Events

Feb 1 - Feb 7, 2026

• 

  Uncertainty Quantification with Conformal Prediction in Energy Data

  Tarek AlSkaif, Associate Professor, Energy Informatics, Wageningen University (WUR)

  Feb 1, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  conformal prediction machine learning uncertainty quantification

  The talk will introduce the fundamentals of conformal prediction (CP) - a flexible, model-agnostic uncertainty quantification framework for generating statistically valid uncertainty estimates in energy applications - and demonstrate how it can be layered on top of machine learning models to produce reliable prediction intervals.

Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2026

• 

  Empowering Natural Intelligence with Artificial Intelligence: a Mathematician's Perspective

  Alfio Quarteroni, Emeritus Professor, Politecnico di Milano and EPFL

  Jan 25, 14:00 - 15:00

  B9, L2, R2322

  Computational mathematics numerical methods Scientific Machine Learning scientific computing applied mathematics

  A Dean’s Distinguished Lecture on natural intelligence, artificial intelligence and scientific machine learning.
• 

  Ultrawide Bandgap Nano Devices

  Glen Isaac Maciel García, Ph.D. Student, Applied Physics

  Jan 25, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  Ultrawide bandgap materials nano-engineering

  This seminar explores how nanoscale device architectures can unlock new functionalities in ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) materials beyond conventional applications.

Jan 11 - Jan 17, 2026

• 

  Causal Representation Learning

  Ali Tajer, Professor, Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering

  Jan 15, 15:00 - 16:00

  B1 L2 2202

  machine learning causal representation learning statistical learning Information theory

  In this talk, we will explore the latest advancements in the emerging field of causal representation learning (CRL).
• 

  From Images to Neural Scenes: Efficient Rendering, Robust Editing, and Human-Aware Reconstruction

  Sara Rojas Martinez, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jan 12, 04:00 - 06:00

  Zoom Meeting ID 97415296117

  machine learning 3D reconstruction visual computing

  This thesis addresses these challenges by introducing efficient mesh-based distillation for real-time rendering, view-consistent text-guided scene editing, and human-aware reconstruction that improves geometry and camera estimation.

Dec 7 - Dec 13, 2025

• 

  Safety-Aware Pre-Flight Trajectory Planning for Urban and Rural UAVs Under Mechanical and GPS Failure Scenarios

  Amin Almozel, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Dec 8, 12:30 - 14:30

  Building 4, Level 5, Room 5209

  safety planning uav failures trajectory design

  This work develops a safety-aware pre-flight planning framework for UAV missions, addressing risks such as propulsion failure, GPS loss, and communication outages. It ensures drones remain within reach of safe landing sites and accounts for dense urban constraints, including no-fly zones. Using a high-fidelity simulator with real geospatial data, the framework is validated for both routine and emergency scenarios, offering a structured approach to reliable, failure-tolerant UAV trajectory planning.
• 

  Tales of a Spur Hunter: The Wandering Spur

  Michael Peter Kennedy, Full Professor, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin

  Dec 7, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  Prof. Michael Peter Kennedy presents the decade-long journey to diagnose and fix 'wandering spurs' in frequency synthesizers.

Nov 30 - Dec 6, 2025

• 

  Will AI Replace Professors?

  Pavel Pevzner, Ronald R. Taylor Chair and Distinguished Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego

  Dec 4, 12:00 - 13:00

  B2/B3 L0 A0215

  This talk explores Massive Adaptive Interactive Texts (MAITs) as a pioneering AI technology that aims to replace the one-size-fits-all lecture model with a responsive and scalable system for individualized instruction.
• 

  Probabilistic Modelling and Analysis of Power System Dynamics and Stability

  Kazi N. Hasan, Senior Lecture, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Australia

  Nov 30, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  power grid

  This presentation will demonstrate the most widely used probabilistic methods applied to power system stability analysis with their specific applications in frequency stability, small-disturbance stability, transient stability, and voltage stability.

Nov 23 - Nov 29, 2025

• 

  Trustworthy Learning for Multichannel Biosignals: Calibrated Uncertainty, Long-Range State-Space Modeling, and Inverse-Rate Regularization

  Jiahao Hu, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 24, 16:00 - 17:30

  B3 L5 R5220; Zoom Meeting 91006648759

  This thesis advances electrophysiological signal analysis by delivering calibrated probabilities, efficient long-range multichannel modeling, and near-optimal regularization, establishing a practical, principled framework for trustworthy biosignal understanding.
• 

  Robust Locomotion of Legged Robots with Closed-Loop Guarantees

  Mohamed Elobaid, Research Scientist, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 23, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  This talk presents a predictive control framework allowing general legged robots to walk robustly, and describes its validation results on both humanoids and quadrupeds.

Nov 16 - Nov 22, 2025

• 

  The TetraheDrone: Motorizing Alexander Graham Bell's Kites

  Bilal Maassarani, Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 20, 15:00 - 16:00

  B5 L5 R5209; Zoom Meeting 93320066680

  This thesis introduces a scalable and robust modular VTOL system (TetraheDrone), validated through flight experiments, that leverages a recursive tetrahedral architecture and a unified control methodology to achieve stable, efficient hybrid flight for single and multi-module assemblages.
• 

  Modeling, Analysis, and Control for Planning and Operation of Modern Mixed-Generation Power Systems

  Otavio Bertozzi, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 19, 09:30 - 10:30

  B5, L5, R5209

  mixed-generation power systems stability-aware modeling data-driven planning and operation renewable energy integration

  This dissertation presents an interpretable framework for modeling, planning, and control of mixed-generation power systems, integrating ternary stability-aware planning, reinforcement learning-based control tuning, and data-driven stability forecasting to bridge analytical models with real-time operation in converter-dominated grids.
• 

  Aligning the “Socio” in Socio-Technical Control: Trustworthy, Fair, and Efficient Resource Allocation with Karma Economies

  Ezzat Elokda, Postdoctoral Researcher, Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich

  Nov 16, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  This talk introduces karma economies, a novel class of non-monetary mechanisms that leverage the repeated and dynamic nature of many socio-technical resources to allocate them in a trustworthy, fair, and efficient manner.
• 

  High Specificity Microwave Wearable Biosensors for Remote Health Monitoring

  Firas Fatani, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 16, 08:00 - 10:00

  B2/3 L0 R0215

  Antenna Integration Microwave circuits Biosensors wearable technology Flexible and Disposable Wireless Sensors additive manufacturing electromagnetics

  This dissertation investigates an alternative route based on electromagnetic (EM) sensing to realize passive, label-free, and cost-effective wearable biosensors, addressing key limitations of existing technologies.

Nov 9 - Nov 15, 2025

• 

  6th KAUST 6G Summit

  Nov 10, 00:00 - Nov 12, 17:00

  Virtual

  6G 6G and Beyond

  KAUST's annual summit on emerging 6G technologies and applications.
• 

  Enabling Next Generation Wireless Communication through mm-Wave Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS)

  Atif Shamim, Program Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 9, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9, L2, R2325

  Next Generation Wireless Communication Systems 5G and beyond Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

  The mm-wave 5G and beyond communication systems significantly improve the data rate, user capacity, and latency, however, the electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation suffers from high atmospheric attenuation as compared to the sub-6 GHz bands. Therefore, the quality of wireless communication gets severely affected in an environment where multiple obstacles, such as buildings and trees, are present, and thus, communication coverage is typically limited to line of sight (LOS).

Nov 2 - Nov 8, 2025

• 

  Urban Air Mobility Communications: Performance Analysis and Design

  Abdullah Abu Zaid, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 3, 14:00 - 16:00

  B1 L2 2202

  urban air mobility communications wireless communication

  This dissertation develops a foundation for designing robust and reliable communication systems for urban air mobility (UAM), supporting the anticipated large-scale deployment of UAM in smart cities.
• 

  Performance Analysis for High Altitude Platform Station-Assisted Wireless Communication Networks

  Zhengying Lou, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 2, 16:00 - 17:30

  B1, L3, R3123

  high altitude platform stations Non-Terrestrial Networks wireless communication networks

  High altitude platform stations (HAPS) have recently emerged as a pivotal stratospheric segment within the broader non-terrestrial network (NTN) ecosystem, offering a promising solution for enhancing coverage, reliability, and efficiency in next-generation wireless networks. This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation into the architecture, performance, and integration of HAPS-assisted wireless communication networks from multiple perspectives.
• 

  Cybersecurity Threats to Power Grid Operations from the Demand-Side Response Ecosystem

  Subhash Lakshminarayana, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, UK

  Nov 2, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9, L2, R2325

  This talk will highlight the cybersecurity threats from IoT-enabled energy smart appliances (ESAs) such as smart heat pumps, electric vehicle chargers, etc., to power grid operations.

Oct 26 - Nov 1, 2025

• 

  Integrated Silicon Photonics with Quantum Dot On-Chip Lasers

  Yating Wan, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Oct 26, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9, L2, R2325

  Integrated silicon photonic has emerged as a leading solution for scalable, power-efficient, and environmentally friendly applications. This talk will focus on the prospects and applications of on-chip lasers, a critical component driving the advancement of photonic integrated circuits (PICs). We will discuss various approaches to integrating lasers on silicon and their applications in optical communication, computing, and LiDAR, with a particular emphasis on heterogeneous integration of quantum dot (QD) lasers. QD lasers offer unique advantages, including high immunity to reflection, superior thermal stability, low threshold, and long-term reliability, making them ideal for high-speed optical interconnects, AI-driven computing, and quantum photonic systems. By leveraging the defect tolerance and temperature resilience of QDs, we achieve high-performance, energy-efficient integration with silicon photonics. This talk will highlight recent breakthroughs in QD-on-silicon integration, performance optimizations, and future directions toward heterogeneous photonic systems, paving the way for a new generation of high-speed, low-energy, and scalable optical circuits for next-generation applications.

Oct 12 - Oct 18, 2025

• 

  Learning-Based Observer Design for Nonlinear Systems with Convergence Guarantees

  Yasmine Marani, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Oct 14, 10:00 - 12:00

  B3 L5 R5220

  This thesis advances nonlinear estimation by proposing learning-based nonlinear observers with convergence guarantees. The proposed approaches overcome the limitations of the existing methods by being applicable to a wide range of nonlinear systems while providing global convergence guarantees. Furthermore, the developed observers are robust to disturbances, sensor delay, and measurement noise.
• 

  KAUST Robotics Bay Inauguration

  Oct 13, 14:00 - 15:30

  B5 L2 R2800

  robotics autonomous systems Mechatronics Multi-agent systems

  Join us for the Robotics Bay inauguration at KAUST.
• 

  Phase-Change Memory for In-Memory Computing

  Ghazi Sarwat Syed, Research Staff Member, IBM Research, Switzerland

  Oct 12, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9, L2, R2325

  This talk, structured as a tutorial, will elucidate the core principles of In-memory computing (IMC), showing how the physical properties and inherent organization of memory devices can help overcome the limitations of conventional data processing architectures.

Oct 5 - Oct 11, 2025

• 

  Silicon-Based mm-Wave Phased-Arrays for 5G/6G and SATCOM

  Abdulrahman Alhamed, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Oct 5, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9, L2, R2325

  The rapid growth of data-intensive applications is creating unprecedented challenges and opportunities in telecommunications. With 5G already leveraging mmWave spectrum and 6G targeting peak data rates approaching 1 Tbps, future networks will demand even broader spectrum allocations across the mmWave and sub-THz bands. Affordable phased arrays have emerged as a cornerstone of this evolution, offering directive communication to overcome severe free-space path loss while enabling narrow beamwidths, high interference tolerance, and adaptive nulling.

Sep 28 - Oct 4, 2025

• 

  Programmable Matter: Liquid Metal for Reconfigurable Electronics and Logic

  Wedyan Babatain, Ibn Rushd Postdoctoral Scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab

  Sep 28, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  liquid metal

  Liquid metal (LM) represents a unique class of programmable matter that combines electrical conductivity with dynamic deformability, enabling the development of reconfigurable electronics and embodied computation. This seminar will discuss electric field-driven control of LM shape and position to achieve tunable, directional LM droplet motion.

Sep 21 - Sep 27, 2025

• 

  Forays into modular drones: Sierpinsky tetrahedra, dodecahedra, and Alexander Graham Bell

  Eric Feron, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Sep 21, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  modular drons

  Modular drones offer attractive options for addressing demanding mission requirements without having to build monolithic and large machines. Several such drones have been designed, built, and flown at Georgia Tech's Decision and Control (DCL) laboratory and KAUST's Robotics, Intelligent Systems, and Control (RISC) laboratory. These drones attempt to address some of the perceived weaknesses of prior industrial and academic designs, including lack of structural integrity and possible identity confusion among the modules. Coincidentally, some of the designs echo the fractal kites designed by Alexander Graham Bell more than a century ago and still built and flown today.

Sep 14 - Sep 20, 2025

• 

  Geometric Sensor Fusion for Pose Estimation on Riemannian Manifolds

  Mohammed Hussain AlSharif, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

  Sep 18, 11:00 - 12:00

  B1 L3 R3119

  This seminar introduces a novel geometric sensor fusion framework that integrates inertial measurements with acoustic ranging on Riemannian manifolds to achieve robust, high-accuracy pose estimation for autonomous systems in GPS-denied environments.
• 

  Optical Frequency Combs: From Conventional Techniques to Emerging Approaches

  Aram Mkrtchyan, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Sep 14, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  Optical frequency combs-optical spectra consisting of many equidistant lines — are powerful tools in modern photonics. The advancements in optical frequency comb generation using high-quality microring resonators (MRRs) have given rise to numerous breakthroughs in metrology, spectroscopy, communications, as well as in quantum computing, quantum data processing, and quantum sources. Under the right conditions, MRRs support dissipative cavity solitons: short optical pulses that circulate in the resonator while maintaining their shape thanks to a balance of dispersion, nonlinearity, gain, and loss.

Sep 7 - Sep 13, 2025

• 

  Innovative Multi-Band Antenna Designs for Internet of Sea Applications

  Hanguang Liao, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Sep 8, 14:00 - 16:00

  B2, L5, R5209

  Monitoring the ocean environment is essential for understanding climate change, protecting marine biodiversity, and enabling sustainable exploitation of marine resources. Human activities such as oil spills and overfishing have significantly disrupted oceanic ecosystems. As a result, there is increasing interest in monitoring marine environments and tracking the health of aquatic species to identify signs of ecological stress. However, acquisition of data from oceans has been a challenging and expensive task. Marine environment lacks adequate communication infrastructures, and traditional solutions such as monitoring ships and underwater cable networks remain prohibitively expensive and logistically complex. These limitations underscore the need for low-cost, scalable, and autonomous ocean monitoring systems.
• 

  Watching Earth from Space: Methane, Mangroves, and Sinkholes in Saudi Arabia

  Abdulrahman Aljurbua, Assistant Research Professor, KACST; Ibn Rushd Fellow, KAUST; Postdoctoral Scholar Fellowship Trainee in Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

  Sep 7, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  This talk will present three projects that use satellite remote sensing to address pressing environmental challenges in Saudi Arabia.

Aug 31 - Sep 6, 2025

• 

  (Ultra)wide Bandgap Semiconductors for Future of Moore’s Law

  Xiaohang Li, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Aug 31, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L3 R2325

  (Ultra)wide bandgap compound semiconductors including AlN, GaN, Ga2O3 and In2O3 have attracted enormous interests. They offer markedly larger figures of merits for power and RF applications than other known semiconductors. Additionally, they can be applied for vastly impactful quantum information technologies and deep UV-visible optoelectronics. Moreover, they could be promising for More Moore, More than Moore, and Beyond Moore applications. This seminar will cover the latest material, device and IC research based on (ultra)wide bandgap semiconductors for the future of Moore’s Law.

Aug 24 - Aug 30, 2025

• 

  Beyond Connectivity: Paving the Road to Perceptive and Intelligent Networks

  Hesham ElSawy, Associate Professor, School of Computing, Queen’s University

  Aug 26, 13:30 - 14:30

  B1 L3 R3119

  Intelligent Communication connectivity edge computing

  This talk will outline the motivation behind perceptive and intelligent large-scale networks, highlight the technological pillars driving their development, and discuss the key challenges that must be addressed.
• 

  Asymptotic Analysis of Precoding in Large-Scale Multi-User Systems

  Xiuxiu Ma, Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Aug 25, 08:30 - 10:00

  B1 L3 R3119

  MIMO Massive MIMO

  This thesis develops and applies novel Gaussian Min-Max Theorems to provide a precise asymptotic performance analysis of complex precoders in massive MIMO systems, successfully characterizing system behavior in previously intractable scenarios involving non-linear post-processing operations.

Jul 20 - Jul 26, 2025

• 

  Hardware Centric Quantized Convolutional Neural Network and Algorithms

  Li Zhang, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jul 24, 09:00 - 10:00

  B3 L5 R5209

  machine learning accelerators FPGA

  This thesis addresses the challenges of deploying quantized convolutional neural networks (QCNNs) on resource-constrained edge devices by proposing two novel hardware-software co-design frameworks: one for deriving lightweight, hardware-friendly models validated on FPGA, and another for hardware-aware mixed-precision quantization on compute-in-memory accelerators.

Jul 13 - Jul 19, 2025

• 

  Design of Neuromorphic Object Detection Systems

  Diego Augusto Silva, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jul 16, 16:00 - 17:00

  B3 L5 R5209

  event-based object detection neuromorphic vision systems efficient deep learning architectures

  This dissertation advances event-based object detection by developing efficient deep learning frameworks such as ReYOLOv8 and Chimera, introducing novel encoding and augmentation techniques, releasing a new neuromorphic dataset, and demonstrating a real-time, low-power traffic monitoring system that highlights the practical potential of bio-inspired vision systems.
• 

  Towards Scalable and Efficient Semantic Video Search

  Mattia Soldan, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jul 13, 18:00 - 19:00

  B4 L5 R5209

  video-language grounding semantic video retrieval multimodal alignment

  This dissertation advances fine-grained, content-aware video retrieval by developing novel models and frameworks for Video-Language Grounding, enabling accurate alignment between natural language queries and specific temporal segments in unstructured video content.

Jun 29 - Jul 5, 2025

• 

  Towards Efficient AI Hardware: Software-Hardware Co-Design for In-Memory Computing Accelerators

  Olga Krestinskaya, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jun 29, 08:00 - 10:00

  Zoom Meeting 980 9796 2723; B4 L5 R5220

  This dissertation addresses two key challenges in software–hardware co-design for IMC-based neural network accelerators: (1) the need to develop generalized IMC hardware that can efficiently support multiple neural network models, and (2) the need for automated frameworks that jointly optimize model parameters, quantization schemes, and IMC hardware configurations for workload-specific deployments.

Jun 22 - Jun 28, 2025

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  Computer Vision for Video Editing Learning to Cut, Classify, Assemble, and Generate

  Alejandro Pardo, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jun 23, 10:00 - 12:00

  Click here to join the Ph.D. defense via Zoom

  This thesis advances video editing by developing a suite of computer vision models for understanding and generating editorial decisions, including a method for ranking video cuts, a dataset for classifying cut types, a language-guided timeline assembler, and a diffusion-based technique for creating match cuts.

Jun 1 - Jun 7, 2025

• 

  Developing Novel Fabrication Techniques and Device Modeling for High-Efficient III-Nitride Micro-Sized Light Emitting Diodes

  Zhiyuan Liu, Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jun 3, 10:00 - 12:00

  B2 L5 R5209

  This thesis addresses current challenges in InGaN and AlGaN micro-LEDs, including efficiency degradation due to sidewall damage and the high complexity of the micro-LED fabrication process.

May 11 - May 17, 2025

• 

  FMCW Radar Applications for Automotive and Biomedical Applications

  Vijith Varma Kotte, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  May 15, 15:00 - 17:00

  B1 L3 R3119

  deep learning Signal processing MIMO radars sensors

  This dissertation enhances Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) radar effectiveness for automotive forward-looking Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging and biomedical vital sign and dehydration monitoring by developing novel methodologies based on advanced signal processing, deep learning, and MIMO radar techniques.
• 

  Signal Alignment: a Practical Way to Communicate Under Unpredictable Interference

  Nikolaos Sidiropoulos, Louis T. Rader Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, USA

  May 14, 13:30 - 14:30

  B1 L3 R3119

  wireless communication

  This talk introduces a practical method for reliable wireless communication amidst interference by using packet repetition and multi-antenna reception to achieve signal alignment, enabling packet recovery through geometric subspace intersection even against adversarial jammers.
• 

  The Internet of Fiber-Optic Things and Smart Sensing

  Juan Manuel Marin Mosquera, Ph.D. Candidate (former), Electrical and Computer Engineering

  May 14, 10:00 - 11:30

  B1 L3 R3119

  This dissertation introduces the Internet of Fiber-Optic Things (IoFOT)—a new concept where a single optical fiber handles data, power, and smart sensing simultaneously. Demonstrated applications include pipeline monitoring and marine life tracking, paving the way for the development of a worldwide smart observation network.
• 

  Carrier- and Trap-Resolved Photo-Hall Effect: Unlocking the 145-Year-Old Secret in Hall Effect

  Oki Gunawan, Research Staff Member, IBM Research, USA

  May 12, 10:00 - 11:00

  B5 L5 R5209

  advanced semiconductors

  This seminar introduces the "carrier and trap resolved photo-Hall effect," a novel technique extending the classic Hall effect via a simple hyperbola equation to reveal majority/minority carrier properties and trap dynamics, unifying multiple physical excitations for enhanced semiconductor characterization.
• 

  Structuring Sound and Vibration by Metasurfaces

  Badreddine Assouar, Professor, Director of Research at French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), University of Lorraine, France

  May 11, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  This seminar provides an overview of recent research on acoustic and elastic metasurfaces and metamaterials, covering their fundamentals, applications in wave and vibration control, including low-frequency absorption, BIC physics, and phonic skyrmions.

May 4 - May 10, 2025

• 

  High-Mobility Back-End-of-Line Compatible Indium Oxide Thin-Film Transistors for Monolithic 3D Integration

  Na Xiao, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  May 6, 16:00 - 18:00

  B2 L5 R5209

  advanced semiconductors thin-film transistors

  This dissertation develops strategies for fabricating high-performance, low-temperature processed indium oxide thin-film transistors for monolithic 3D integration, achieving record mobility and stability through optimized annealing, passivation, and channel engineering techniques.
• 

  Current and Future Challenges and Solutions in AI & HPC System and Thermal Management

  Dr. Gamal Refai-Ahmed, Senior Fellow & Chief Architect, AMD Member of U.S. National Academy of Engineering Life Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering Fellow, Engineering Institute of Canada Fellow & Distinguished Lecturer, IEEE Life Fellow, ASME

  May 6, 13:00 - 17:00

  B4 L5 R5209

  Led by expert Dr. Gamal Refai Ahmed, this course explores innovative thermal management and packaging solutions for AI and HPC systems, addressing current and future challenges with cutting-edge techniques and next-generation design principles.
• 

  The 2025 Iberian Blackout: Anatomy of a Grid Collapse

  Charalambos (Harrys) Konstantinou, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  May 6, 09:00 - 11:00

  B9 L2 R2322

  renewable energy resilience power grid

  This talk provides a data-informed timeline of the April 28 Iberian blackout, examining how system conditions and possible instabilities may have shaped the cascade of events.
• 

  AI for Chips and Chips for AI

  Mehdi Saligane, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Brown University, USA

  May 4, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L2 R2325

  artificial intelligence AI semiconductors innovation LLM

  This seminar presents a unified "AI for Chips & Chips for AI" approach, demonstrating how AI enhances semiconductor design while specialized silicon accelerates AI computation, creating a rapid innovation cycle.
• 

  Autonomy at the Edge of Capabilities: Uncertain Environments, Limited Resources, Difficult Missions

  Melkior Ornik, Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  May 4, 10:30 - 11:30

  B5 L5 R5209

  This seminar introduces a planning strategy for complex autonomous systems that integrates machine learning with structure-driven abstraction and mission decomposition to achieve computationally tractable, scalable, and high-performing policies despite environmental and agent constraints.