University of Arizona Electrical, Computing, and Software Engineering

08/18/2026

Big step forward for quantum computing. ⚛️

University of Arizona assistant professor Narayanan Rengaswamy and graduate student Zhuangzhuang Chen are helping tackle one of quantum computing’s biggest challenges: making quantum systems more reliable.

Rengaswamy is a core member of a UCLA-led team awarded $4 million by the National Science Foundation through the National Quantum Virtual Laboratory (NQVL) design competition. The project is led by Eric Hudson, professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA and principal investigator.

Rengaswamy and UC San Diego associate professor Yufei Ding co-lead the project’s quantum error correction pillar, developing methods to make quantum computers more efficient and reliable.

Chen is helping Rengaswamy develop error-correction mechanisms that can operate across multiple logical qubits simultaneously. Their approach could help reduce the physical qubits needed for a 60-logical-qubit system from the 10,000+ currently thought necessary to roughly 1,000–2,000.

“I’m very excited to be working on this transformative project that lets us think full stack from algorithms down to the physics of the hardware,” said Rengaswamy. “I believe the work we are doing will speed quantum computing’s reliability to perform quantum simulation of various physical processes faster than any current classical computer.”

By bringing together algorithms, error correction, software and hardware architecture, the team is working toward more efficient, reliable and practical quantum computing.

Read more about the project: https://ece.engineering.arizona.edu/news-events/powering-quantum-u-engineers-collaborate-4m-nsf-award?publication=20260818&utm_campaign=University+of+Arizona+Electrical+and+Computer+Engineering&utm_content=Big+step+forward+for+quan&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

08/14/2026

The University of Arizona has awarded nearly $1 million to a dozen faculty research teams developing artificial intelligence tools to improve health care. Our electrical, computing, and software faculty are working on half of these teams, helping to benefit diagnosis, treatment, and patient care.

Our faculty are involved in six funded research teams:

➡️ Ali Bilgin: "Leveraging Multimodal AI to Standardize Deceased Donor Kidney Evaluation"
➡️ Ehsan Azimi: "AI-Driven Surgical Excellence: Multimodal Digital Twins in Surgical Training"
➡️ Eungjoo Lee: "AI-Driven Image Classification for Deep Vein Thrombosis Diagnosis"
➡️ Marwan Krunz: "AI-Based Prediction of Drug Response in Colorectal Cancer"
➡️ Janet Roveda: "Remote Ecosystem for Physics-Aware Intelligent Rehabilitation (REPAIR)"
➡️ Janet Roveda: "Precision Equanimity: AI-Enabled Disentanglement of Metabolic and Psychophysiological Arousal for Real-Time Stress Regulation"

“AI is transforming health care, and I am very proud to see our ECSE faculty contributing their expertise to six of the 12 projects supported through this university-wide initiative,” said Michael Wu, Head of the School of Electrical, Computing, and Software Engineering. “These projects demonstrate the breadth of our faculty’s work in AI, spanning areas such as medical imaging, surgical training, cancer treatment, rehabilitation, and personalized health. ”

🔗: https://ece.engineering.arizona.edu/news-events/ecse-faculty-members-leading-new-ai-healthcare-teams?publication=20260814&utm_campaign=University+of+Arizona+Electrical+and+Computer+Engineering&utm_content=The+University+of+Arizona&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

08/13/2026

Congratulations to assistant professor Narayanan Rengaswamy on being selected to join DARPA's new Heterogeneous Architectures for Quantum (HARQ) program! ⚛️

Most quantum computers today are built around a single qubit type – forcing researchers to design entire systems around one technology's limitations. HARQ is challenging that approach, pushing the quantum community toward heterogeneous architectures that combine different qubit types, each used for what it does best – much like how classical computing pairs CPUs, GPUs, and ASICs for specialized tasks.

Rengaswamy's project will co-design the software and compiler stack for fault-tolerantly executing quantum algorithms across heterogeneous hardware, including superconducting circuits, trapped ions, neutral atoms, and more. PhD student Jack Weinberg will be supported by the project, gaining hands-on experience at the frontier of fault-tolerant quantum computing.

"These are truly unique and exciting times for large scale fault tolerant quantum computing," said Rengaswamy.

The project is backed by $499,756 in funding over a two-year period, with the University of Michigan as sponsor and DARPA as the prime sponsor.

🔗 Learn more about HARQ: https://www.darpa.mil/news/2026/quantum-computing-different-qubits-better-together

08/13/2026

Two of our researchers just landed a major National Science Foundation grant to help make self-driving cars safer. 🚗

Professor Ming "Fred" Li and Regents Professor Marwan Krunz are leading a $625,000 award – part of a larger $880,000 collaborative project with North Carolina State University – to develop smarter communication systems for connected and autonomous vehicles.

Here's the problem they're solving: self-driving cars "talk" to each other and to roadside sensors to see around corners, through fog, and past obstacles blocking their view. But all that shared data can overwhelm wireless networks, causing delays that could mean the difference between avoiding a crash and causing one.

"Our goal is to send only the essential, safety-critical information vehicles need to make split-second decisions," said Li.

The three-year project will also give University of Arizona graduate students, undergraduates, and local K-12 students hands-on research experience in next-generation wireless technology – training the engineers who will build the future of transportation safety.

08/12/2026

Congratulations to associate professor Danella Zhao on a new $500,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) award to help make blockchain technology fast and scalable enough for real-world use!

Blockchain has the potential to power everything from secure financial transactions to supply chains and next-generation internet services. But today's blockchain systems struggle to process transactions at the speed and scale these real-world applications demand.

Zhao's project, "SHARP: Achieving Scalable Blockchain Sharding via Software and Hardware Optimizations," takes on this challenge by rethinking blockchain scalability across the entire computing stack – combining smart system design with specialized hardware to boost transaction speeds by 3 to 5 times, without compromising security.

Long term, this research could help transform blockchain from a promising technology into practical infrastructure ready for large-scale, real-world use.

08/12/2026

Sparks lead to ignition. 🔥 Watch how ECE's spring AI programming came full circle at the first-ever AI IGNITE Showcase!

From foundational workshops to a showcase stage – PhD student Chenyi Wang took home Best Poster honors for research on strengthening situational awareness in connected and autonomous vehicles.

Hit play to see the energy from showcase day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTvTtz4M7vY

Stay tuned for the next AI SPARK session, kicking off October 7, 2026. 💥

ECE assistant professors Jyotikrishna Dass and Huanrui Yang built a...

08/07/2026

Big news for undergraduate AI research! Faculty at the University of Arizona have secured a $498,627 NSF grant to launch a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site focused on AI systems and efficiency. 🙌

Starting summer 2027, assistant professors Huanrui Yang (PI) and Jyotikrishna Dass (Co-PI) will lead the AI Research for Intelligent Systems and Efficiency (ARISE) program, bringing eight undergraduates to Tucson each summer for hands-on research alongside ECE faculty mentors.

Students will dive into three interconnected areas: AI applications, efficient algorithms and hardware systems, with each participant co-mentored across at least two tracks for a true "full-stack" view of AI development.

"This is a gateway for undergraduate talent in the U.S. to know that exciting research opportunities exist at the intersection of AI software and hardware systems – and we are leading it in the state of Arizona," said Dass.

Over ten weeks, ARISE students will take part in AI boot camps, research seminars, professional development workshops, and collaborative projects – with the program integrating into UROC's broader mentorship network and complementing ECE's growing AI curriculum, including ECE 425/525 and the AI SPARK workshop series and AI IGNITE showcase.

Read more about the new program: https://ece.engineering.arizona.edu/news-events/faculty-win-nsf-grant-launch-ai-research-program-undergraduates?publication=20260807&utm_campaign=University+of+Arizona+Electrical+and+Computer+Engineering&utm_content=Big+news+for+undergraduat&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

08/04/2026

Congratulations to ECE Assistant Professor Travis Sawyer, named a 2026-2027 Fulbright Scholar! 🌟

Sawyer will partner with researchers at Utsunomiya University in Japan to advance endoscopic technology for early detection of gastrointestinal cancers — work that sits at the intersection of optics, photonics, and global health.

"Now more than ever, it's important to facilitate international cooperation, and scientific research is an avenue to strengthen those partnerships," Sawyer said.

Sawyer holds a joint appointment in the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences. He's one of seven U of A faculty members selected for the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Program this year.

Read more: https://ece.engineering.arizona.edu/news-events/sawyer-named-fulbright-scholar-study-early-cancer-detection?publication=20260804&utm_campaign=University+of+Arizona+Electrical+and+Computer+Engineering&utm_content=Congratulations+to+ECE+As&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

07/21/2026

As part of the University of Arizona's Summer Engineering Academy (SEA), the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering hosted the Semiconductor Design, Fabrication, and Applications commuter camp for local high school students.

Led by ECE Assistant Professors Soheil Salehi and Pratik Satam, campers explored the science of semiconductor materials, learned how integrated circuits are designed and fabricated, and discovered how semiconductor technologies power applications ranging from smartphones to renewable energy systems.

Participants also toured the University of Arizona's new Nano Fabrication Center, its semiconductor cleanroom and the UArizona Future Factory. In the adjacent virtual reality laboratory, they used Apple Vision Pro headsets to explore digital twins of the cleanroom and its advanced equipment.

A special thank you to Zach Eyde, a University of Arizona alumnus and engineer at Intel, for sharing valuable industry perspectives with the students. We also extend our sincere appreciation to Greg Book for leading the Nano Fabrication Center cleanroom tour and providing participants with an inside look at semiconductor fabrication.

We are grateful for the generous support of our sponsors, Arm and Intel, as well as everyone who helped inspire the next generation of semiconductor engineers and innovators!

Thanks to the students who helped: Harish Kumar Dharavath, Muhtasim Alam Chowdhury, Harper Gibbs, Md Sadman Shahil, Adrian Drake De la Pena and Josh Dean. Along with ECE staff members Leo Enfield and Rozanne Canizales.

07/01/2026

Earlier this year, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering honored Raymond J. Oglethorpe, class of 1966, as its 2025 Distinguished Alumni at a reception on April 10. 🎉

After earning his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the U of A, Oglethorpe held senior executive roles at IBM and Harris Corporation before joining America Online (AOL) in 1992. He helped transform AOL into a commercial phenomenon, serving as president until 2002. During his presidency, AOL grew to more than 24 million subscribers, with more than half of all U.S. households acquiring internet access through the platform.

Oglethorpe left AOL to co-found The Learning Alliance in 2009, a nonprofit improving education and literacy in Indian River County, Florida.

"A STEM education gave me the tools to help build something that connected millions of people, but the most rewarding work of my life has been giving back," Oglethorpe said at the reception. "I'd encourage every student here to think not just about what technology can do for your career, but what it can do for your community."

🔗: https://ece.engineering.arizona.edu/news-events/raymond-j-oglethorpe-eces-2025-distinguished-alumni?publication=20260701&utm_campaign=University+of+Arizona+Electrical+and+Computer+Engineering&utm_content=Earlier+this+year%2C+the+De&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook