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USC\u2019s Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the School of Advanced Computing welcomed three new faculty members, Paria Rashidinejad, Sung Kyu Lim, and Priyadarshini Panda, as they join Department Chair, Richard M. Leahy, at the new faculty welcome.<\/p>\n
USC\u2019s Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering<\/a> and the School of Advanced Computing<\/a> welcome three new faculty members whose research spans diverse areas of artificial intelligence (AI) at a pivotal moment in the field\u2019s evolution. This is a testament to USC\u2019s role in the nation\u2019s technological development and leadership in shaping the future of computing. This comes as the university\u2019s computing initiatives are in full swing, with the launch of a new artificial intelligence<\/a> major, a surge in the number of students joining ECE this year, and the opening of the $130 million Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall \u2014 a state-of-the-art hub featuring cutting-edge AI research spaces, study pods, and collaborative facilities.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Meet our new faculty:<\/p>\n Priyadarshini Panda<\/a> | Lloyd F. Hunt Early Career Chair and Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering | Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University.<\/p>\n Research focus: My research focuses on developing algorithm and hardware design solutions to enable energy-efficient, sustainable and ubiquitous artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. I am inspired by the brain and embrace nature\u2019s blueprint of integrating efficiency, robustness and adaptability as a framework for defining the future of sustainable AI. My lab\u2019s research spans two key areas: 1) Neuromorphic Computing \u2013 Developing bio-inspired spiking neural networks and exploring emerging compute-in-memory accelerators through device\u2013circuit\u2013architecture\u2013algorithm co-simulation and optimization. 2) Efficient Machine Learning \u2013 Creating compression-friendly algorithms (leveraging sparsity and quantization) for transformers, large language models, and foundation models, as well as advancing system integration and acceleration on FPGAs, SoCs, and ASICs.<\/p>\n What attracted you to electrical and computer engineering at USC? Exceptional faculty and students at USC are driving numerous initiatives to push the frontiers of computing, including the launch of the School of Advanced Computing. The environment in ECE offers rich opportunities for collaboration with experts working across every layer of the compute stack\u2014from devices, circuits, and architectures to systems\u2014as well as with faculty engaged in interdisciplinary domains such as robotics and brain\u2013machine interfaces.<\/p>\n If you could offer one piece of advice to your students, what would it be? Stay curious and persistent! Research is rarely a straight path; there will be moments of uncertainty, failed experiments, and unexpected results. But if you approach each challenge with curiosity and see setbacks as opportunities to learn, you will not only make progress in your work but also grow as a thinker and problem solver. And if you are interested in contributing to the field of efficient machine intelligence, come talk to me.<\/p>\n Any hobbies? Reading, hiking.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n