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ECE Newsletter – April 6, 2026

News  |  April 6, 2026

In this Issue

Latest News & Awards

Events/Seminar

Upcoming PhD Defenses

Student Organizations

Volunteering Opportunities

Job Opportunities

News

Ozcan Lab Develops AI-Based Wearable Sensor for Dermatology

Image extracted from UCLA Technology Development Group

Professor Aydogan Ozcan and his research team have innovated a wearable and cost-effective sensor system capable of measuring skin optical properties, enabling early, non-invasive detection of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). The device can identify early inflammatory changes in the skin before visible symptoms fully manifest, providing improved diagnostic capabilities for clinicians. The sensor is designed with high signal-to-noise performance, integrated into a low-power, flexible, and water-resistant device suitable for continuous wear in real-world conditions. Data acquisition occurs wirelessly in a time-lapsed format, enabling continuous monitoring without disrupting patient activity. The collected data is processed through a deep neural network (DNN) to classify skin responses in real time. Positive reactions are immediately communicated to the user via LED indicators, and the DNN can further interface with a sequential forward feature selection algorithm to optimize data collection, minimizing measurement redundancy while maintaining diagnostic accuracy. This technology has the potential to transform ACD diagnosis from a reactive, clinic-based procedure to a proactive, point-of-care capability, improving patient comfort, accessibility, and treatment outcomes. Beyond its primary application, the technology holds potential for adaptation across numerous disease states and diagnoses, enabling it to function as a broadly applicable clinical platform.

Please see the news and UCLA IP. 

Awards

Professor Jason Cong Receives Pender Award from Penn Engineering

Professor Jason Cong received the Pender Award from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania on March 18, 2025 “for groundbreaking contributions in field-programmable gate arrays and electronic design automation”.

Established in 1972, the Pender Award is the school’s highest honor, and it is named for Harold Pender, the founding Dean of Penn’s Moore School of Electrical Engineering, who led the school during the development and debut of ENIAC in 1945. Past recipients represent some of the most distinguished figures in engineering, recognized for their profound contributions to society. Recent honorees include Shafi Goldwasser, Yann LeCun, Barbara Liskov, Robert Kahn, and Vinton Cerf.

Please see the news release.

UCLA Alum Maryam Rofougaran Named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500

Image Extracted from Irvine Standard

Movandi, the semiconductor and systems innovator powering next-generation wireless communications solutions, recently announced that its co-founder and CEO Maryam Rofougaran has been named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500, an annual list honoring the most dynamic women business leaders in the United States. The recognition highlights founders whose bold ideas, resilience, and execution are shaping the future of their industries. Rofougaran, a UCLA alum, received her BSEE in ’92 and MSEE in ’95.

Please see the news release.

Events/Seminars

Upcoming PHD Defenses

Student Organizations

Invitation to Mentor: Connect with the Next Generation of UCLA ECE Students

The UCLA chapter of Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) is launching its Winter Mentorship Program and is looking for alumni to help bridge the gap between academic life and industry reality.

We are seeking former UCLA engineering graduates to:

We are also planning an in-person get-together for mentors and mentees in the Spring (food provided!) to help build community and connect face-to-face.

Whether you are working in hardware, software, or research, your experience is invaluable to the next generation of Bruins.

How to Join:
If you are willing to mentor a student this Winter Quarter, please fill out this brief form.

QCSA Speaker Event 4/6

The Quantum Computing Student Association UCLA  is excited to announce that they will be hosting Dr. Arman Babakhani for a QCSA talk! Dr. Babakhani is a quantum engineer at JP Morgan Chase and he will be presenting some of his work on Quantum Monte Carlo stimulability. The talk, titled “Wideband electric field sensing via a single trapped ion beyond the Fourier and Standard Quantum Limits,” will take place in the Tesla Room (Engineering IV 53-125) at 4 pm next Monday (4/6). Pizza will be served afterward. 

Bio: Dr. Babakhani earned his PhD from the University of Southern California in 2025. During his doctoral work, he developed techniques in quantum information theory, quantum algorithms, and application of quantum optimization to financial systems. Since 2025 he has been a quantum researcher at JPMorganChase continuing his work on quantum algorithms for financial applications.

Please RSVP. 

Volunteering Opportunities

2026 IEEE International Microwave Symposium Student Volunteer Opportunity

The organizing committee for the 2026 IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS) invites undergraduate and graduate students working in RF, microwave, and related areas to participate as student volunteers at IMS 2026.

The IMS is the flagship conference of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S), and the 2026 event will be held in Boston, Massachusetts. It promises to be an exciting opportunity for students to engage in cutting-edge research, network with professionals and academics, and gain valuable experience helping organize a premier international conference.

The IMS organizing committee is seeking enthusiastic, responsible undergraduate and graduate students who are eager to contribute their time and energy in exchange for an enriching professional experience.

Applications: 

Please contact yanghyokim@umass.edu, pmohanku@mathworks.com, and a.nagulu@northeastern.edu for more information.

Job Opportunities

UCLA Research Enhancement Office Seeking Applicants for Google PhD Fellowship

Google PhD Fellowships directly support graduate students as they pursue their PhD, as well as connect them to a Google Research Mentor. 

Nurturing and maintaining strong relations with the academic community is a top priority at Google. The Google PhD Fellowship Program recognizes outstanding graduate students conducting exceptional and innovative research in computer science and related fields. Google encourages people of a wide range of backgrounds to apply and supports promising PhD candidates of all backgrounds who seek to influence the future of technology. 

Google PhD Fellowship students are a select group recognized by Google researchers and their institutions as some of the most promising young academics in the world. The Fellowships are awarded to students who represent the future of research in the fields listed below (please visit the program webpage to learn more about each research area of focus).

AWARD INFORMATION

Please see the application. 

Solidigm Internship Opportunity

Solidigm, a leading SSD company advancing cutting-edge AI technologies, is currently opening an internship position for senior graduate students. This internship has the potential to convert to a full-time offer upon strong performance.

Internship Requirements:

Can be remote. 
Please email Lei Chen at Lei.Chen@solidigm.com if you are interested in this internship opportunity. 

Faculty Positions: Electrical Engineering ITAM (Mexico City)

The Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at ITAM (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México) invites applications for Tenure-track Assistant Professors, postdoctoral fellows, and Visiting Professors in the following areas:

Requirements

Application Instructions
Review of applications begins immediately. Please submit the following documents to enlaceadministrativodai@itam.mx:

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) Hiring for Assistant Professor Positions

The Department of Computer Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) at California State University, Long Beach invites applications for three tenure-track Assistant Professor positions in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, or closely related areas, beginning August 17, 2026.

Application Submission and Deadline
For full position descriptions and the application portal, please visit:

Review of applications will begin January 20, 2026, and the position will remain open until filled or recruitment is canceled.

Cellular SOC Design Verification Engineer – Entry Level at Apple

Do you have a passion for invention and self-challenge? This position gives you an opportunity to be a part of one of the most cutting edge and key projects that Apple’s Silicon Engineering Group has embarked upon to-date. As a Design Verification Engineer on our team, you’ll be at the center of the verification effort within our silicon design group responsible for crafting and productizing state-of-the-art Cellular SoCs!

You will have the opportunity to contribute to the verification effort of a set of complex SOCs delivering the Cellular solution. You will integrate multiple sophisticated IP level DV environments, craft highly reusable best-in-class UVM based test bench, implement effective coverage driven and directed test suites, deploy new tools and methodologies to deliver chips that are right-first-time. By collaborating with other product development groups across Apple, you can push the industry boundaries of what cellular systems can do and improve the product experience for our customers across the world!

Minimum Qualifications:
BS in EE or CS is required
Object Oriented Programming
Coursework in Digital Design

Preferred Qualifications:
MS in EE or CS
Coursework in Computer Architecture, Networking Protocol
Should be a great teammate with excellent communication and problem-solving skills and the
desire to seek diverse challenges.
Programming experience in SystemVerilog, Python, C++

Application details:

  1. Candidates must be graduating this December
  2. Please include your current GPA with your resume
  3. Please send resume directly to Junhui Lou at j_lou@apple.com

Carnegie Mellon University – ECE Faulty Position

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for tenure-track, research-track, and teaching-track faculty positions at all ranks on our Pittsburgh campus. Although we welcome applicants in all areas of ECE, this year we are particularly interested in candidates whose research focuses on machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Our top-ranked department offers a highly collaborative environment, world-class research infrastructure, and strong support for interdisciplinary scholarship. Applicants should hold a PhD in a relevant field. Application review will begin shortly and will continue until the positions are filled.

Faculty application link: https://apply.interfolio.com/174597
When applying, please also email Andrea Zanette at zanette@cmu.edu

Hiring PhD Interns/FTE for Training and Inference of Foundation Models in AWS Neuron Science

From Amazon Web Services Neuron Science:

Our team in AWS AI Research is looking for a couple of PhD FTE/interns passionate about advancing fundamental research in foundation models. Our algorithm team focuses on developing innovative solutions in the topic of Algorithm-System for LLMs (efficient model design, training, inference) LLM-for-System (LLMs and agents that write optimized kernels). These efforts require both a strong theoretical foundation and a practical understanding of topics such as foundation modeling, distributed optimization, model compression, and machine learning systems. We work closely with system researchers to ensure our algorithmic solutions are compatible with system and hardware constraints, training and testing end2end in accuracy and speed. At the same time, the algorithmic innovation we bring can contribute improving systems and future hardware feature to incorporate.

Basic Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Selected Publications

This year, our team has published multiple papers that bridge the gap between theory and practice in LLM research. We also actively collaborate with system and hardware engineers across the AWS organization to deliver tutorials. Below is a list of recent publications:

We also collaborate more system-oriented topics like publications below 

If you are excited to push the boundaries of foundation model research and make impactful contributions, we would love to hear from you! We also constantly hire full-time PhDs. Please send your CV to Youngsuk Park pyoungsu@amazon.com |  youngsuk@cs.stanford.edu (cc Kaan Ozkara kaanozka@amazon.com) with a short paragraph of your interest.

Part time Project with Professor Pirouz Kavehpour

We’re seeking an expert developer for a project‑based engagement (not hourly) to build and optimize scalable applications, deploy on Azure Cloud, and integrate GPU‑accelerated embedding software. This role requires deep technical expertise, independence, and the ability to deliver high‑quality solutions within defined project milestones.

What You’ll Work On

Requirements

Nice to Have

How We Work
Project‑based milestones, clear acceptance criteria, frequent check‑ins, and code reviews.
We value pragmatic engineering, performance, and maintainability.

Send your information to: Prof. Pirouz Kavehpour—Pirouz@seas.ucla.edu

The University of Alabama is in search of Professors

If you are completing your PhD this year (or who have recently graduated) that are interested in opportunities to continue your research careers on the tenure track, the University of Alabama is in search of an assistant professor.

Electrical and Computer Engineering – Assistant Professor – 527587 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States

The search is currently active and they’ll begin reviewing applications received through the online submission system in the next few weeks.

They are also recruiting at the Associate and Full Professor levels. Those links with further details are below:

Electrical and Computer Engineering – Associate Professor – 527631 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States

Electrical and Computer Engineering – Professor – 527632 – Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States

Electrical/Computer Engineering Intern at Sophia Space

A well-funded deep-tech startup in Pasadena is seeking Electrical/Computer Engineering Interns to help develop its AI-powered product prototypes. The interns are expected to blend electronics hardware and embedded software to build groundbreaking AI infrastructure in space. Roles are available full-time or part-time starting immediately, with the option to continue part-time (~10–15 hrs/week) during the academic year.

Please see this link for more information regarding this position.

Newsletter Submissions

To be included in future newsletters, please send the latest news, awards, publications and any upcoming PhD oral defenses to the Chair’s assistant, Winda Mak, at wmak@seas.ucla.edu. Please include “newsletter submission” in the subject line. The ECE newsletters will be sent bimonthly on the first and third Mondays of the month. Please ensure all submissions are received by the Wednesday before distribution to be included in the newsletter.