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ECE researchers Hamed Dalir, PhD, and Elham Heidari, PhD, are collaborating with Relative Dynamics on a project recently funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which promises to expand the sensitivity of gravitational wave observatories such as LIGO and the planned space-based LISA mission, while also advancing applications in quantum magnetometry, fiber-optic gyroscopes, and biological imaging.

Representatives from National Instruments—a global manufacturer specializing in hardware, software, and electronic test equipment—will sponsor a series of activities in Malachowsky Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Monolithic Power Systems, manufacturer of small, highly energy efficient, easy-to-use industrial power management solutions, will dedicate a named lab space in Benton Hall on Thursday, Oct. 2. The newly renovated lab space is designed to strengthen the department’s research and teaching capabilities in the area of power electronics, while enhancing opportunities for collaboration.

Ufuk Topcu, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Judson S. Swearingen Regents Chair in Engineering. He presents “Control-Oriented Learning for Same-Day Autonomy” Thursday, Oct. 2 at 1:00pm in
MALA 7200.

“Apple SoCs:Roles & Skills Required” will outline Apple’s strategy for navigating the end of traditional semiconductor scaling by designing custom, heterogeneous Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs). It details the complete chip design lifecycle, from initial architecture and functional design to post-silicon validation and production.

Sandip Ray, Ph.D., has received $300k in funding from the National Science Foundation in support of his research in the area of post-silicon validation. The project, “SOCRATES: Post-Silicon Validation of Hardware-Software Interactions,” is a collaboration with researchers at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Zoleikha Biron, PhD, is applying novel machine learning techniques to address challenges facing cyber-physical systems (CPS) in a project recently funded by the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Mark Allen is Chair of the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at Penn. He’ll present “A Journey Through MEMS: Reflections on Research, Commercialization, and Community” Thursday, Sept. 4 at 4:00 pm in the NVIDIA Auditorium (MALA 1000).

Dr. Allen is Alfred Fitler Moore Professor, Chair of Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at University of Pennsylvania. He presents “Magnetics in MEMS: From Switched Power Converters to Wideband Adaptive RF Filters” Friday, Sept. 5 at 2:00 pm in the NVIDIA Auditorium (MALA 1000).

ECE’s early-career faculty members have had an unprecedented string of successes in the past academic year. No fewer than six early-career faculty members have earned young faculty awards during 2025.