University Distinguished Outreach Professor

Kelly Simmons-Potter

University Faculty Service Award

Wolfgang Fink

University Office of Research, Innovation and Impact Women of Impact

Liesl Folks

Kathleen Melde

Amazing Alumni

ECE was pleased to recognize Shashi Kiran Chilappagari and Parthasarathy Sriram as Distinguished Alumni at their 2023 Welcome Alumni Homecoming Event on November 3.

Shashi Kiran Chilappagari is the cofounder and chief architect at DeGirum Corp., a fabless semiconductor company building complete AI solutions for the edge. Before DeGirum, he was the director of SSD architecture at Marvell Semiconductor Inc. Chilappagari received his PhD in electrical and computer engineering

at the University of Arizona in 2008 under the direction of Dr. Bane Vasic.

Parthasarathy Sriram, chief systems software architect for Video Analytics Platforms and VP of engineering at NVIDIA, received his ECE PhD in 1993 under the direction of regents professor Michael Marcellin.

“Dr. Chilappagari and Dr. Parthasarathy Sriram’s journeys in academia and industry are an inspiration to all of us,” said Michael Wu, ECE Department Head. “Their dedication to innovation has left an indelible mark and we’re proud to honor their achievements.”

Manny Miera: Student to Sponsor

When Manny Miera began work on his engineering capstone project in the early ‘90s, he didn’t know it would influence the trajectory of his entire career. The 1992 computer engineering graduate worked with early forms of artificial intelligence to help advise fellow engineering students.

Now, he is the founder and CEO of PeakView Solutions, a software company that helps the cable, television and customer service industry manage workforce productivity. The company’s current AI-based projects had its roots in his capstone project at the University of Arizona.

Tell us about your capstone project during your University of Arizona education.

It was an individual project. I don’t think there were formal group projects at that time. My project was an expert system called “Student Advisor.” However, my initial project was creating a full-sized Braille screen

Continued on page 20

Bane Vasic, Shashi Kiran Chilappagari and Michael Wu

Michael Wu, Parthasarathy Sriram and Michael Marcellin

Amazing Alumni

Manny Miera: Student to Sponsor Cont’d.

with pins that could translate images into 3D images using pins that are presented at variable heights. The idea was to use solenoids, a type of electromagnet, to move pins up and down at variable heights based on the voltage input. Each solenoid was treated as a pixel. However, the solenoids that were donated to me for the project were not easy to calibrate for consistent output across multiple pixels.

During this time, I was trying to get an appointment with my advisor. The only available time he had to meet with me was a month out. It was my opinion that an app could augment the advisors and provide a virtual solution. My capstone advisor was Elmer Grubbs. I went to him with my dilemma on the Braille screen and presented my new project idea. He gave his approval, and then I built the algorithm and coded the prototype for a couple of majors: computer engineering and one of the majors in the art department.

With this app, the student could determine which courses were required to graduate. If a student transferred from another university, then the advisor would add and map which courses from the institution of origin matched to equivalent courses at the UA. As information was added to the system, it became more intelligent.

What are some of the most rewarding moments?

Working with the students is energizing. It’s exciting to see how brilliant engineering students are

today. Their work ethic is amazing. I have full confidence that the future is in good hands, and I will be proud to hand over the reins to the younger generations.

Would you recommend the sponsor experience to other companies and alumni? Absolutely, I believe the Interdisciplinary Capstone project approach is key to accelerating the pace of innovation and improving the future for subsequent generations.

Boyang Wang: Doctoral Student to Tenured Faculty

Boyang Wang earned his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Arizona in 2017. His advisor was Ming Li of ECE. Now he is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Cincinnati.

Why did you choose to study electrical and/or computer engineering? What brought you to the university?

I was a PhD student at Utah State University initially. My advisor, Ming Li, moved to the ECE department at the UA in 2015. I decided to transfer to Arizona because I wanted to continue my research with Dr. Li and also because the ECE program is renowned.

What was one of your greatest takeaways from the program?

The program is well-designed. As a student, I learned fundamental knowledge and advanced skills to pursue my career in electrical and computer engineering. In addition, I really enjoyed the interactions with ECE faculty through various gatherings, such as informal meetings, research presentations and graduate student poster sessions. The faculty care about students’ success and are extremely supportive. I received valuable feedback and suggestions from my dissertation committee, including Marwan Krunz, Loukas Lazos, and Ravi Tandon, as well as Dr. Li.

What was your favorite part of your time at the UA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering? My fondest moments at ECE are working with Dr. Li and other students in the research lab. Working with an outstanding mentor on challenging research was a rewarding experience. He provided many suggestions on how to improve my research and teaching skills. Whenever I had doubles regarding research or faced challenges in life, he was always available. I was very lucky to have him as my advisor.

What are you up to now?

I am an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Cincinnati (UC). I also serve as the program director of cybersecurity engineering at UC and the principal investigator of RHEST -- National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduate Site in Hardware and Embedded Systems Security and Trust. I enjoy both research and teaching.

My current research interests include hardware and embedded system security, machine learning, binary analysis and wireless security. My graduate students and I leverage deep learning to analyze sidechannel leakage from chips, such as microcontrollers and FPGAs, and reveal encryption keys when chips execute state-of-the-art encryption algorithms. Our overarching goal in this research project is to minimize the side-channel leakage and enhance the security and trust of chips.

How did participating in our program help you get there?

I was fortunate to earn tenure and promotion to associate professor at UC. Obtaining tenure is not easy and requires many skills, including research, teaching and mentoring. The ECE program at UA helped me develop and promote skills as a graduate student that are fundamental to my academic career. I would like to thank the ECE program for providing exceptional research and education resources to students.

Alumni Commit $5M to UA’s Cancer Engineering Initiative

Michael and Sheri Hummel , both from University of Arizona’s Class of 1982, have committed $5 million to benefit the Cancer Engineering Initiative, a program being jointly implemented at the College of Engineering and the University of Arizona Cancer Center. Mike, the College of Engineering 2022 Alumnus of the Year, and Sheri share their goals for helping people mitigate cancer right now and for changing the way the disease is fought far into the future.

“We’re also interested in helping to make fundamental changes in how cancer is detected, treated and

understood. When we talked to Dean David Hahn about cancer engineering, we became excited to participate in a way that we hope really can make a lasting and long-term difference,” Mike said. “My background is in electrical engineering, so it’s far from that. But engineering is really about solving problems. To apply an engineering approach to solving this kind of problem is both exciting and consistent with the way I approach issues.”

“We’ve had a lot of family and friends deal with cancer. It’s been a part of my life since childhood. If we can do something to help in the future, we want to,” Sheri said.

Student Spotlight

Employment Opportunities at SHPE National Convention

Sixty members of the University of Arizona’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers chapter attended the annual SHPE National Convention in Salt Lake City, and several left with job and internship offers. In total, 13,000 SHPE members attended the five-day November 2023 event, which included workshops, resume-building classes and networking opportunities. Some of the job and internship opportunities secured by attending UA students include positions in leading engineering firms, tech companies, and research institutions such as Honeywell, Northrop Grumman, T. Rowe Price and General Dynamics.

“I learned a lot,” said UA SHPE treasurer Celeste Cortez, a senior majoring in electrical and computer engineering. “With over 10,000 students in attendance, the career fair was a bit chaotic, but I was still able to talk to people from over a dozen companies and obtained three interviews with Honeywell, Abbott, and Lutron…. My ECE classes prepared me to answer the more technical

questions asked in interviews, and resume workshops, mock interviews, and convention prep were hosted by SHPE.”

Ten of the 60 UA students who attended were ECE majors, and the department provided funding for the students’ travel and registration fees. At the end of the convention, 29% of the UA attendees left with a job or internship offer.

“The convention provided invaluable networking opportunities, enabling students to connect with professionals and peers from diverse backgrounds and fostering collaboration and future career prospects,” Cortez said.

SHPE is the nation’s largest group promoting Hispanic presence and leadership in the STEM field. The overall organization formed in 1974, and the UA chapter was founded less than a decade later in 1982. Since forming, UA SHPE students have contributed thousands of hours of community service dedicated to the retention and support of minority students.

Honors & Awards

ECE Engineering Ambassadors

Engineering Ambassadors share information about the College and their passion for Engineering – all from a student’s perspective. They are chosen based on their outstanding academic performance, involvement in research and internships, leadership experiences, and enthusiasm for engineering and education. ECE Engineering Amabassadors include: Raghad Alabagi, Joshua Capel, Emma Halferty, Lance Perez, Jaret Rickel and Rachel Whitaker

Outstanding ECE Students

Each semester, the College of Engineering honors outstanding students who are nominated by their professors and department heads.

Spring 2023

Outstanding Senior: Elliot Zuercher

Outstanding Graduate Student: Lavanya Umapathy

Outstanding Student Achievement: Chris Bremser

Outstanding Graduate Teaching

Assistants: Yuchao Liao, Milad Taghipour and Jiahao Tang

Fall 2023

Outstanding Senior: Karson Knudson

Outstanding Graduate Student: Kyle Boyer

Awards for Excellent Performance at the Student Interface

The annual Student Interface Awards for Excellence honor ECE faculty, staff and teaching assistants who support our students by making them feel they are essential and valued members of the university community.

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Maisha Hafiz

Outstanding Staff: Alexis Vasquez, Undergraduate Academic Advisor

Outstanding Faculty: Dale Hetherington, Professor of Practice; Hal S. Tharp, Associate Department Head, Associate Professor

Speaker at Winter Convocation

Electrical and computer engineering master’s student Karson Knudson served as the student speaker at the December 2023 convocation ceremony for the University of Arizona College of Engineering.

Karson Knudson

Knudson shared several pieces of advice from college faculty members, including this one from chemical and environmental engineering professor Armin Sorooshian: “Don’t shy away from failure; it’s an integral part of development and growth.”

Knudson completed an ECE bachelor’s degree and is currently pursuing an accelerated master’s degree while continuing a position as senior technical coordinator with Universal Creative for its Orlando theme park.

ECE’s Kama Svoboda Receives Prestigious UA Grad Fellowship

The University Fellow is contributing to more energy-efficient neural networking for AI.

While Kama Svoboda’s work in braininspired computing to advance AI is impressive in its own right, her objectives stretch well beyond the lab.

“As a research scientist, my goal is to be a positive role model and mentor, especially for other women in STEM,” said the 2023-2024 University of Arizona Fellow.

Svoboda, an ECE doctoral student who also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at the UA, specializes in Spiking Neural Networks, or SNNs, an artificial intelligence that mimics the human brain.

University Fellows are among the highest-ranking incoming graduate students. The fellowships, which in 2023-2024 numbered fewer than 20 campuswide, provide not only multiple-year financial support but also professional development and opportunities to collaborate with PhD students across disciplines.

“Because of the funding the fellowship provides, I have the freedom to study what I’m passionate about.”

“My research is focused on creating and optimizing biologically inspired neural networks in hardware,” she said. “This makes them more efficient and capable of handling information in a way that is similar to how our brains process sensory data like sights and sounds.”

Kama Svoboda

SNNs also use less power than traditional artificial neural networks, or ANNs, and they can perform on-device learning as opposed to cloud computing. SNNs, Svoboda said, have the potential to improve efficiency and data security for technologies ranging from medical devices to satellites and autonomous vehicles.

“The recipients of our graduate fellowships are some of the most outstanding applicants to our graduate programs,” said Kelly Simmons Potter, the college’s associate dean for academic affairs.

“The ability to provide research fellowships to these students can be a critical factor that enables them to pursue their graduate educational and research goals, to the benefit of both their careers and the broader fields of engineering.”

Svoboda plans to continue specializing in SNNs as she looks toward a job in industry and helping diversify the voices at the table to accomplish the best engineering solutions.

“By leading with integrity, fostering collaboration, and promoting inclusivity, I can inspire and motivate others to excel in their careers and contribute positively to the broader tech community,” she said.

The University of Arizona