Electrical and Computer Engineering

�鶹��Ƶ engineering professor awarded Office of Naval Research grant to launch 'NEXT' mechatronics workforce program

Martha Bushong — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:45:35 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ engineering professor awarded Office of Naval Research grant to launch 'NEXT' mechatronics workforce program Martha Bushong Fri, 03/20/2026 - 08:45

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Ningshi Yao

�鶹��Ƶ faculty member Ningshi Yao received a $750k grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to establish a hands-on mechatronics training program aimed at building the next generation of high-tech engineering technologists.

The three-year funding will support the creation of the Natural EXTension (NEXT) program. As emerging technologies like autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing continue to expand, the NEXT program will serve the national interest by providing students with rigorous, experiential learning opportunities directly aligned with defense and industry workforce needs.

Ningshi Yao. Photo provided.

"Traditional classroom learning is essential, but engineering is ultimately about building systems that work reliably in the real world," said Yao, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, director of the Control, Intelligent Autonomy, and Optimization Lab, and the sole principal investigator on the project. "With the NEXT program, we are implementing a 'flipped classroom' model. Students will review video lectures and technical instructions as their homework, allowing us to dedicate our entire class time to building and testing the mechatronic vehicles. This highly dynamic 'learning-by-doing' approach prepares students for the complex problem-solving required in today's high-tech workforce."

The program, which will welcome its pilot class in fall 2026, moves beyond standard laboratory exercises. A centerpiece of the NEXT curriculum is a high-stakes endurance mechatronics competition. Student teams will be challenged to design, build, and deploy autonomous mechatronic vehicles during a 72-hour rapid prototyping sprint, followed by a live, 90-minute competitive match on an outdoor field.

This intense environment forces participants to manage limited resources, modify hardware, program the systems on the fly, and ensure their systems can handle unpredictable real-world elements like uneven terrain and weather.

"We want to push students' engineering creativity and strategic thinking to the absolute limit," said Yao. "By bridging the gap between academic theory and rigorous physical deployment, we are ensuring our graduates are job-ready for defense and tech industry roles from day one."

George �鶹��Ƶ is already known as one of the commonwealth's largest producers of tech talent. The NEXT program will further support the university’s efforts in building Virginia’s high-tech workforce by creating a regional talent pipeline.

"Relationships between universities and industry are common, but integrating direct, hands-on challenges that mirror the complexities of defense operations makes this initiative unique," Yao added.

This project is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research under award number N00014-26-1-2153.

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Electrical and Computer Engineering

Workforce Development

CEC faculty research

Research

Defense and Security

Brainpower inspires energy-efficient AI

tdonnel — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:57:20 +0000

Brainpower inspires energy-efficient AI tdonnel Thu, 01/22/2026 - 11:57

The key to energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) could lie in the human brain. �鶹��Ƶ researchers Maryam Parsa (PI) and Giorgio Ascoli (co-PI) are leading a Department of Energy-funded project to make AI dramatically more efficient by mimicking the brain’s computing strategies.

Maryam Parsa. Photo provided.

“AI today is powerful but extremely energy-hungry,” said Parsa, an assistant professor in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who specializes in neuromorphic computing. “We want to understand why the human brain is so efficient and why AI is not—and then bridge that gap.”

Unlike traditional AI models that rely on continuous signals and massive data centers, the brain uses sparse, event-driven signals called spikes.

“Any one neuron only fires a spike here and there, but the timing of those spikes carries a lot of meaning,” explained Ascoli, a Distinguished University Professor in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Bioengineering Department specializing in neuroscience. “That’s why the brain can do so much with so little energy.”

To replicate this efficiency holistically, Parsa and Ascoli teamed up with Akhilesh Jaiswal at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Pedram Khalili at Northwestern University. The team is building a full-stack neuromorphic computing system spanning devices, circuits, architectures, algorithms, and applications.

Each principal investigator is contributing specific expertise to the system:

Ascoli contributes neuroscience insights using Izhikevich models, mathematical frameworks that capture real neuron spiking dynamics, to inform system design.
Khalili develops spintronic devices, components that utilize magnetic materials to harness an electron's quantum properties of spin and charge for processing and storing data. By naturally exhibiting neuron-like temporal behavior, these devices are expected to reduce energy demands.
Jaiswal designs analog circuits to integrate these spintronic devices into functional architectures.
Parsa leads the project as well as neuromorphic learning algorithms and application-level integration, exploring diverse learning approaches to optimize speed, precision, resiliency, privacy, and energy savings.

Giorgio Ascoli. Photo provided.

“Izhikevich models allow neuromorphic systems to mimic the timing, diversity, and variability of real neurons, enabling more brain-like learning and efficiency,” Ascoli said. His extensive experience with these models, including simulating hippocampal networks, provides the biological foundation for the project.

“Instead of forcing existing devices to mimic brain behavior, we asked: What if we leverage new devices that naturally exhibit these dynamics?” Parsa said. This approach ensures innovations at the hardware level align with biologically inspired algorithms, creating a cohesive system rather than isolated solutions.

By introducing greater biological complexity and leveraging novel spintronic devices, the team hopes to reduce AI’s energy footprint while improving performance metrics such as accuracy and privacy. Early results are promising; even simple changes to spike distributions improved privacy without sacrificing accuracy.

The research also explores learning algorithms beyond the traditional. “Our goal is to see how different neuron models and learning rules interact and which combinations optimize for speed, precision, or energy savings,” Parsa said.

Ultimately, the project could transform AI by making it greener and more brain-like. “If we succeed, we’ll have systems that learn faster, consume less power, and operate more like the brain,” said Ascoli.

“This is not just about making AI more efficient,” said Parsa. “It’s about rethinking computing from the ground up."

In This Story

Maryam Parsa

Giorgio Ascoli

Explore AI at George �鶹��Ƶ

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A calibration from campus to the cosmos

Nathan Kahl — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 14:48:15 +0000

A calibration from campus to the cosmos  Nathan Kahl Fri, 08/15/2025 - 10:48

�鶹��Ƶ is the home of the $20 million Landolt NASA Space Mission, placing a satellite that will serve as an artificial “star” in orbit around the Earth…and College of Engineering and Computing students are instrumental in the payload’s construction. It’s experience that not only significantly bolsters a resume, but also allows students to work on a project of their dreams.  

Fatima Bahzad, a computer science graduate student said, “It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in school.”  

Bahzad said that working on the mission is the most fun she's had at George �鶹��Ƶ. Photo provided.

Bahzad explained her role: “The satellite, which is about the size of a bread box, is comprised of layers and each layer has a chip and the chips need to talk to each other. There’s also a primary chip that sends commands to all of them. I’m working on the communication between the chips.”

Getting an opportunity to turn theory into practice is incredibly gratifying, she said. “Learning theoretical stuff is one thing, but applying it is another. This is one of the first opportunities I’ve had to work on something ‘real.’” 

The payload is being built in partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with whom the teams checks in frequently. The artificial star will allow scientists to calibrate telescopes and more accurately measure the brightness of stars ranging from those nearby to the distant explosions of supernova in far-off galaxies. By establishing absolute flux calibration, the mission will address several open challenges in astrophysics, including the speed and acceleration of the universe expansion. 

On the engineering side, the project is led by Piotr Pachowicz, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. Pachowicz brought PhD student Jay Deorukhkar, one of his advisees, onto the project.  

Deorukhkar said he’s been working on testing the individual payload modules. These will later integrate with the satellite bus, which is the core structure and support system that is separate from the specific payload. Reliability of small satellite buses against radiation effects is also the subject of his dissertation, making this work particularly relevant.  

Deorukhkar is working on his second project that will send an object into space. Photo provided.

“My role as an engineer is to help design, prototype, and test specific payload components. We’re early in the design stage, working towards the preliminary design review of our payload.” He added, “The great thing about this project is really the end-to-end experience, from the inception of the mission  to the actual launch and operation of the science payload.”  

Deorukhkar has some experience with that, having worked on the ThinSat project in 2021, which sent a small satellite into low earth orbit. He knows about the anxiety as the launch date nears. “It's a bone-chilling moment when the rocket starts and you know your device is on there and it’s out of your hands at that point. You can only pray and trust that everything you've learned and you've done just works.”  

Bahzad is still trying to keep her feet planted on the ground, so to speak, at times overwhelmed to be part of something so significant. “We met recently with some people from NASA and I was just sitting in the corner and couldn’t believe it. I was just thinking, ‘This is so cool!’”   

Housed in the George �鶹��Ƶ College of Science, the mission launches in 2029, when the artificial star will orbit earth 22,236 miles up, far enough away to look like a star to telescopes back on Earth. This orbit also allows it to move at the same speed of the Earth’s rotation, keeping it in place over the United States during its first  year in space. 

�鶹��Ƶ faculty and students will work together with nine other organizations beyond NASA and NIST on this first-of-its-kind project for a university in the Washington, D.C., area. 

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Peter Pachowicz

Learn more about the Grand Challenge Initiative

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Engineering better vision: George �鶹��Ƶ professors lead $1.17M NIH project

Martha Bushong — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 19:12:10 +0000

Engineering better vision: George �鶹��Ƶ professors lead $1.17M NIH project Martha Bushong Wed, 07/30/2025 - 15:12

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Ningshi Yao

Quentin Sanders

Qi Wei

Understanding and treating complex eye movement disorders like strabismus has long been a challenge for clinicians. Now, researchers at �鶹��Ƶ are pioneering a new approach using robotics and artificial intelligence to engineer a better future for vision care.

Ningshi Yao, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been awarded a prestigious $1.17 million R01 grant to lead a groundbreaking four-year project. The award comes from the joint National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) "Smart Health and Biomedical Research in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Data Science (SCH)" program.

The funded project, "Study Coordinated Human Eye Movement and Strabismus Using a Novel Artificial Muscle-Driven Robotic Eyes," will be conducted in collaboration with co-investigators Qi Wei and Quentin Sanders from George �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Bioengineering and consultant Joseph Demer in the Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles.

From left: Qi Wei (Bioengineering Department), Ningshi Yao (Electrical and Computer Engineering Department), and Quentin Sanders (Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering Departments). Photo provided

At the core of the research is the creation of robotic eyes powered by artificial muscles that replicate the precise, coordinated movements of human eyes. “Strabismus affects more than 18 million Americans, yet current treatments often fall short, with success rates ranging from 30 to 80%,” said Yao. “Our goal is to use robotic systems and artificial intelligence to better understand how the eyes work—and ultimately improve how we diagnose and treat these disorders.”

The research team will build robotic eyes that closely mimic human biomechanics and use them as tools to study the underlying causes of strabismus. These systems will allow for a level of control and repeatability not possible in human subjects, offering a unique window into how eye muscles and connective tissues—especially the so-called “pulleys”—work together to guide vision.

To make the robotic system truly intelligent, the project will also apply reinforcement learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to discover how humans naturally control eye movements. By training the robots with real patient data and expert-informed objectives, the team hopes to reverse-engineer the strategies humans use—leading to better understanding and new treatment pathways.

In the final phase of the project, the team will integrate patient-specific data into the robotic system to simulate different surgical outcomes. This will allow ophthalmologists to test and refine treatment strategies before operating, increasing precision and improving long-term results.

The project’s impact extends beyond eye health. The robotic muscle actuators and control models developed here could advance robotics, AI, biomechanics, and even the design of soft, adaptive machines.

In addition to scientific discoveries, the research team will build educational tools and training platforms using the robotic eyes, helping to prepare the next generation of vision specialists.

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Electrical and Computer Engineering

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National Institutes of Health

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Drones and rovers save the day at Raytheon Autonomous Vehicle Competition 2025

Jennifer Pocock — Thu, 01 May 2025 18:18:35 +0000

Drones and rovers save the day at Raytheon Autonomous Vehicle Competition 2025 Jennifer Pocock Thu, 05/01/2025 - 14:18

As the saying goes, if you love something, set it free. If it maps an area, finds a target, delivers a package, and comes back, the trophy is yours forever. Or something like that.

The Raytheon Autonomous Vehicle Competition Team poses with their ground and air robots. Photo by Jenn Pocock

The black quadcopter drone surveyed the field in two quick swoops against a cloud-heavy sky. In just a matter of seconds, it picked up a signal and flew to the sidelines where it landed itself. A small ground rover took off, bumping over the grass to drop a first aid kit a few feet from the goal. Team members on the side of the field exploded with cheers and high fives.

The entire search and rescue took less than two minutes.

Senior electrical engineering student Qeon Edwards jumped with joy at just how well and how quickly their vehicles performed. “What, you doubted us?” he laughed, obviously relieved.

It was late in April when five teams gathered at the Xelevate drone ecosystem field in Leesburg, Virginia, to test their autonomous programming mettle via ground and air vehicles. This was �鶹��Ƶ’s second year in the competition, which they won last year. The team consisted of 16 students ranging from sophomores to PhDs in computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. As the reigning champs, they had a lot to prove.

A quadcopter takes off from the starting line to search for its target, as the rover and judges stand by. Photo by Jenn Pocock

The challenge rules change every year, so the team can’t just copy their predecessors’ codes. “Last year was basically a game of tag,” said Xuesu Xiao, assistant professor of computer science and the team’s faculty lead. They had to fly a drone around to squirt water on their opponents’ ground vehicles while avoiding their own.

This year, instead of trying to shoot others down, they had to perform a rescue mission: Find a randomly assigned “survivor” in a field of battle and send first aid. The faster the find and the closer the kit, the higher the score.

“Our strategy was for a drone to scout the area first, find the target, and then drive another ground vehicle robot to deliver the first-aid kit,” said Xiao.

The team programmed six flying drones and a ground robot that communicated with one another—and nothing else. That means that the programmers had no immediate control over the vehicles; they set their autonomous creations free and hoped that they did a good job coding them.

Judges measure the distance from the target to the rover-delivered first aid kit. Photo by Jenn Pocock

Overall, their robots performed exceptionally, managing to cut their delivery time and distance to less than a minute and 57 inches, respectively. They were just nudged out, however, by first-place University of Southern Florida and second-place Virginia Tech.

“It was definitely very tight between the top three!” said Cameron Nowzari, associate professor in electrical and computer engineering. “There was only a two-point difference between first and second, and one point between second and third.”

Still, the team wasn’t disappointed with how they performed. Their robots were a labor of love, and they met the challenge in a big way.

In This Story

Xuesu Xiao

Cameron Nowzari

Sea life defended the republic

Jennifer Pocock — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:34:12 +0000

Sea life defended the republic Jennifer Pocock Tue, 04/29/2025 - 11:34

The bioinspired blimps performed swimmingly.

Blimp Squad members Elijah Pointer and Kareem Zaharan (seniors in mechanical engineering) reach for a balloon captured in Narly's net as Faculty Adviser Daigo Shishika looks on. Photo by Jenn Pocock

Narly glided toward the ceiling of �鶹��Ƶ's Life Science and Engineering Building aviary like a shiny beluga whale with undulating manta-ray wings and a rudder tail. Thomas Girois, a senior in mechanical engineering and Narly’s team lead, flipped on the blimp’s autonomous goal-seeking program to show off its ability to target airborne objects. He hopes it will head toward the balloon that he wants to capture. But it made an unexpected turn and instead nosed the high bay windows, where it wouldn’t move despite its programmed back-up function.

After a moment of confusion, Girois laughed. “It’s outsmarted us again!”

Narly’s microcontroller and camera was coded to recognize and hunt down green and purple airborne objects—which is exactly what it did when it registered the glowing green Exit sign on the ceiling outside the window. Still, the test boded well for the upcoming competition.

Narly was one of three sea life–inspired Lighter Than Air (LTA) vehicles to compete on George �鶹��Ƶ’s Blimp Squad in the Defend the Republic (DTR) contest from April 21 – 25, 2025.

The Blimp Squad lines up with their devices, ready to go on the offense. Photo by Jenn Pocock

Flappy, another manta ray blimp, has a larger rudder tail that allows it to make pinpoint midair turns, and Knifey, inspired by the knifefish, has a long, undulating frill along its belly—and a fierce expression. These designs differ from their competitors’, which rely on propellers for propulsion and steering.

“Using propellers is easier,” said Daigo Shishika, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and one of the Blimp Squad’s faculty advisers. “But the big surface areas of our flapping wings are more efficient. Propeller-driven blimps need to carry more batteries, which are heavy and drain fast.”

Shishika noted that contestants lose points if they hurt another team’s blimp, which is always a risk with propellers.

Alexia De Costa (sophomore, computer science) follows under the fearsome Knifey, whose underbelly frill was inspired by the knifefish. Photo by Jenn Pocock

“We’re hoping to get more agility and a safer blimp,” he said.

Ningshi Yao, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the squad’s other faculty adviser, also pointed out the blimps’ winning personalities. “Our flappies are pretty attractive robots,” she said. “Human-robot interaction is important. You want humans to like being around it!”

One DTR spectator, upon seeing Flappy fly for the first time, confirmed this theory. “It’s so cute!” she gasped. “I would die for Flappy.”

After hundreds of hours of testing, Narly, Flappy, and Knifey joined their two defense blimps—a zippy acrobatic wonder called Space Fish, and a high-scoring high-flier called Backbone Junior—to play a midair game of capturing balloons and releasing them through hoops to score goals.

Knifey's fierce expression intimidates the competition. Photo by:Jenn Pocock.

The team took third place out of six and scored the second-most points of all the teams.

“One highlight for me personally was that the flapping wing blimp achieved fully autonomous scoring for the first time since its first debut in the spring of 2023,” said Shishika. “It started as an exploratory agent that was primarily for research, but after two years and four competitions, Flappy finally contributed to the team by scoring 70 points.”

Narly also scored its first autonomous points.

While the team may not have taken first place, their sea-inspired research won the week.

Check out these shorts on our Youtube channel to see the vehicles and their designers in action.

In This Story

Daigo Shishika

Ningshi Yao

Electrical and Computer Engineering at George �鶹��Ƶ

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High schoolers explore renewable energy engineering at �鶹��Ƶ Square summer camp

tdonnel — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:39:36 +0000

High schoolers explore renewable energy engineering at �鶹��Ƶ Square summer camp tdonnel Mon, 08/26/2024 - 12:39

Fourteen local high school students from six school districts spent a week in August delving into renewable energy engineering at �鶹��Ƶ’s Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp, held at �鶹��Ƶ Square. Liling Huang, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and Dominion Energy Faculty Fellow, led the camp sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) from August 5 to 9.

Students learn about solar panels during the Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

Throughout the week, students engaged in activities designed to spark their interest in environmental stewardship and engineering excellence. The camp offered a mix of interactive sessions, hands-on labs, and group projects, all aimed at providing a foundational understanding of renewable energy engineering. Industry professionals from organizations such as Dominion Energy and the Solar Hands-On Instructional Network of Excellence (SHINE) contributed their expertise, giving students real-world insights into the energy sector.

The camp culminated in a two-part event on the final day. First, a panel of renewable energy professionals shared their experiences and advice with the campers. Panelists represented a broad spectrum of the industry, including AES Corporation, AWS, Dominion Energy, Hispanics in Energy, MPR Associates, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC), and SHINE.

Students work on model town during the Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

"You all are choosing a field that's very exciting, and there's really an opportunity for you to have huge impact, whether it's here or abroad," said George �鶹��Ƶ’s Liza Wilson Durant, Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement, addressing the campers as she introduced the panelists.

The panelists discussed the future energy landscape, the integration of renewable resources with traditional power grids, and the various career paths available in the power and energy sector. They also highlighted the importance of continuous learning and flexibility.

SHINE Executive Director David Peterson summed up his advice with a lyric by the Avett Brothers: “Decide what to be, and go be it.” He emphasized the importance of committing to a path without being overly concerned with immediate decisions. Nicholas Lee-Romagnolo, program lead of workforce and economic development at AWS, agreed, explaining that careers are more like jungle gyms than ladders: There are many different paths upward.

Industry panel closing GMU Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo courtesy of the Power Grid Lab.

Lee-Romagnolo also advised the campers to pay attention to the culture of their environment throughout their academic and professional careers.

“It's very difficult to change the culture that you go into. Often you as an individual change and become more like that culture, so be aware of and thoughtful about those groups that you enter into,” he explained, adding, “None of us learns or works individually, and the team that you choose will matter every single time.”

Following the panel, the students presented their main project—a model town powered entirely by renewable, clean energy. The model featured working offshore wind turbines and small solar panels that powered a lamp and fans inside the town's model houses and data centers. The students took on various roles in planning the town, addressing engineering, financial, regulatory, and social challenges. The model town was designed as a coastal Virginia community, with considerations for local population dynamics and environmental sustainability.

The campers expressed pride in their work, noting how much they had learned during the week. When asked who was planning to study energy engineering in the future, twelve of the fourteen students raised their hands.

CEC Dean Ken Ball with staff and campers of Exploring Renewable Energy Engineering Summer Camp. Photo by Bonnie Crews.

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�鶹��Ƶ, AWS partner on renewable energy lab and Sustainable Data Center Engineering concentration

Martha Bushong — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 19:00:41 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ, AWS partner on renewable energy lab and Sustainable Data Center Engineering concentration Martha Bushong Fri, 03/01/2024 - 14:00

The significant demand for data centers and their impact on global energy requires new models for renewable and sustainable energy systems. Working with Amazon Web Services (AWS), �鶹��Ƶ will unveil a renewable energy lab within Fuse at �鶹��Ƶ Square and launch a companion curriculum concentration in sustainable data center engineering this fall 2024.

“We are very appreciative of our continuing partnership with AWS,” �鶹��Ƶ President Gregory Washington said. “Because of their support, we are providing our students and faculty with cutting-edge technology and tools that unite our researchers across many disciplines to further their knowledge about data centers. With this level of education and experience, our students are well-prepared to enter the tech workforce.”

“Investing in expanded laboratory experiences for students is critical,” Nicholas Lee-Romagnolo, program lead of workforce and economic development at AWS, said. “George �鶹��Ƶ students from all disciplines will have access to real-world technologies and hands-on simulations. This type of immersive learning complements the breadth of new programs offered to students and helps ensure they have the opportunity to develop the skills needed to fill high-demand jobs across the region.”

The new concentration in sustainable data center engineering will focus on renewable energy generation, storage, and distribution training and hands-on experience. The course builds upon the Data Center Engineering course launched last year that develops student expertise in data center infrastructure design, operations, efficiency, cooling, and decarbonization.

President Gregory Washington (right) visits student demonstrations at Fuse Topping Out event. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

With advanced equipment and software tools funded by AWS, �鶹��Ƶ’s new Renewable Energy Lab will allow students to explore, analyze, and simulate data related to renewable energy sources as well as the complex design and operation of microgrids. The lab will replicate real-world equipment such as power grids, wind power plants, and other renewable energy sources.

“AWS’s investment in the renewable energy lab provides another critical piece to �鶹��Ƶ’s experiential ecosystem designed to prepare the next generation of engineers for roles that did not exist 10 years ago. �鶹��Ƶ will now expand the number of students in our power engineering and data center engineering programs with hands-on skills development, which is essential to bridge between the classroom and industry practice,” said Liza Wilson Durant, associate provost for strategic initiatives and community engagement.

The new lab will be based at Fuse at �鶹��Ƶ Square and is part of a broad partnership with Amazon. This project also strengthens �鶹��Ƶ’s participation in the Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP), a statewide program that aims to increase the number of undergraduate and graduate students completing degrees in the fields of computer science, applied computer science, computer engineering, and software engineering.

Kamaljeet Sanghera, executive director for the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) adds, “�鶹��Ƶ consistently delivers on its promise to foster collaboration across disciplines and industries not only to deliver the best student experience but also to advance critical solutions to the nation’s grandest challenges.”

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Liza Wilson Durant

Gregory Washington

Kamaljeet Sanghera

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College of Engineering and Computing launches graduate certificate programs in AI, microfabriction, smart grid technology, and machine learning

tdonnel — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 17:34:57 +0000

College of Engineering and Computing launches graduate certificate programs in AI, microfabriction, smart grid technology, and machine learning tdonnel Thu, 02/29/2024 - 12:34

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In response to the evolving demands of the engineering industry, �鶹��Ƶ's College of Engineering and Computing is launching four new graduate certificate programs, offering specialized training in burgeoning areas within mechanical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, systems engineering and operations research, and computer science. These programs will equip students with the skills and expertise needed to excel in tomorrow’s job market.

Responsible Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate

Under the guidance of Missy Cummings, a professor and the director of the �鶹��Ƶ Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC), the Responsible Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate program addresses the pressing need for thoughtful AI integration into various industries.

Missy Cummings

“With the rise of large language models like ChatGPT, there is a critical need for companies to develop strategies for effectively and safely integrating AI into their systems. The �鶹��Ƶ approach to Responsible AI emphasizes both rigorous technical and sociotechnical approaches to identifying and mitigating AI risks while achieving value-added outcomes,” said Cummings.

Ideal candidates for this certificate program are “people responsible for ensuring the safe and efficacious adoption of AI into their companies or agencies who want to develop and update their skills to understand the design, testing, and implementation of cutting-edge technology,” she added.

Cummings especially looks forward to teaching the AI Design and Deployment Risks class, she said, “because we analyze current and pressing issues surrounding the risks of deploying AI. The combination of theory and practice is critical to understanding these issues, as well as developing the technology and policy mitigations needed to ensure safe and efficacious AI.”

Microfabrication Graduate Certificate

Led by assistant professor Pei Dong, the Microfabrication Graduate Certificate program addresses the growing demand for multidisciplinary training in the manufacturing sector. With a focus on practical training opportunities facilitated by �鶹��Ƶ's new cleanroom facility, this program prepares students for rewarding careers filling societal needs and industry demands.

Pei Dong

“�鶹��Ƶ has demonstrated extensive expertise in this field for an extended period,” said Dong. “The new research facility now offers hands-on training opportunities for students, marking an exciting development. We believe the timing is perfect to launch the program.”

While the program is designed to benefit �鶹��Ƶ graduate students in engineering and science, Dong noted, those with a bachelor’s in a STEM field from outside of the university can also enroll.

“I am thrilled about the four courses currently available to students,” said Dong. “The tremendous support from the Mechanical Engineering Department, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, the Physics and Astronomy Department and the cleanroom team, ensure that these courses offer comprehensive training from both engineering and science perspectives.”

Smart Grid Technology Graduate Certificate

Associate professor Liling Huang spearheaded the creation of the Smart Grid Technology Graduate Certificate program for engineers interested in modernizing power grids with sustainability goals in mind.

Liling Huang

“The need for this program was identified through extensive market research and engaging with industry experts,” explained Huang. “We recognized a growing demand for professionals skilled in smart grid technology, driven by the imperative of modernizing power grids and meeting sustainability goals. The demand for smart grid technology is expected to continue growing, making it an exciting field for professionals to pursue.”

Ideal for professionals in the utility and energy sectors, this program offers comprehensive training in smart grid technology, addressing critical societal and economic issues such as energy sustainability and grid resilience.

Passionate about teaching power and energy courses, Huang is particularly excited about teaching ECE 518 Power System Protection and Control. She said that the contents of that course are “paramount in ensuring the reliability and stability of the energy infrastructure.

“This course incorporates hands-on experiments supported by the cutting-edge facilities in the Smart Grid Lab at �鶹��Ƶ Square,” Huang noted. “I believe these practical experiments will provide students with invaluable insights into real-world applications and deepen their understanding of smart grid design, operation, and dynamics.”

Machine Learning for Embedded Systems Graduate Certificate

The Machine Learning for Embedded Systems Graduate Certificate program will equip students with the skills needed to harness the power of machine learning within computing systems, such as those in autonomous vehicles, medical devices, and smart appliances.

Maryam Parsa and team

“As machine learning models become more complex, their energy consumption and demand for computational resources grow,” said Maryam Parsa, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, who will be teaching in the program. “By focusing on embedded [computer] systems, this program contributes to the development of energy-efficient machine learning implementations, crucial for reducing the carbon footprint of digital technologies.”

In addition, Parsa noted, the program will address the importance of data privacy and security in embedded systems.

With electives in neuromorphic computing, big data technologies, and hardware accelerators for machine learning, among other topics, this program prepares alumni of computer or electrical engineering students to tackle complex machine learning challenges. Parsa added the program would be appropriate for “embedded software developers writing code for microcontrollers” and “hardware designers who do not have a background in machine learning.”

With a diverse range of new offerings, �鶹��Ƶ continues to lead the way in engineering education and research. These four certificate programs represent the university's commitment to providing in-demand education and preparing future engineers and technologists to address the challenges of tomorrow.

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Quantum conundrums: Navigating noise and enhancing expertise

Nathan Kahl — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 14:12:07 +0000

Quantum conundrums: Navigating noise and enhancing expertise Nathan Kahl Wed, 08/23/2023 - 10:12

There’s a joke, playing on the quantum world’s unique properties, that goes, “There are three types of people in this world: Those who understand quantum computing, those who don’t understand quantum computing, and those who simultaneously do and do not understand quantum computing.” All kidding aside, Weiwen Jiang sees a world in which quantum computing is in widespread use; with new funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), he is taking steps toward that goal.

Weiwen Jiang. Photo provided

Jiang, an assistant professor in �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is leading two recently awarded NSF projects—worth a total $900,000—for work on the development of these complex devices and on building the quantum workforce of tomorrow.

Quantum computers differ from classical computers in that they use elements of quantum mechanics to perform calculations, allowing them to operate much faster and crunch more data. While there are several operational quantum computers in use—IBM and Google are among the top manufacturers—they currently are far from their promised potential and simply cannot yet make the large-scale calculations predicted of them.

Jiang said one key problem is, “They are not ‘stable.’ We can use them for computations, but you might get one answer today and then get an entirely different answer tomorrow.”

Quantum devices are notoriously susceptible to “noise”—specifically, things like cosmic rays, changes in the Earth's magnetic field, radiation, and even mobile Wi-Fi signals. The noise contributes to the devices’ instability.

The $600,000 collaborative grant will fund the work of Jiang and his collaborators from Kent State University in developing an adaptor that will adjust to fluctuating noise, improving the performance of applications on quantum devices. Jiang is well versed on the topic, having recently won the Best Poster Award for “System-level optimizations in improving the robustness of quantum applications on unstable quantum devices” at an event at Oak Ridge National Lab.

According to Jiang’s preliminary works, the deployment of the quantum applications faces several challenges, including sustainability—on one quantum processor, most quantum applications are sensitive to the temporal changes of quantum noise; portability—different quantum processors (even from the same vendor) with specific properties will lead to variation of model uncertainty; and transparency—a lack of visualization tools can block users from tailoring their quantum applications to quantum computers for higher reliability. The NSF project will systematically provide solutions in response to these challenges.

Jiang is optimistic about the future of quantum computing: “Every year, we see a lot of breakthroughs. Just a couple of months ago IBM published a paper on noise reduction. And every year, we see that the number of qubits in quantum computers increases from five in the year 2000 to over 400 on a new computer from IBM.” (A qubit is the basic unit of information used in quantum computing, much like a 1 and 0 for traditional computing.)

Another grant, which Jiang shares with collaborators Mingzhen Tian and Jessica Rosenberg in the College of Science, provides $300,000 from NSF to bolster the quantum workforce pipeline. The grant is for “an end-to-end quantum system integration training program.” The faculty members are developing a new course at �鶹��Ƶ, organizing workshops at the IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing in September (where Jiang is the quantum system track co-chair), and conducting tutorials at international conferences. Recently the team, led by Rosenberg, coordinated a summer immersion program at �鶹��Ƶ for high school students. In addition, in the coming months, Jiang will be conducting seminars at a variety of minority-serving institutions in the DC region.

Jiang said the opportunities for quantum-trained engineers are robust and growing. “I have collaborations locally with Leidos and MITRE, for example, and they have needs in this field. Further, we know that quantum will make a difference in everything from finance to drug discovery to machine learning and beyond.”

He is encouraged about the quantum future—both in the world and here at �鶹��Ƶ. He stressed that as student demand grows for this technology, “we need to provide the appropriate materials for our students because we’re seeing a lot of strong interest in this field.”

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