Eye-tracking for tailored autonomy
UW ECE undergraduate Kyshawn Warren part of NSF-funded team of researchers using eye-tracking technology to help create autonomous systems that can adjust to individual comfort levels.
https://www.ece.uw.edu/spotlight/eye-tracking-for-tailored-autonomy/
https://www.ece.uw.edu/spotlight/the-2025-international-conference-on-machine-learning-qa-with-professor-maryam-fazel/
The 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning: Q&A with Professor Maryam Fazel
UW ECE Professor Maryam Fazel is a program co-chair for the 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning, which will be held from July 13 to 19 in Vancouver, Canada.
https://www.ece.uw.edu/spotlight/mahmood-hameed/
A professor with superpowers
UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed has a superpower — his unique ability to connect with students. He is known for his exceptional ability as an educator and his passion for teaching.
https://www.ece.uw.edu/spotlight/amy-orsborn-2025-sloan-fellowship/
Brain-machine interface pioneer Amy Orsborn named 2025 Sloan Research Fellow
Amy Orsborn, a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at the UW, has been awarded a 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to early-career researchers in the U.S and Canada.
https://www.ece.uw.edu/spotlight/serena-eley-faculty-profile/
Serena Eley — studying superconductivity, magnetism, and disorder in quantum materials
UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley studies superconductors and magnets, searching for ways to fine-tune the atomic disorder landscape in these materials and leverage their unique properties for quantum technology development.
https://www.ece.uw.edu/spotlight/majumdar-computer-vision/
A camera that can identify objects at the speed of light
UW ECE and Physics Professor Arka Majumdar and his students have collaborated with Princeton University to build a new type of compact camera engineered for computer vision. Their prototype uses optics for computing, significantly reducing power consumption and enabling the camera to identify objects at light speed.
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UW ECE undergraduate Kyshawn Warren part of NSF-funded team of researchers using eye-tracking technology to help create autonomous systems that can adjust to individual comfort levels.
The 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning: Q&A with Professor Maryam Fazel
UW ECE Professor Maryam Fazel is a program co-chair for the 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning, which will be held from July 13 to 19 in Vancouver, Canada.
A professor with superpowers
UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed has a superpower — his unique ability to connect with students. He is known for his exceptional ability as an educator and his passion for teaching.
Brain-machine interface pioneer Amy Orsborn named 2025 Sloan Research Fellow
Amy Orsborn, a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at the UW, has been awarded a 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to early-career researchers in the U.S and Canada.
Serena Eley — studying superconductivity, magnetism, and disorder in quantum materials
UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley studies superconductors and magnets, searching for ways to fine-tune the atomic disorder landscape in these materials and leverage their unique properties for quantum technology development.
A camera that can identify objects at the speed of light
UW ECE and Physics Professor Arka Majumdar and his students have collaborated with Princeton University to build a new type of compact camera engineered for computer vision. Their prototype uses optics for computing, significantly reducing power consumption and enabling the camera to identify objects at light speed.
The eye-tracking glasses, made by Pupil Labs, allow researchers to precisely monitor where subjects look when encountering autonomous systems, helping create more personalized safety parameters.[/caption]
Adapted from story by Amy Sprague / UW A&A; Photos by Dennis Wise / University of Washington
The future of building trustworthy autonomous systems may lie in wearing glasses. A&A Assistant Professor Karen Leung, with co-Principal Investigator Anat Caspi, director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, has received a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to explore how specialized eyeglasses could help autonomous vehicles and robots better understand and adapt to human comfort levels. Undergraduate researchers Senna Keesing (A&A), Marc Alwan (CSE) and Kyshawn Warren (UW ECE) are carrying out the research in Leung’s Control and Trustworthy Robotics Lab (CTRL).
This work stems from a simple observation: people aren't identical in their comfort levels around autonomous systems. "I've watched how people interact with autonomous systems in their daily lives," Leung shares. "What makes one person perfectly comfortable might make another quite nervous. We need to bridge this gap."
The research team’s approach involves specialized eyeglasses that observe how individuals scan their environment. These insights help autonomous systems understand each person's unique safety preferences and adapt accordingly. Picture an autonomous wheelchair that learns whether its user prefers to give other pedestrians a wide berth or is comfortable with closer encounters – all while maintaining core safety standards.
[caption id="attachment_37637" align="aligncenter" width="1184"]
UW ECE student Kyshawn Warren (left), and UW students Senna Keesing and Marc Alwan pose with the specialized equipment used to study human-robot interactions. The sensor-equipped helmets track movements and speed, while eye-tracking glasses monitor gaze patterns. Top right: Marc Alwan models the eye-tracking. Bottom right: The customized hard hats with the Lab’s logo have sensors mounted to the top that track movement.[/caption]
The research tackles a crucial challenge in autonomous mobility: earning public trust. Traditional autonomous systems operate with fixed safety parameters, potentially making some users uncomfortable while frustrating others with overcautious behavior. Leung's team aims to create more nuanced systems that can recognize and respond to individual comfort levels.
Beyond wheelchairs, this research could transform how delivery robots navigate college campuses or how autonomous vehicles interact with pedestrians in urban environments. The project combines advances in computer vision, human behavior understanding, and adaptive control systems.
The NSF grant, jointly supported by the Dynamics, Controls, and System Diagnostics and Mind, Machine, and Motor Nexus Programs, underscores the project's interdisciplinary significance. Leung's team is particularly focused on including diverse perspectives in their research, actively engaging underrepresented groups in robotics and fostering collaboration between computer vision, controls, and robotics researchers.
[caption id="attachment_37645" align="alignleft" width="439"]
Karen Leung, A&A Assistant Professor and Anat Caspi, Director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology[/caption]
"We're not just developing technology. We're working to create autonomous systems that truly understand and respect human preferences. That's the key to building trust."
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[caption id="attachment_37634" align="aligncenter" width="1220"]
Kyshawn Warren models the eye-tracking glasses, which register real-time gaze data on a connected smartphone. Warren is a 4th-year undergraduate in the UW ECE Combined BS-MS program, with a research focus on computer vision for robotic applications and computing, including embedded systems and ASIC design.[/caption]
Below, Kyshawn Warren monitors a demo of the cameras and accompanying data collection. Warren's involvement in this project mainly includes utilizing the scene images and gaze location to determine what objects within a person’s view they consider to be safety critical for their navigation, and then tracking those objects as they remain within the person’s view.
"This research has been an eye-opening experience that has given me much insight into how much our brain does subconsciously and how we can visualize these things in a way that computers can learn from and apply for autonomous systems," says Warren. "Moving forward, my research lab and I will be working on implementing what we have learned, in addition to a path-planning algorithm, onto an autonomous system such as a wheelchair so that there can be autonomous navigation with human preference in mind."
UW ECE Professor Maryam Fazel is a program co-chair for the 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning, which will be held from July 13 to 19 in Vancouver, Canada. She is one of four faculty members from universities across the United States and Canada, who together are overseeing all aspects of peer-review of the paper submissions and of producing the event. Photo by Ryan Hoover / UW ECE[/caption]
Artificial intelligence is all over the news these days. This powerful technology comes with a bright promise to usher humanity into a new era of better health, connectivity, and prosperity. But it also holds the dark potential to disrupt economies, damage social systems, and perhaps even plunge our world into information chaos. With so much at stake, it might be encouraging to know that scientists and engineers recognize these serious issues with artificial intelligence and are tackling them right now, from every perspective imaginable.
A case in point resides within a subset of artificial intelligence that doesn’t get as much public attention — machine learning, a field of study aimed at developing statistical algorithms that can learn from data and perform tasks without explicit instructions. Machine learning is at the core of artificial intelligence. For example, machine learning enables large language models like ChatGPT, computer vision in self-driving cars like those at Waymo, and algorithms that underpin popular social media platforms like TikTok.
The upcoming 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning, which will be held from July 13 to 19 in Vancouver, Canada, is dedicated to the advancement and improvement of this branch of artificial intelligence. With well over 15,000 attendees expected this year, the ICML is the oldest, second-largest and fastest-growing conference of its kind in the world. Over 12,000 research papers focused on machine learning have been submitted to the conference as well as 350 “position papers,” which are designed to bring attention to urgent issues in machine learning, such as privacy, safety, algorithmic biases, and intellectual property concerns. Conference attendees will examine and discuss these topics in detail, a process that builds groundwork for solutions to some of the most urgent and complex problems that artificial intelligence and machine learning present today.
Register to attend the 2025 International Conference on Machine LearningUW ECE Professor Maryam Fazel is a program co-chair for this year’s Conference. She is one of four faculty members from universities across the United States and Canada, who together are overseeing all aspects of peer-review of the paper submissions and of producing the event. Fazel holds the Moorthy Family Career Inspiration Development Professorship, is the UW ECE Lytle Lectureship chair, and is director of the Institute for Foundations of Data Science at the UW, which brings together data science experts and tools from the mathematical, statistical, and algorithmic foundations of machine learning to address contemporary data science challenges. “It is a privilege for me to be a chair of this Conference. I’m trying very hard to make ICML the best it can be, serve all the communities that are involved, and contribute to the growth of the field,” Fazel said. “I’m also looking forward to the productive discussions we will have about issues and challenges related to artificial intelligence and machine learning.” I sat down with Fazel to learn more about this year’s ICML and how it will be contributing to the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Why is the ICML important?
We are living in a very exciting time for machine learning and artificial intelligence. The field is evolving rapidly and the progress is fast paced. In my experience, this is the first time that this field has gotten so much of society’s attention, and the impact is so visible and tangible. The advancement of these tools is beginning to have a very broad effect on society, and there are new, impactful developments almost every day. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are opening new ways to address some of the biggest challenges in science and engineering. For example, several of the Nobel prizes last year in scientific discovery went to researchers in machine learning and artificial intelligence. They used these tools for groundbreaking discoveries in physics, chemistry, and other sciences. That’s one very big and promising direction for these technologies. So, the pace of progress is really exciting. But as a researcher, this also gets me thinking about how to address some of the pressing issues arising with this technology. A lot of challenges are becoming more apparent over time. In general, AI systems have issues with reliability, interpretability, security and safety, privacy, and things like energy efficiency. All of these problems are unresolved. These are things that are being worked on now, and it’s exciting to try to address these issues. This conference provides us with an important forum to do that.Who attends the ICML?
A very broad range of academics — students, faculty, postdocs, researchers, teachers — but also industry researchers and non-academics. Attendees come from very different fields. There are people who work on algorithms, theoretical computer science, statistics, applied math, to people who do systems and hardware engineering and people who work on application areas for machine learning and artificial intelligence. It’s a broad mix of very different sets of people. The interaction between academia and industry in the Conference is also pretty strong. There is an industry expo, for example, where companies introduce their work, and they have interaction with Conference attendees. There’s also talks given by industry leaders and researchers.What does the ICML offer those who attend?
There are many different sessions, tutorials, and workshops. There are also talks by experts in the field, which includes six invited speakers who will give keynote talks. There are oral presentation sessions, in which there are short, 15-minute talks presented from selected papers in the Conference. There are also large, poster sessions throughout the Conference, in which many of the accepted papers are presented by their authors as posters. This is a very nice model that works well in these large-scale conferences. This way, authors and their audience can interact individually, and we can fit in many papers. Those who attend will get exposure to the most recent, most active research and development and progress in the field. So, it’s very educational. Also, given the breadth of the Conference, it helps to foster collaboration between different subfields and even outside the technical field of machine learning. I think people will gain a lot by learning directly, making new connections, networking, and being stimulated by new ideas for their own work.How would you describe research featured at the ICML?
The ICML has a broad focus on machine learning, so it touches upon many different aspects of the field. You can say it starts with general machine learning methods and tools and theory, but it also more specifically focuses on deep learning, evaluation of AI systems, things like meta-learning, human-AI interactions, learning theory that touches on statistical, mathematical, and algorithmic theory, optimization of machine learning models, and reinforcement learning. I’d also like to say that my co-chairs and I care a lot about the quality of the work that gets presented at the ICML. We also care about the quality and integrity of the complex peer-review process that selects research papers featured at the Conference. While there are challenges when the process has to scale up so fast from year to year (we had more than a 30% increase in the number of submissions this year over last), we have been working hard to put measures in place to ensure quality, integrity, and ability to scale in the future.What do you think will be the hot topics this year?
I think fundamental questions about how these systems work and how we can make them more robust, reliable, secure, safe, and interpretable will be hot topics as well as how scientific discovery will be revolutionized using artificial intelligence. These are some of the driving questions for current research. Plus, a topic that I think will be addressed in many of our position papers is the broader picture of how society should even think about these issues as artificial intelligence is integrated more and more in society. Things like interactions with the law, privacy, legality of accessing data, copyright, and intellectual property will be covered. These are really important issues that go outside of the technical field of machine learning, but the position papers as well as some of the invited keynote talks make that connection.Can you describe the different ways people can attend?
We are aiming to make the ICML as inclusive as possible. To that end, we are ensuring the venue is accessible for people with disabilities. We’re also providing on-site childcare and support for nursing mothers, so parents with small children can attend. All presenters will be live and in-person, but there is an option of registering for virtual attendance for those who cannot attend in-person. And all talks will be broadcast online and streamed, so the audience can participate remotely and virtually. A few weeks after the Conference has concluded, all the papers and posters presented will also be available on the ICML website.Is there anything else you would like people to know?
This Conference is open to everyone. Those who would like to attend should register early! There is a huge demand, and the venue size is limited, so if people are interested, they should act quickly. Visit the 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning website to learn more about the event. More information about Professor Maryam Fazel is available on her UW ECE bio page. [post_title] => The 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning: Q&A with Professor Maryam Fazel [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => the-2025-international-conference-on-machine-learning-qa-with-professor-maryam-fazel [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-03-21 11:48:01 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-03-21 18:48:01 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.ece.uw.edu/?post_type=spotlight&p=37402 [menu_order] => 3 [post_type] => spotlight [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 37375 [post_author] => 27 [post_date] => 2025-04-14 10:41:46 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-04-14 17:41:46 [post_content] => By Wayne Gillam, photos by Ryan Hoover / UW ECE News [caption id="attachment_37379" align="alignright" width="594"]
UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed has a talent for connecting with students. He is known for his exceptional ability as an educator, the love and respect he has for his students, and his passion for teaching.[/caption]
UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed has a superpower — his unique ability to connect with students. He also has a super-powerful memory. Hameed memorizes and can recall the name of every student in his classes who talks to him at least once. That’s right, all of them. Hundreds of students take Hameed’s courses every quarter, but years later, he still remembers the names of everyone who spoke with him. For many students, he can also remember their personal interests as well as their academic and career goals. This superb recall is but one example of Hameed’s exceptional ability as an educator, which stems from the love and respect he has for his students and his passion for teaching.
“At times, it can freak students out when three or five years later, I still remember their name and some of their interests. I’m not trying. After a while, it’s just there in my memory,” Hameed said. “I believe it is a privilege to teach. I purposefully memorize my students’ names because that’s a way of showing respect and investing in our connection.”
As his students can attest, Hameed is an extraordinary professor.
[caption id="attachment_37622" align="alignleft" width="514"]
UW ECE undergraduate Kyle Orth has taken several courses from Hameed.[/caption]
“From the moment one enters Professor Hameed’s classroom, it becomes clear that he is far more than an instructor. He strives to learn each individual’s name, creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect,” said UW ECE undergraduate Feier Long, who has served as a teaching assistant for Hameed. “He is a genuine mentor who inspires individuals to grow and discover their potential. He does not merely teach, he guides, encourages, and supports in a way that leaves a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to learn from him."
“Professor Hameed is an exceptional instructor. He is passionate, goes above and beyond to engage his students, and clearly wants us not only to succeed in his classes, but also to grow in our enthusiasm for the field,” said UW ECE undergraduate Kyle Orth. “He is an extremely interesting person to talk to, not only for his expertise in the field, but particularly for his eagerness to connect you to resources that will help you succeed. He loves getting to know people and has an unmatched passion for helping students understand complex topics in electrical and computer engineering.”
In 2023, Hameed received a UW ECE Outstanding Teaching Award in recognition of his contributions to the Department and the impact he has had on students. This honor, received early in his career, could make one wonder how Hameed developed his “superpowers” in the classroom. There is no doubt that some of his exceptional abilities were there from birth, but others were formed by his upbringing, environment, and journey to UW ECE.
Connecting knowledge with purpose
[caption id="attachment_37392" align="alignright" width="590"]
UW ECE Professor Denise Wilson presenting Hameed with the 2023 Outstanding Teaching Award certificate in an awards ceremony held in the Allen Center Atrium.[/caption]
Hameed grew up in Southern India, in the city of Hyderabad. As a child, he became fascinated with remote-controlled toy cars that his father brought home for him to play with. He wanted to learn how the cars worked and how signals were sent through the air. This childhood fascination soon blossomed into a lasting interest in other electronic devices. He also was born into a family environment and culture that emphasized science and technology. This mix of nature and nurture pointed him toward engineering early in life.
Surprisingly, Hameed said that he wasn’t a particularly good student until college. He had trouble seeing the value and practical purpose for what he was taught in high school. Despite this fact, He attended Osmania University in Hyderabad. There, he learned first-hand the difference good teachers can make in a student’s life. At Osmania University, Hameed had instructors who took the time to show him how what he was learning was relevant to the real world. This was the missing spark. Once Hameed could connect theoretical knowledge with practical applications, he could see purpose for the work he was doing. This then motivated him to study hard and excel. In 2005, he earned his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering, graduating with highest distinction.
“When I teach something, and students are able to make connections, and things start making sense to them, I can see it in their eyes, I can see it in their face. That, to me, is rewarding.” — UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed[caption id="attachment_37624" align="alignleft" width="1196"]
Hameed giving a lesson to EE 242 and EE 233 students during one of his popular "active group office hours" sessions. Pictured left to right: Kyle Orth, Rachel Juliet Walland, Sophie McGee, Qifeng Yang, Jiwei Zheng, Frankie Lee Reyna, Max Gonzalez, Nathan S Joslin, with Leeza Leonova seated with back to the camera.[/caption]
Hameed then chose to make a big leap, moving from India to America. He attended the University of Kansas, where he received his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering. He said he learned how to be a good teacher from the instructors there, such as professors Rongqing Hui, David Petr, and James Stiles. He worked as a lecturer for a year at the University before completing his doctoral studies in 2016 and accepting a position as lecturer at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he worked for five years. In early 2022, Hameed and his family moved to Seattle, so his wife could accept a job opportunity while he continued to work remotely.
“Leaving RPI was one of the most difficult things for me to do because the bonds that I had formed with students and faculty were very strong,” Hameed said. “But there was a promising opening at UW ECE. So, I applied, was accepted, and I started working here.”
In September 2022, Hameed joined UW ECE as an assistant teaching professor. Since then, he has built a solid reputation for excellence among students, faculty, and staff in the Department. In addition to instructing students, Hameed conducts engineering education research. He has received grants to develop hands-on activities in core classes as well as explore issues students face related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In September 2024, he joined the UW ECE Office of the Chair as undergraduate program coordinator for the Department.
“I work with the advising team to identify areas of improvement. Given that I am well connected with students, it’s quite easy for me to get a feel for what problems are bothering them and what can be solved,” Hameed said. “We have amazing students, faculty, and staff. And, to me, it’s a family. I feel like I’m connected to the soul of the Department.”
An educator who loves to teach
Hameed teaches 10 courses at UW ECE. Most of these courses are for undergraduates, but two are graduate-level. In the spring, he plans to teach two more graduate-level courses that will be part of the Department’s Professional Master’s Program. He said he likes this full workload and structure because it allows him to be with students throughout their undergraduate studies and into the start of graduate-level work. And if it’s not clear by now, Hameed loves to teach. “I sometimes tell my wife that I don’t know if I’m living to teach or teaching to live. It holds a really special value for me, an emotional one.” Hameed said. “I try to teach students in a way that is inspiring. I think that is about relevance, about students feeling that they can make a change for good in the world. If they can get inspired by that idea, no one can stop them.” Motivated by his own undergraduate experience connecting knowledge with purpose, Hameed said he wants his students to make that same sort of connection. To this end, he works toward helping students see how in-class learning can be applied to solving problems and addressing challenges in business, government, and society at large. [caption id="attachment_37626" align="alignleft" width="1203"]
(left) Hameed teaching the EE 233 Circuit Theory course during winter 2025 quarter; (right) Hameed talks with a group of UW ECE undergraduate students during office hours, including, left to right, Grace Liu, Grace Kara Lee, and Ayush Kulkarni (foreground).[/caption]
“Professor Hameed does a wonderful job of giving us context throughout each course of where we are headed,” Orth said. “He ties theoretical knowledge to practical examples, along with anecdotes about what sorts of real-world problems are solved with the techniques and skills we are taught in class.”
Hameed goes the extra mile for his students by providing helpful coaching and advice both in and out of class. He also constructs rigorous exams to ensure that his students’ knowledge is solid. Hameed said he realized that engineering can sometimes be a difficult field, one that requires determination and commitment for success.
“In order for me to teach my students well, I have to give them everything I have. But in order for them to know what their limits are, I have to test them in a challenging manner,” Hameed said. “Without that challenge, I’m disrespecting the student. At some time during the student’s life, there is a point where they accept that all the struggle is worth it. That’s the moment I’m after.”
Hameed said he is continually refining his teaching and mentorship techniques. He collaborates on engineering education research with the Office for the Advancement of Engineering Teaching & Learning in the UW College of Engineering. He also is planning future collaborations with UW ECE faculty who study engineering education, such as professors Denise Wilson, John Raiti, and Sep Makhsous. This spring, he will also be a part of the Washington State Academic RedShirt (STARS) resilience program by participating in Fail Forward, an event where UW leaders share stories with students about how personal failures can build resilience and help lay the foundation for future success.
Building community and looking ahead
In the future, Hameed said he plans to continue designing new engineering courses that are interesting and inspiring to students. He also intends to take on more administrative roles, so he can influence positive change and build community in the Department. He anticipates remaining committed to engineering education research. His latest research paper investigates the transformative potential of scheduled, informal interactions between students and teachers in large engineering classes, and the paper will be published soon. Other activities Hameed enjoys are being an adviser for the UW Washington Hyperloop club and the UW Boring Club (an engineering projects club). He also plans to participate in the UW Peaks and Professors hiking group. Outside of his interests in electrical and computer engineering, Hameed loves to play cricket and racquetball. He also enjoys cooking. [caption id="attachment_37628" align="alignleft" width="1200"]
Hameed answers a question from UW ECE student Stephen Wilson Ottaway, while students Rachel Juliet Walland and Sophie McGee wait their turns to speak with Hameed.[/caption]
When asked what advice he might offer undergraduate students, Hameed said that he would like to see students focus more on the learning experience, rather than on their grade point average. He emphasized that success in engineering is not necessarily about good grades or high intelligence, but rather, it is about the amount of time and energy a student is willing to put into learning. He also expressed a hope that his teaching and mentorship will enable students to succeed in their own careers and then use their skills to do good in the world. Judging from what his students say, he is well on his way to achieving this goal.
“If I could start over my entire ECE journey, I would gladly take all my core classes with Professor Hameed. He is an invaluable asset to the Department, and his mentorship has profoundly enriched my academic journey,” Long said. “His enthusiasm and passion go beyond teaching — he genuinely cares about helping students recognize and reach their full potential. I will always be grateful for the impact he has had on me and my education.”
Learn more about UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed on his bio page.
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[caption id="attachment_36802" align="alignright" width="575"]
Amy Orsborn, a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at the UW, has been awarded a 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to early-career researchers in the U.S and Canada. Photo by Ryan Hoover / UW ECE[/caption]
Amy Orsborn, a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at the UW, has been awarded a 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to early-career researchers in the U.S and Canada. The competitive fellowship recognizes 126 promising scholars with leadership potential. Many past fellows have later earned Nobel Prizes and National Medals of Science.
Orsborn’s research is focused on understanding motor learning principles to enhance movement-restoring therapies. Her work combines engineering and neuroscience to develop brain-machine interfaces that restore, replace and augment nervous system function, particularly for movement disorders such as paralysis from spinal cord injuries or strokes. Her lab works to make these interfaces more effective by tapping into neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt) and using them to better understand how learning happens in the brain.
In her Sloan Research Fellowship nomination letter, UW Bioengineering Professor and Chair Princess Imoukhuede wrote, “What makes Dr. Orsborn unique is her computational mindset, rooted in her engineering and physics background, combined with her deep expertise in experimental systems neuroscience. She performs cutting-edge experiments in non-human primates and humans using advanced computational and neurophysiological tools to reveal new insights into how neural circuits learn.”
The two-year fellowship provides awardees with $75,000 which can be applied to any expenses that supports their research endeavors. “The award will help us continue to take new risks and explore new projects,” Orsborn said. “Its support will help us go a little deeper and tackle harder questions.”
In addition to the Sloan Research Fellowship, Orsborn has received numerous awards and honors including a National Science Foundation Career Award, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Emerging Leaders Program Award and the inaugural Washington Research Foundation – Ronald S. Howell Distinguished Faculty Fellowship.
To learn more about Prof. Orsborn and her research, visit her faculty page or lab website. This fellowship announcement is also in UW News.
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[post_date] => 2025-02-24 09:31:13
[post_date_gmt] => 2025-02-24 17:31:13
[post_content] => By Wayne Gillam / UW ECE News
[caption id="attachment_36778" align="alignright" width="600"]
UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley studies superconductors and magnets, searching for ways to fine-tune the atomic disorder landscape in these materials and leverage their unique properties for quantum technology development. Photo by Ryan Hoover / UW ECE[/caption]
Imperfection and disorder are part of life. This is true, not only on the level of everyday reality with which we are most familiar, but also within all matter at the smallest scales imaginable. At the nanoscale, ordered atomic lattices that make up solid-state materials contain impurities, dislocations, bends, and vacancies in their grids. And in some materials important to engineering, such as superconductors and magnets, this disorder can actually be useful, for example, helping scientists and engineers control the motion of a nanoscale whirlpool of electrical current called a “quantum vortex.” Superconductors and magnets can host a multitude of these tiny vortices, which can be thought of as mini-tornadoes of electrical current or electron spins, swirling around, interacting with, and disrupting electrical currents within the materials.
UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley studies these vortices. Her lab, the Eley Quantum Materials Group, examines superconductors and magnets, searching for ways to fine-tune the atomic disorder landscape in these materials and leverage their unique properties for quantum technology development. Her research involves finding ways to control the motion and formation of quantum vortices by optimizing defects in superconductors, work aimed at further enhancing conductivity and reducing energy loss. For example, she was recently part of an international research team that achieved the maximum critical current that has ever been measured in an iron-based superconductor to date, groundbreaking work that was described in the journal Nature Materials. Her research also includes studying defects and a vortex-like excitation in magnets called a “skyrmion.” These quasi-particles are showing promise as information carriers for spintronic devices, which encode information in the spin of an electron. Spintronic devices have proven to be useful in computing, data storage, and even biomedical applications. They also have several advantages over conventional electronics, such as faster switching speeds, higher data storage density, and lower energy consumption.
“We try to increase our fundamental understanding of superconductivity and magnetism in a way that can contribute to a wide range of applications. But when designing superconductors, we also have to consider the impact of vortices,” Eley said. “It affects all these applications. So, when designing the material or the device, we have to think about how to lessen the impact of vortices in some instances and how to maximize their effectiveness in others.”
Superconductors and magnets are already in wide use today — from magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scanners that look deep inside the body to gamma ray detectors of clandestine nuclear material to bolometers used in x-ray astronomy. They have been implemented in medical, military, security, and power applications as well as quantum computing and sensing. Because Eley’s research contributes to expanding fundamental knowledge about superconductivity and magnetism, her work could contribute to advancing technology in all of these areas. But her research is primarily aimed at the development of quantum computing systems, which show great promise for facilitating significant breakthroughs in science, medicine, and engineering.
A physicist who is also an engineer
[caption id="attachment_36780" align="alignright" width="500"]
Jiangteng (Ivan) Liu, a UW doctoral student in physics, with Eley in her lab at UW ECE. Liu is drawing a magnetization loop, which describes how the current-carrying capacity of a superconductor varies with an applied magnetic field. Photo by Dennis Wise / University of Washington[/caption]
Eley became fascinated with superconductivity in elementary school, after reading an article about maglev trains, which use a combination of superconductors and magnets to achieve a stable levitation state. She realized, even at a young age, that she wanted to learn more about superconductivity and magnetism, so she set her mind toward pursuing a career in science. She attended a science and technology high school in Northern Virginia and later went on to Caltech, where she received her bachelor’s degree in physics in 2002. After graduation, she spent a year as a research assistant and a Henry Luce Scholar at the International Superconductivity Technology Center in Tokyo, Japan. She then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where, in 2012, she earned her doctoral degree in physics.
After graduate school, Eley worked for two years at Sandia National Laboratories designing silicon-based devices composed of quantum dot nanostructures. This was followed by three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she studied vortex dynamics in superconductors. In 2018, she accepted a position as an assistant professor of physics at the Colorado School of Mines. And in January 2023, she joined UW ECE as a tenure-track assistant professor. Eley said she made the move to UW ECE because of the number and caliber of graduate students in the Department as well as access to state-of-the-art facilities, such as those available at the Washington Nanofabrication Facility and the UW Molecular Engineering Materials Center.
“I’m in an electrical engineering department, but I definitely think like a physicist because that’s my background,” Eley said. “In physics, you’re usually trying to develop fundamental knowledge, rather than design a device or a system. But my research has always been forward thinking in terms of exploring how fundamental properties connect to applications, so it ends up working well in an electrical engineering department.”
In addition to the Luce award, Eley received the John Bardeen award at the University of Illinois for her doctoral dissertation, which explored proximity effects and vortex dynamics in nanostructured superconductors. She also has received many other awards and honors, such as a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Joseph A. Johnson III Award for Excellence, a Goddard Award for Best Research Contribution at the NASA Academy Goddard Space Flight Center, and a Cottrell Scholars Award.
The Eley Quantum Materials Group
[caption id="attachment_36783" align="alignright" width="500"]
Members of the Eley Quantum Materials Group in Ely’s lab at UW ECE. From left to right: Chris Matsumura, UW doctoral student in physics; Rohin Tangirala, UW ECE doctoral student; Chaman Gupta (on ladder), UW doctoral student in materials science and engineering; UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley; Raahul Potluri (BSEE ‘24), UW ECE post baccalaureate student; Jiangteng (Ivan) Liu, UW doctoral student in physics. Photo by Dennis Wise / University of Washington[/caption]
Eley’s lab at UW ECE includes undergraduate and graduate students from a range of disciplines, including electrical and computer engineering, physics, and materials science. Her UW collaborators include Jiun-Haw Chu, an associate professor in the physics department, who creates high-quality superconducting and magnetic materials for Eley’s research experiments. Eley is also a faculty member of the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems and QuantumX at the University.
Eley’s specialty is vortex physics, and the overarching goal of her research is to study the effects of disorder on the electronic and magnetic properties of quantum materials and devices. To this end, she and her research team study vortex dynamics in superconductors, the effects of disorder on skyrmion dynamics in magnetic materials, and energy loss mechanisms in superconducting quantum circuits. Eley is also leading a concerted effort to move toward predictive design in a field that has traditionally relied on trial and error to discover and improve superconducting and magnetic materials.
“In an ideal world, we would be able to improve our understanding of vortex physics enough that we could, based on some basic parameters of the material, design the optimal defect landscape without so much trial and error,” Eley said. “For example, in different superconductors and based on each material’s properties, we want to figure out what the ideal disorder landscape might look like, so we can maximize the current-carrying capacity of the material.”
A dedicated educator
[caption id="attachment_36785" align="alignright" width="500"]
Eley with students, standing next to a magnetometer in her lab. The group is discussing magnetic phases in iron-based superconducting crystals and corresponding effects on the motion of superconducting quantum vortices in the material. Photo by Dennis Wise / University of Washington[/caption]
Eley teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses at UW ECE. She has also worked with Department staff members May Lim, director of industry and professional programs, and Rebecca Carlson, career and industry programs manager, to start a UW ECE Industry Mentors program. Many leading companies, such as Boeing, Airbus, Intel, and Rigetti Computing are participating. This effort connects undergraduates with mentors who are working in fields related to the students’ career interests. She noted that students are not usually given this sort of opportunity until they are seniors, at which point it is too late for them to go back and select courses related to their mentorship experience.
“I think it’s important to connect freshman and sophomore-level undergraduates with mentors who are actively working in their goal fields,” Eley said. “These professionals are best positioned to provide students with up-to-date advice on what they should be doing and what courses they should be taking to create a strong academic profile for career goals.”
Eley said that she enjoys teaching and the challenge of explaining complex topics to students. She also has some advice for them. For undergraduates, she recommends that every summer be spent in an internship. This provides opportunities to try out different working environments long before choosing a job. For graduate students, she advises them to focus on one project or research direction and prove their ability by getting results. More specifically, she said it is important for graduate students to demonstrate their technical capabilities, scientific communication skills, and analytical ability (being able to extract the science from their technical accomplishments) before moving on to seek professional development opportunities.
As exemplified by her advice to students, quantum science and engineering is a field that requires rigorous discipline. And Eley is no stranger to a disciplined approach professionally or personally. Outside of the UW, she spends much of her free time training for 100-mile ultramarathons. In 2024, she completed the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, which summits multiple 13,000-foot peaks in southern Colorado, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France, which winds its way for 110 miles through France, Switzerland, and Italy. Other notable performances include finishing as the third-fastest female runner in the 2023 Grindstone Trail Running Festival in Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains and the second-fastest female in the 2017 Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles.
Running 100-mile races takes grit, determination, and a special kind of love for an uncommon interest. It could be argued that these character traits lend themselves well to quantum science and engineering. Building a successful career in this field also takes a special interest and discipline. It perhaps even benefits from a sense of awe and fascination with the subject matter, much like what Eley has demonstrated since childhood.
“I think I will always be fascinated by superconductivity. I understand the math, but still, it can be hard to fully comprehend,” Eley said. “It’s like flying in an airplane. You may understand the concept of lift and the supporting mathematics. But still, it’s pretty amazing to realize that a plane can fly without falling. That’s how I feel about superconductivity.”
For more information about UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley, her research, and work as an educator, visit her bio page.
[post_title] => Serena Eley — studying superconductivity, magnetism, and disorder in quantum materials
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[post_date] => 2025-02-03 14:26:02
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[post_content] => By Wayne Gillam / UW ECE News
[caption id="attachment_36551" align="alignright" width="600"]
UW ECE and Physics Professor Arka Majumdar and his students have collaborated with Princeton University to build a new type of compact camera engineered for computer vision. Their prototype (shown above) uses optics for computing, significantly reducing power consumption and enabling the camera to identify objects at the speed of light. Photo by Ilya Chugunov, courtesy of Princeton University[/caption]
Collaboration can be a beautiful thing, especially when people work together to create something new. Take, for example, a longstanding collaboration between Arka Majumdar, a UW professor in electrical and computer engineering and physics, and Felix Heide, an assistant professor of computer science at Princeton University. Together, they and their students have produced some eye-popping and groundbreaking research, including shrinking a camera down to the size of a grain of salt while still capturing crisp, clear images.
Now, the pair is building on this work, recently publishing a paper in Science Advances that describes a new kind of compact camera engineered for computer vision — a type of artificial intelligence that allows computers to recognize objects in images and video. Majumdar and Heide’s research prototype uses optics for computing, significantly reducing power consumption and enabling the camera to identify objects at the speed of light. Their device also represents a new approach to the field of computer vision.
“This is a completely new way of thinking about optics, which is very different from traditional optics. It’s end-to-end design, where the optics are designed in conjunction with the computational block,” Majumdar said. “Here, we replaced the camera lens with engineered optics, which allows us to put a lot of the computation into the optics.”
[caption id="attachment_36593" align="alignleft" width="350"]
Majumdar (left) and Felix Heide, an assistant professor of computer science at Princeton University. Photos by Ryan Hoover (UW ECE) and Steven Schultz (Princeton University)[/caption]
“There are really broad applications for this research, from self-driving cars, self-driving trucks and other robotics to medical devices and smartphones. Nowadays, every iPhone has AI or vision technology in it,” added Heide, who was the principal investigator and senior author of the Science Advances paper. “This work is still at a very early stage, but all of these applications could someday benefit from what we are developing.”
Heide and his students at Princeton provided the design for the camera prototype, which is a compact, optical computing chip. Majumdar contributed his expertise in optics to help engineer the camera, and he and his students fabricated the chip in the Washington Nanofabrication Laboratory. The UW side of this multi-institutional research team included Johannes Froech, a UW ECE postdoctoral scholar, and James Whitehead (Ph.D. ‘22), who was a UW ECE doctoral student in Majumdar’s lab when this research took place.
Replacing a camera lens with engineered optics
[caption id="attachment_36554" align="alignright" width="500"]
Instead of using a traditional camera lens made out of glass or plastic, the optics in this camera relies on layers of 50 meta-lenses — flat, lightweight optical components that use microscopic nanostructures to manipulate light. These meta-lenses fit into a compact, optical computing chip (shown above), which was fabricated in the Washington Nanofabrication Laboratory by Majumdar and his students. Photo by Ilya Chugunov, courtesy of Princeton University[/caption]
Instead of using a traditional camera lens made out of glass or plastic, the optics in this camera relies on layers of 50 meta-lenses — flat, lightweight optical components that use microscopic nanostructures to manipulate light. The meta-lenses also function as an optical neural network, which is a computer system that is a form of artificial intelligence modeled on the human brain. This unique approach has a couple of key advantages. First, it’s fast. Because much of the computation takes place at the speed of light, the system can identify and classify images more than 200 times faster than neural networks that use conventional computer hardware, and with comparable accuracy. Second, because the optics in the camera rely on incoming light to operate, rather than electricity, the power consumption is greatly reduced.
“Our idea was to use some of the work that Arka pioneered on metasurfaces to bring some of those computations that are traditionally done electronically into the optics at the speed of light,” Heide said. “By doing so, we produced a new computer vision system that performs a lot of the computation optically.”
Majumdar and Heide say that they intend to continue their collaboration. Next steps for this research include further iterations, evolving the prototype so it is more relevant for autonomous navigation in self-driving vehicles. This is an application area they both have identified as promising. They also plan to work with more complex data sets and problems that take greater computing power to solve, such as object detection (locating specific objects within an image), which is an important feature for computer vision.
“Right now, this optical computing system is a research prototype, and it works for one particular application,” Majumdar said. “However, we see it eventually becoming broadly applicable to many technologies. That, of course, remains to be seen, but here, we demonstrated the first step. And it is a big step forward compared to all other existing optical implementations of neural networks.”
The article, “Spatially varying nanophotonic neural networks,” was published Nov. 8 in Science Advances. In addition to Majumdar, Froech, Whitehead, and Heide, co-authors include Kaixuan Wei, Xiao Li, Praneeth Chakravarthula, and Ethan Tseng. The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a Packard Foundation Fellowship, a Sloan Research Fellowship, a Disney Research Award, a Bosch Research Award, an Amazon Science Research Award, a Google Ph.D. Fellowship, and Project X, an innovation fund of Princeton’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.
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[caption id="" align="alignright" width="513"] The eye-tracking glasses, made by Pupil Labs, allow researchers to precisely monitor where subjects look when encountering autonomous systems, helping create more personalized safety parameters.[/caption]
Adapted from story by Amy Sprague / UW A&A; Photos by Dennis Wise / University of Washington
The future of building trustworthy autonomous systems may lie in wearing glasses. A&A Assistant Professor Karen Leung, with co-Principal Investigator Anat Caspi, director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, has received a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to explore how specialized eyeglasses could help autonomous vehicles and robots better understand and adapt to human comfort levels. Undergraduate researchers Senna Keesing (A&A), Marc Alwan (CSE) and Kyshawn Warren (UW ECE) are carrying out the research in Leung’s Control and Trustworthy Robotics Lab (CTRL).
This work stems from a simple observation: people aren't identical in their comfort levels around autonomous systems. "I've watched how people interact with autonomous systems in their daily lives," Leung shares. "What makes one person perfectly comfortable might make another quite nervous. We need to bridge this gap."
The research team’s approach involves specialized eyeglasses that observe how individuals scan their environment. These insights help autonomous systems understand each person's unique safety preferences and adapt accordingly. Picture an autonomous wheelchair that learns whether its user prefers to give other pedestrians a wide berth or is comfortable with closer encounters – all while maintaining core safety standards.
[caption id="attachment_37637" align="aligncenter" width="1184"] UW ECE student Kyshawn Warren (left), and UW students Senna Keesing and Marc Alwan pose with the specialized equipment used to study human-robot interactions. The sensor-equipped helmets track movements and speed, while eye-tracking glasses monitor gaze patterns. Top right: Marc Alwan models the eye-tracking. Bottom right: The customized hard hats with the Lab’s logo have sensors mounted to the top that track movement.[/caption]
The research tackles a crucial challenge in autonomous mobility: earning public trust. Traditional autonomous systems operate with fixed safety parameters, potentially making some users uncomfortable while frustrating others with overcautious behavior. Leung's team aims to create more nuanced systems that can recognize and respond to individual comfort levels.
The eye-tracking glasses, made by Pupil Labs, allow researchers to precisely monitor where subjects look when encountering autonomous systems, helping create more personalized safety parameters.[/caption]
Adapted from story by Amy Sprague / UW A&A; Photos by Dennis Wise / University of Washington
The future of building trustworthy autonomous systems may lie in wearing glasses. A&A Assistant Professor Karen Leung, with co-Principal Investigator Anat Caspi, director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, has received a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to explore how specialized eyeglasses could help autonomous vehicles and robots better understand and adapt to human comfort levels. Undergraduate researchers Senna Keesing (A&A), Marc Alwan (CSE) and Kyshawn Warren (UW ECE) are carrying out the research in Leung’s Control and Trustworthy Robotics Lab (CTRL).
This work stems from a simple observation: people aren't identical in their comfort levels around autonomous systems. "I've watched how people interact with autonomous systems in their daily lives," Leung shares. "What makes one person perfectly comfortable might make another quite nervous. We need to bridge this gap."
The research team’s approach involves specialized eyeglasses that observe how individuals scan their environment. These insights help autonomous systems understand each person's unique safety preferences and adapt accordingly. Picture an autonomous wheelchair that learns whether its user prefers to give other pedestrians a wide berth or is comfortable with closer encounters – all while maintaining core safety standards.
[caption id="attachment_37637" align="aligncenter" width="1184"] UW ECE student Kyshawn Warren (left), and UW students Senna Keesing and Marc Alwan pose with the specialized equipment used to study human-robot interactions. The sensor-equipped helmets track movements and speed, while eye-tracking glasses monitor gaze patterns. Top right: Marc Alwan models the eye-tracking. Bottom right: The customized hard hats with the Lab’s logo have sensors mounted to the top that track movement.[/caption]
The research tackles a crucial challenge in autonomous mobility: earning public trust. Traditional autonomous systems operate with fixed safety parameters, potentially making some users uncomfortable while frustrating others with overcautious behavior. Leung's team aims to create more nuanced systems that can recognize and respond to individual comfort levels.
Beyond wheelchairs, this research could transform how delivery robots navigate college campuses or how autonomous vehicles interact with pedestrians in urban environments. The project combines advances in computer vision, human behavior understanding, and adaptive control systems.
The NSF grant, jointly supported by the Dynamics, Controls, and System Diagnostics and Mind, Machine, and Motor Nexus Programs, underscores the project's interdisciplinary significance. Leung's team is particularly focused on including diverse perspectives in their research, actively engaging underrepresented groups in robotics and fostering collaboration between computer vision, controls, and robotics researchers.
[caption id="attachment_37645" align="alignleft" width="439"] Karen Leung, A&A Assistant Professor and Anat Caspi, Director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology[/caption]
"We're not just developing technology. We're working to create autonomous systems that truly understand and respect human preferences. That's the key to building trust."
Karen Leung, A&A Assistant Professor and Anat Caspi, Director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology[/caption]
"We're not just developing technology. We're working to create autonomous systems that truly understand and respect human preferences. That's the key to building trust."
-
[caption id="attachment_37634" align="aligncenter" width="1220"] Kyshawn Warren models the eye-tracking glasses, which register real-time gaze data on a connected smartphone. Warren is a 4th-year undergraduate in the UW ECE Combined BS-MS program, with a research focus on computer vision for robotic applications and computing, including embedded systems and ASIC design.[/caption]
Below, Kyshawn Warren monitors a demo of the cameras and accompanying data collection. Warren's involvement in this project mainly includes utilizing the scene images and gaze location to determine what objects within a person’s view they consider to be safety critical for their navigation, and then tracking those objects as they remain within the person’s view.
"This research has been an eye-opening experience that has given me much insight into how much our brain does subconsciously and how we can visualize these things in a way that computers can learn from and apply for autonomous systems," says Warren. "Moving forward, my research lab and I will be working on implementing what we have learned, in addition to a path-planning algorithm, onto an autonomous system such as a wheelchair so that there can be autonomous navigation with human preference in mind."
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="513"] The eye-tracking glasses, made by Pupil Labs, allow researchers to precisely monitor where subjects look when encountering autonomous systems, helping create more personalized safety parameters.[/caption]
Adapted from story by Amy Sprague / UW A&A; Photos by Dennis Wise / University of Washington
The future of building trustworthy autonomous systems may lie in wearing glasses. A&A Assistant Professor Karen Leung, with co-Principal Investigator Anat Caspi, director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, has received a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to explore how specialized eyeglasses could help autonomous vehicles and robots better understand and adapt to human comfort levels. Undergraduate researchers Senna Keesing (A&A), Marc Alwan (CSE) and Kyshawn Warren (UW ECE) are carrying out the research in Leung’s Control and Trustworthy Robotics Lab (CTRL).
This work stems from a simple observation: people aren't identical in their comfort levels around autonomous systems. "I've watched how people interact with autonomous systems in their daily lives," Leung shares. "What makes one person perfectly comfortable might make another quite nervous. We need to bridge this gap."
The research team’s approach involves specialized eyeglasses that observe how individuals scan their environment. These insights help autonomous systems understand each person's unique safety preferences and adapt accordingly. Picture an autonomous wheelchair that learns whether its user prefers to give other pedestrians a wide berth or is comfortable with closer encounters – all while maintaining core safety standards.
[caption id="attachment_37637" align="aligncenter" width="1184"] UW ECE student Kyshawn Warren (left), and UW students Senna Keesing and Marc Alwan pose with the specialized equipment used to study human-robot interactions. The sensor-equipped helmets track movements and speed, while eye-tracking glasses monitor gaze patterns. Top right: Marc Alwan models the eye-tracking. Bottom right: The customized hard hats with the Lab’s logo have sensors mounted to the top that track movement.[/caption]
The research tackles a crucial challenge in autonomous mobility: earning public trust. Traditional autonomous systems operate with fixed safety parameters, potentially making some users uncomfortable while frustrating others with overcautious behavior. Leung's team aims to create more nuanced systems that can recognize and respond to individual comfort levels.
The eye-tracking glasses, made by Pupil Labs, allow researchers to precisely monitor where subjects look when encountering autonomous systems, helping create more personalized safety parameters.[/caption]
Adapted from story by Amy Sprague / UW A&A; Photos by Dennis Wise / University of Washington
The future of building trustworthy autonomous systems may lie in wearing glasses. A&A Assistant Professor Karen Leung, with co-Principal Investigator Anat Caspi, director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, has received a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to explore how specialized eyeglasses could help autonomous vehicles and robots better understand and adapt to human comfort levels. Undergraduate researchers Senna Keesing (A&A), Marc Alwan (CSE) and Kyshawn Warren (UW ECE) are carrying out the research in Leung’s Control and Trustworthy Robotics Lab (CTRL).
This work stems from a simple observation: people aren't identical in their comfort levels around autonomous systems. "I've watched how people interact with autonomous systems in their daily lives," Leung shares. "What makes one person perfectly comfortable might make another quite nervous. We need to bridge this gap."
The research team’s approach involves specialized eyeglasses that observe how individuals scan their environment. These insights help autonomous systems understand each person's unique safety preferences and adapt accordingly. Picture an autonomous wheelchair that learns whether its user prefers to give other pedestrians a wide berth or is comfortable with closer encounters – all while maintaining core safety standards.
[caption id="attachment_37637" align="aligncenter" width="1184"] UW ECE student Kyshawn Warren (left), and UW students Senna Keesing and Marc Alwan pose with the specialized equipment used to study human-robot interactions. The sensor-equipped helmets track movements and speed, while eye-tracking glasses monitor gaze patterns. Top right: Marc Alwan models the eye-tracking. Bottom right: The customized hard hats with the Lab’s logo have sensors mounted to the top that track movement.[/caption]
The research tackles a crucial challenge in autonomous mobility: earning public trust. Traditional autonomous systems operate with fixed safety parameters, potentially making some users uncomfortable while frustrating others with overcautious behavior. Leung's team aims to create more nuanced systems that can recognize and respond to individual comfort levels.
Beyond wheelchairs, this research could transform how delivery robots navigate college campuses or how autonomous vehicles interact with pedestrians in urban environments. The project combines advances in computer vision, human behavior understanding, and adaptive control systems.
The NSF grant, jointly supported by the Dynamics, Controls, and System Diagnostics and Mind, Machine, and Motor Nexus Programs, underscores the project's interdisciplinary significance. Leung's team is particularly focused on including diverse perspectives in their research, actively engaging underrepresented groups in robotics and fostering collaboration between computer vision, controls, and robotics researchers.
[caption id="attachment_37645" align="alignleft" width="439"] Karen Leung, A&A Assistant Professor and Anat Caspi, Director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology[/caption]
"We're not just developing technology. We're working to create autonomous systems that truly understand and respect human preferences. That's the key to building trust."
Karen Leung, A&A Assistant Professor and Anat Caspi, Director of the Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology[/caption]
"We're not just developing technology. We're working to create autonomous systems that truly understand and respect human preferences. That's the key to building trust."
-
[caption id="attachment_37634" align="aligncenter" width="1220"] Kyshawn Warren models the eye-tracking glasses, which register real-time gaze data on a connected smartphone. Warren is a 4th-year undergraduate in the UW ECE Combined BS-MS program, with a research focus on computer vision for robotic applications and computing, including embedded systems and ASIC design.[/caption]
Below, Kyshawn Warren monitors a demo of the cameras and accompanying data collection. Warren's involvement in this project mainly includes utilizing the scene images and gaze location to determine what objects within a person’s view they consider to be safety critical for their navigation, and then tracking those objects as they remain within the person’s view.
"This research has been an eye-opening experience that has given me much insight into how much our brain does subconsciously and how we can visualize these things in a way that computers can learn from and apply for autonomous systems," says Warren. "Moving forward, my research lab and I will be working on implementing what we have learned, in addition to a path-planning algorithm, onto an autonomous system such as a wheelchair so that there can be autonomous navigation with human preference in mind."
UW ECE Professor Maryam Fazel is a program co-chair for the 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning, which will be held from July 13 to 19 in Vancouver, Canada. She is one of four faculty members from universities across the United States and Canada, who together are overseeing all aspects of peer-review of the paper submissions and of producing the event. Photo by Ryan Hoover / UW ECE[/caption]
Artificial intelligence is all over the news these days. This powerful technology comes with a bright promise to usher humanity into a new era of better health, connectivity, and prosperity. But it also holds the dark potential to disrupt economies, damage social systems, and perhaps even plunge our world into information chaos. With so much at stake, it might be encouraging to know that scientists and engineers recognize these serious issues with artificial intelligence and are tackling them right now, from every perspective imaginable.
A case in point resides within a subset of artificial intelligence that doesn’t get as much public attention — machine learning, a field of study aimed at developing statistical algorithms that can learn from data and perform tasks without explicit instructions. Machine learning is at the core of artificial intelligence. For example, machine learning enables large language models like ChatGPT, computer vision in self-driving cars like those at Waymo, and algorithms that underpin popular social media platforms like TikTok.
The upcoming 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning, which will be held from July 13 to 19 in Vancouver, Canada, is dedicated to the advancement and improvement of this branch of artificial intelligence. With well over 15,000 attendees expected this year, the ICML is the oldest, second-largest and fastest-growing conference of its kind in the world. Over 12,000 research papers focused on machine learning have been submitted to the conference as well as 350 “position papers,” which are designed to bring attention to urgent issues in machine learning, such as privacy, safety, algorithmic biases, and intellectual property concerns. Conference attendees will examine and discuss these topics in detail, a process that builds groundwork for solutions to some of the most urgent and complex problems that artificial intelligence and machine learning present today.
Register to attend the 2025 International Conference on Machine LearningUW ECE Professor Maryam Fazel is a program co-chair for this year’s Conference. She is one of four faculty members from universities across the United States and Canada, who together are overseeing all aspects of peer-review of the paper submissions and of producing the event. Fazel holds the Moorthy Family Career Inspiration Development Professorship, is the UW ECE Lytle Lectureship chair, and is director of the Institute for Foundations of Data Science at the UW, which brings together data science experts and tools from the mathematical, statistical, and algorithmic foundations of machine learning to address contemporary data science challenges. “It is a privilege for me to be a chair of this Conference. I’m trying very hard to make ICML the best it can be, serve all the communities that are involved, and contribute to the growth of the field,” Fazel said. “I’m also looking forward to the productive discussions we will have about issues and challenges related to artificial intelligence and machine learning.” I sat down with Fazel to learn more about this year’s ICML and how it will be contributing to the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Why is the ICML important?
We are living in a very exciting time for machine learning and artificial intelligence. The field is evolving rapidly and the progress is fast paced. In my experience, this is the first time that this field has gotten so much of society’s attention, and the impact is so visible and tangible. The advancement of these tools is beginning to have a very broad effect on society, and there are new, impactful developments almost every day. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are opening new ways to address some of the biggest challenges in science and engineering. For example, several of the Nobel prizes last year in scientific discovery went to researchers in machine learning and artificial intelligence. They used these tools for groundbreaking discoveries in physics, chemistry, and other sciences. That’s one very big and promising direction for these technologies. So, the pace of progress is really exciting. But as a researcher, this also gets me thinking about how to address some of the pressing issues arising with this technology. A lot of challenges are becoming more apparent over time. In general, AI systems have issues with reliability, interpretability, security and safety, privacy, and things like energy efficiency. All of these problems are unresolved. These are things that are being worked on now, and it’s exciting to try to address these issues. This conference provides us with an important forum to do that.Who attends the ICML?
A very broad range of academics — students, faculty, postdocs, researchers, teachers — but also industry researchers and non-academics. Attendees come from very different fields. There are people who work on algorithms, theoretical computer science, statistics, applied math, to people who do systems and hardware engineering and people who work on application areas for machine learning and artificial intelligence. It’s a broad mix of very different sets of people. The interaction between academia and industry in the Conference is also pretty strong. There is an industry expo, for example, where companies introduce their work, and they have interaction with Conference attendees. There’s also talks given by industry leaders and researchers.What does the ICML offer those who attend?
There are many different sessions, tutorials, and workshops. There are also talks by experts in the field, which includes six invited speakers who will give keynote talks. There are oral presentation sessions, in which there are short, 15-minute talks presented from selected papers in the Conference. There are also large, poster sessions throughout the Conference, in which many of the accepted papers are presented by their authors as posters. This is a very nice model that works well in these large-scale conferences. This way, authors and their audience can interact individually, and we can fit in many papers. Those who attend will get exposure to the most recent, most active research and development and progress in the field. So, it’s very educational. Also, given the breadth of the Conference, it helps to foster collaboration between different subfields and even outside the technical field of machine learning. I think people will gain a lot by learning directly, making new connections, networking, and being stimulated by new ideas for their own work.How would you describe research featured at the ICML?
The ICML has a broad focus on machine learning, so it touches upon many different aspects of the field. You can say it starts with general machine learning methods and tools and theory, but it also more specifically focuses on deep learning, evaluation of AI systems, things like meta-learning, human-AI interactions, learning theory that touches on statistical, mathematical, and algorithmic theory, optimization of machine learning models, and reinforcement learning. I’d also like to say that my co-chairs and I care a lot about the quality of the work that gets presented at the ICML. We also care about the quality and integrity of the complex peer-review process that selects research papers featured at the Conference. While there are challenges when the process has to scale up so fast from year to year (we had more than a 30% increase in the number of submissions this year over last), we have been working hard to put measures in place to ensure quality, integrity, and ability to scale in the future.What do you think will be the hot topics this year?
I think fundamental questions about how these systems work and how we can make them more robust, reliable, secure, safe, and interpretable will be hot topics as well as how scientific discovery will be revolutionized using artificial intelligence. These are some of the driving questions for current research. Plus, a topic that I think will be addressed in many of our position papers is the broader picture of how society should even think about these issues as artificial intelligence is integrated more and more in society. Things like interactions with the law, privacy, legality of accessing data, copyright, and intellectual property will be covered. These are really important issues that go outside of the technical field of machine learning, but the position papers as well as some of the invited keynote talks make that connection.Can you describe the different ways people can attend?
We are aiming to make the ICML as inclusive as possible. To that end, we are ensuring the venue is accessible for people with disabilities. We’re also providing on-site childcare and support for nursing mothers, so parents with small children can attend. All presenters will be live and in-person, but there is an option of registering for virtual attendance for those who cannot attend in-person. And all talks will be broadcast online and streamed, so the audience can participate remotely and virtually. A few weeks after the Conference has concluded, all the papers and posters presented will also be available on the ICML website.Is there anything else you would like people to know?
This Conference is open to everyone. Those who would like to attend should register early! There is a huge demand, and the venue size is limited, so if people are interested, they should act quickly. Visit the 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning website to learn more about the event. More information about Professor Maryam Fazel is available on her UW ECE bio page. [post_title] => The 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning: Q&A with Professor Maryam Fazel [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => the-2025-international-conference-on-machine-learning-qa-with-professor-maryam-fazel [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-03-21 11:48:01 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-03-21 18:48:01 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://www.ece.uw.edu/?post_type=spotlight&p=37402 [menu_order] => 3 [post_type] => spotlight [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 37375 [post_author] => 27 [post_date] => 2025-04-14 10:41:46 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-04-14 17:41:46 [post_content] => By Wayne Gillam, photos by Ryan Hoover / UW ECE News [caption id="attachment_37379" align="alignright" width="594"] UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed has a talent for connecting with students. He is known for his exceptional ability as an educator, the love and respect he has for his students, and his passion for teaching.[/caption]
UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed has a superpower — his unique ability to connect with students. He also has a super-powerful memory. Hameed memorizes and can recall the name of every student in his classes who talks to him at least once. That’s right, all of them. Hundreds of students take Hameed’s courses every quarter, but years later, he still remembers the names of everyone who spoke with him. For many students, he can also remember their personal interests as well as their academic and career goals. This superb recall is but one example of Hameed’s exceptional ability as an educator, which stems from the love and respect he has for his students and his passion for teaching.
“At times, it can freak students out when three or five years later, I still remember their name and some of their interests. I’m not trying. After a while, it’s just there in my memory,” Hameed said. “I believe it is a privilege to teach. I purposefully memorize my students’ names because that’s a way of showing respect and investing in our connection.”
As his students can attest, Hameed is an extraordinary professor.
[caption id="attachment_37622" align="alignleft" width="514"] UW ECE undergraduate Kyle Orth has taken several courses from Hameed.[/caption]
“From the moment one enters Professor Hameed’s classroom, it becomes clear that he is far more than an instructor. He strives to learn each individual’s name, creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect,” said UW ECE undergraduate Feier Long, who has served as a teaching assistant for Hameed. “He is a genuine mentor who inspires individuals to grow and discover their potential. He does not merely teach, he guides, encourages, and supports in a way that leaves a lasting impression on those fortunate enough to learn from him."
“Professor Hameed is an exceptional instructor. He is passionate, goes above and beyond to engage his students, and clearly wants us not only to succeed in his classes, but also to grow in our enthusiasm for the field,” said UW ECE undergraduate Kyle Orth. “He is an extremely interesting person to talk to, not only for his expertise in the field, but particularly for his eagerness to connect you to resources that will help you succeed. He loves getting to know people and has an unmatched passion for helping students understand complex topics in electrical and computer engineering.”
In 2023, Hameed received a UW ECE Outstanding Teaching Award in recognition of his contributions to the Department and the impact he has had on students. This honor, received early in his career, could make one wonder how Hameed developed his “superpowers” in the classroom. There is no doubt that some of his exceptional abilities were there from birth, but others were formed by his upbringing, environment, and journey to UW ECE.
Connecting knowledge with purpose
[caption id="attachment_37392" align="alignright" width="590"] UW ECE Professor Denise Wilson presenting Hameed with the 2023 Outstanding Teaching Award certificate in an awards ceremony held in the Allen Center Atrium.[/caption]
Hameed grew up in Southern India, in the city of Hyderabad. As a child, he became fascinated with remote-controlled toy cars that his father brought home for him to play with. He wanted to learn how the cars worked and how signals were sent through the air. This childhood fascination soon blossomed into a lasting interest in other electronic devices. He also was born into a family environment and culture that emphasized science and technology. This mix of nature and nurture pointed him toward engineering early in life.
Surprisingly, Hameed said that he wasn’t a particularly good student until college. He had trouble seeing the value and practical purpose for what he was taught in high school. Despite this fact, He attended Osmania University in Hyderabad. There, he learned first-hand the difference good teachers can make in a student’s life. At Osmania University, Hameed had instructors who took the time to show him how what he was learning was relevant to the real world. This was the missing spark. Once Hameed could connect theoretical knowledge with practical applications, he could see purpose for the work he was doing. This then motivated him to study hard and excel. In 2005, he earned his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering, graduating with highest distinction.
“When I teach something, and students are able to make connections, and things start making sense to them, I can see it in their eyes, I can see it in their face. That, to me, is rewarding.” — UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed[caption id="attachment_37624" align="alignleft" width="1196"]
Hameed giving a lesson to EE 242 and EE 233 students during one of his popular "active group office hours" sessions. Pictured left to right: Kyle Orth, Rachel Juliet Walland, Sophie McGee, Qifeng Yang, Jiwei Zheng, Frankie Lee Reyna, Max Gonzalez, Nathan S Joslin, with Leeza Leonova seated with back to the camera.[/caption]
Hameed then chose to make a big leap, moving from India to America. He attended the University of Kansas, where he received his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering. He said he learned how to be a good teacher from the instructors there, such as professors Rongqing Hui, David Petr, and James Stiles. He worked as a lecturer for a year at the University before completing his doctoral studies in 2016 and accepting a position as lecturer at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he worked for five years. In early 2022, Hameed and his family moved to Seattle, so his wife could accept a job opportunity while he continued to work remotely.
“Leaving RPI was one of the most difficult things for me to do because the bonds that I had formed with students and faculty were very strong,” Hameed said. “But there was a promising opening at UW ECE. So, I applied, was accepted, and I started working here.”
In September 2022, Hameed joined UW ECE as an assistant teaching professor. Since then, he has built a solid reputation for excellence among students, faculty, and staff in the Department. In addition to instructing students, Hameed conducts engineering education research. He has received grants to develop hands-on activities in core classes as well as explore issues students face related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In September 2024, he joined the UW ECE Office of the Chair as undergraduate program coordinator for the Department.
“I work with the advising team to identify areas of improvement. Given that I am well connected with students, it’s quite easy for me to get a feel for what problems are bothering them and what can be solved,” Hameed said. “We have amazing students, faculty, and staff. And, to me, it’s a family. I feel like I’m connected to the soul of the Department.”
An educator who loves to teach
Hameed teaches 10 courses at UW ECE. Most of these courses are for undergraduates, but two are graduate-level. In the spring, he plans to teach two more graduate-level courses that will be part of the Department’s Professional Master’s Program. He said he likes this full workload and structure because it allows him to be with students throughout their undergraduate studies and into the start of graduate-level work. And if it’s not clear by now, Hameed loves to teach. “I sometimes tell my wife that I don’t know if I’m living to teach or teaching to live. It holds a really special value for me, an emotional one.” Hameed said. “I try to teach students in a way that is inspiring. I think that is about relevance, about students feeling that they can make a change for good in the world. If they can get inspired by that idea, no one can stop them.” Motivated by his own undergraduate experience connecting knowledge with purpose, Hameed said he wants his students to make that same sort of connection. To this end, he works toward helping students see how in-class learning can be applied to solving problems and addressing challenges in business, government, and society at large. [caption id="attachment_37626" align="alignleft" width="1203"] (left) Hameed teaching the EE 233 Circuit Theory course during winter 2025 quarter; (right) Hameed talks with a group of UW ECE undergraduate students during office hours, including, left to right, Grace Liu, Grace Kara Lee, and Ayush Kulkarni (foreground).[/caption]
“Professor Hameed does a wonderful job of giving us context throughout each course of where we are headed,” Orth said. “He ties theoretical knowledge to practical examples, along with anecdotes about what sorts of real-world problems are solved with the techniques and skills we are taught in class.”
Hameed goes the extra mile for his students by providing helpful coaching and advice both in and out of class. He also constructs rigorous exams to ensure that his students’ knowledge is solid. Hameed said he realized that engineering can sometimes be a difficult field, one that requires determination and commitment for success.
“In order for me to teach my students well, I have to give them everything I have. But in order for them to know what their limits are, I have to test them in a challenging manner,” Hameed said. “Without that challenge, I’m disrespecting the student. At some time during the student’s life, there is a point where they accept that all the struggle is worth it. That’s the moment I’m after.”
Hameed said he is continually refining his teaching and mentorship techniques. He collaborates on engineering education research with the Office for the Advancement of Engineering Teaching & Learning in the UW College of Engineering. He also is planning future collaborations with UW ECE faculty who study engineering education, such as professors Denise Wilson, John Raiti, and Sep Makhsous. This spring, he will also be a part of the Washington State Academic RedShirt (STARS) resilience program by participating in Fail Forward, an event where UW leaders share stories with students about how personal failures can build resilience and help lay the foundation for future success.
Building community and looking ahead
In the future, Hameed said he plans to continue designing new engineering courses that are interesting and inspiring to students. He also intends to take on more administrative roles, so he can influence positive change and build community in the Department. He anticipates remaining committed to engineering education research. His latest research paper investigates the transformative potential of scheduled, informal interactions between students and teachers in large engineering classes, and the paper will be published soon. Other activities Hameed enjoys are being an adviser for the UW Washington Hyperloop club and the UW Boring Club (an engineering projects club). He also plans to participate in the UW Peaks and Professors hiking group. Outside of his interests in electrical and computer engineering, Hameed loves to play cricket and racquetball. He also enjoys cooking. [caption id="attachment_37628" align="alignleft" width="1200"] Hameed answers a question from UW ECE student Stephen Wilson Ottaway, while students Rachel Juliet Walland and Sophie McGee wait their turns to speak with Hameed.[/caption]
When asked what advice he might offer undergraduate students, Hameed said that he would like to see students focus more on the learning experience, rather than on their grade point average. He emphasized that success in engineering is not necessarily about good grades or high intelligence, but rather, it is about the amount of time and energy a student is willing to put into learning. He also expressed a hope that his teaching and mentorship will enable students to succeed in their own careers and then use their skills to do good in the world. Judging from what his students say, he is well on his way to achieving this goal.
“If I could start over my entire ECE journey, I would gladly take all my core classes with Professor Hameed. He is an invaluable asset to the Department, and his mentorship has profoundly enriched my academic journey,” Long said. “His enthusiasm and passion go beyond teaching — he genuinely cares about helping students recognize and reach their full potential. I will always be grateful for the impact he has had on me and my education.”
Learn more about UW ECE Associate Teaching Professor Mahmood Hameed on his bio page.
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[post_content] => Adapted from an article by Arden Clise, UW Bioengineering
[caption id="attachment_36802" align="alignright" width="575"] Amy Orsborn, a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at the UW, has been awarded a 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to early-career researchers in the U.S and Canada. Photo by Ryan Hoover / UW ECE[/caption]
Amy Orsborn, a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at the UW, has been awarded a 2025 Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to early-career researchers in the U.S and Canada. The competitive fellowship recognizes 126 promising scholars with leadership potential. Many past fellows have later earned Nobel Prizes and National Medals of Science.
Orsborn’s research is focused on understanding motor learning principles to enhance movement-restoring therapies. Her work combines engineering and neuroscience to develop brain-machine interfaces that restore, replace and augment nervous system function, particularly for movement disorders such as paralysis from spinal cord injuries or strokes. Her lab works to make these interfaces more effective by tapping into neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt) and using them to better understand how learning happens in the brain.
In her Sloan Research Fellowship nomination letter, UW Bioengineering Professor and Chair Princess Imoukhuede wrote, “What makes Dr. Orsborn unique is her computational mindset, rooted in her engineering and physics background, combined with her deep expertise in experimental systems neuroscience. She performs cutting-edge experiments in non-human primates and humans using advanced computational and neurophysiological tools to reveal new insights into how neural circuits learn.”
The two-year fellowship provides awardees with $75,000 which can be applied to any expenses that supports their research endeavors. “The award will help us continue to take new risks and explore new projects,” Orsborn said. “Its support will help us go a little deeper and tackle harder questions.”
In addition to the Sloan Research Fellowship, Orsborn has received numerous awards and honors including a National Science Foundation Career Award, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Emerging Leaders Program Award and the inaugural Washington Research Foundation – Ronald S. Howell Distinguished Faculty Fellowship.
To learn more about Prof. Orsborn and her research, visit her faculty page or lab website. This fellowship announcement is also in UW News.
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[post_content] => By Wayne Gillam / UW ECE News
[caption id="attachment_36778" align="alignright" width="600"] UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley studies superconductors and magnets, searching for ways to fine-tune the atomic disorder landscape in these materials and leverage their unique properties for quantum technology development. Photo by Ryan Hoover / UW ECE[/caption]
Imperfection and disorder are part of life. This is true, not only on the level of everyday reality with which we are most familiar, but also within all matter at the smallest scales imaginable. At the nanoscale, ordered atomic lattices that make up solid-state materials contain impurities, dislocations, bends, and vacancies in their grids. And in some materials important to engineering, such as superconductors and magnets, this disorder can actually be useful, for example, helping scientists and engineers control the motion of a nanoscale whirlpool of electrical current called a “quantum vortex.” Superconductors and magnets can host a multitude of these tiny vortices, which can be thought of as mini-tornadoes of electrical current or electron spins, swirling around, interacting with, and disrupting electrical currents within the materials.
UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley studies these vortices. Her lab, the Eley Quantum Materials Group, examines superconductors and magnets, searching for ways to fine-tune the atomic disorder landscape in these materials and leverage their unique properties for quantum technology development. Her research involves finding ways to control the motion and formation of quantum vortices by optimizing defects in superconductors, work aimed at further enhancing conductivity and reducing energy loss. For example, she was recently part of an international research team that achieved the maximum critical current that has ever been measured in an iron-based superconductor to date, groundbreaking work that was described in the journal Nature Materials. Her research also includes studying defects and a vortex-like excitation in magnets called a “skyrmion.” These quasi-particles are showing promise as information carriers for spintronic devices, which encode information in the spin of an electron. Spintronic devices have proven to be useful in computing, data storage, and even biomedical applications. They also have several advantages over conventional electronics, such as faster switching speeds, higher data storage density, and lower energy consumption.
“We try to increase our fundamental understanding of superconductivity and magnetism in a way that can contribute to a wide range of applications. But when designing superconductors, we also have to consider the impact of vortices,” Eley said. “It affects all these applications. So, when designing the material or the device, we have to think about how to lessen the impact of vortices in some instances and how to maximize their effectiveness in others.”
Superconductors and magnets are already in wide use today — from magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scanners that look deep inside the body to gamma ray detectors of clandestine nuclear material to bolometers used in x-ray astronomy. They have been implemented in medical, military, security, and power applications as well as quantum computing and sensing. Because Eley’s research contributes to expanding fundamental knowledge about superconductivity and magnetism, her work could contribute to advancing technology in all of these areas. But her research is primarily aimed at the development of quantum computing systems, which show great promise for facilitating significant breakthroughs in science, medicine, and engineering.
A physicist who is also an engineer
[caption id="attachment_36780" align="alignright" width="500"] Jiangteng (Ivan) Liu, a UW doctoral student in physics, with Eley in her lab at UW ECE. Liu is drawing a magnetization loop, which describes how the current-carrying capacity of a superconductor varies with an applied magnetic field. Photo by Dennis Wise / University of Washington[/caption]
Eley became fascinated with superconductivity in elementary school, after reading an article about maglev trains, which use a combination of superconductors and magnets to achieve a stable levitation state. She realized, even at a young age, that she wanted to learn more about superconductivity and magnetism, so she set her mind toward pursuing a career in science. She attended a science and technology high school in Northern Virginia and later went on to Caltech, where she received her bachelor’s degree in physics in 2002. After graduation, she spent a year as a research assistant and a Henry Luce Scholar at the International Superconductivity Technology Center in Tokyo, Japan. She then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where, in 2012, she earned her doctoral degree in physics.
After graduate school, Eley worked for two years at Sandia National Laboratories designing silicon-based devices composed of quantum dot nanostructures. This was followed by three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she studied vortex dynamics in superconductors. In 2018, she accepted a position as an assistant professor of physics at the Colorado School of Mines. And in January 2023, she joined UW ECE as a tenure-track assistant professor. Eley said she made the move to UW ECE because of the number and caliber of graduate students in the Department as well as access to state-of-the-art facilities, such as those available at the Washington Nanofabrication Facility and the UW Molecular Engineering Materials Center.
“I’m in an electrical engineering department, but I definitely think like a physicist because that’s my background,” Eley said. “In physics, you’re usually trying to develop fundamental knowledge, rather than design a device or a system. But my research has always been forward thinking in terms of exploring how fundamental properties connect to applications, so it ends up working well in an electrical engineering department.”
In addition to the Luce award, Eley received the John Bardeen award at the University of Illinois for her doctoral dissertation, which explored proximity effects and vortex dynamics in nanostructured superconductors. She also has received many other awards and honors, such as a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Joseph A. Johnson III Award for Excellence, a Goddard Award for Best Research Contribution at the NASA Academy Goddard Space Flight Center, and a Cottrell Scholars Award.
The Eley Quantum Materials Group
[caption id="attachment_36783" align="alignright" width="500"] Members of the Eley Quantum Materials Group in Ely’s lab at UW ECE. From left to right: Chris Matsumura, UW doctoral student in physics; Rohin Tangirala, UW ECE doctoral student; Chaman Gupta (on ladder), UW doctoral student in materials science and engineering; UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley; Raahul Potluri (BSEE ‘24), UW ECE post baccalaureate student; Jiangteng (Ivan) Liu, UW doctoral student in physics. Photo by Dennis Wise / University of Washington[/caption]
Eley’s lab at UW ECE includes undergraduate and graduate students from a range of disciplines, including electrical and computer engineering, physics, and materials science. Her UW collaborators include Jiun-Haw Chu, an associate professor in the physics department, who creates high-quality superconducting and magnetic materials for Eley’s research experiments. Eley is also a faculty member of the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems and QuantumX at the University.
Eley’s specialty is vortex physics, and the overarching goal of her research is to study the effects of disorder on the electronic and magnetic properties of quantum materials and devices. To this end, she and her research team study vortex dynamics in superconductors, the effects of disorder on skyrmion dynamics in magnetic materials, and energy loss mechanisms in superconducting quantum circuits. Eley is also leading a concerted effort to move toward predictive design in a field that has traditionally relied on trial and error to discover and improve superconducting and magnetic materials.
“In an ideal world, we would be able to improve our understanding of vortex physics enough that we could, based on some basic parameters of the material, design the optimal defect landscape without so much trial and error,” Eley said. “For example, in different superconductors and based on each material’s properties, we want to figure out what the ideal disorder landscape might look like, so we can maximize the current-carrying capacity of the material.”
A dedicated educator
[caption id="attachment_36785" align="alignright" width="500"] Eley with students, standing next to a magnetometer in her lab. The group is discussing magnetic phases in iron-based superconducting crystals and corresponding effects on the motion of superconducting quantum vortices in the material. Photo by Dennis Wise / University of Washington[/caption]
Eley teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses at UW ECE. She has also worked with Department staff members May Lim, director of industry and professional programs, and Rebecca Carlson, career and industry programs manager, to start a UW ECE Industry Mentors program. Many leading companies, such as Boeing, Airbus, Intel, and Rigetti Computing are participating. This effort connects undergraduates with mentors who are working in fields related to the students’ career interests. She noted that students are not usually given this sort of opportunity until they are seniors, at which point it is too late for them to go back and select courses related to their mentorship experience.
“I think it’s important to connect freshman and sophomore-level undergraduates with mentors who are actively working in their goal fields,” Eley said. “These professionals are best positioned to provide students with up-to-date advice on what they should be doing and what courses they should be taking to create a strong academic profile for career goals.”
Eley said that she enjoys teaching and the challenge of explaining complex topics to students. She also has some advice for them. For undergraduates, she recommends that every summer be spent in an internship. This provides opportunities to try out different working environments long before choosing a job. For graduate students, she advises them to focus on one project or research direction and prove their ability by getting results. More specifically, she said it is important for graduate students to demonstrate their technical capabilities, scientific communication skills, and analytical ability (being able to extract the science from their technical accomplishments) before moving on to seek professional development opportunities.
As exemplified by her advice to students, quantum science and engineering is a field that requires rigorous discipline. And Eley is no stranger to a disciplined approach professionally or personally. Outside of the UW, she spends much of her free time training for 100-mile ultramarathons. In 2024, she completed the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run, which summits multiple 13,000-foot peaks in southern Colorado, and the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc in Chamonix, France, which winds its way for 110 miles through France, Switzerland, and Italy. Other notable performances include finishing as the third-fastest female runner in the 2023 Grindstone Trail Running Festival in Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains and the second-fastest female in the 2017 Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles.
Running 100-mile races takes grit, determination, and a special kind of love for an uncommon interest. It could be argued that these character traits lend themselves well to quantum science and engineering. Building a successful career in this field also takes a special interest and discipline. It perhaps even benefits from a sense of awe and fascination with the subject matter, much like what Eley has demonstrated since childhood.
“I think I will always be fascinated by superconductivity. I understand the math, but still, it can be hard to fully comprehend,” Eley said. “It’s like flying in an airplane. You may understand the concept of lift and the supporting mathematics. But still, it’s pretty amazing to realize that a plane can fly without falling. That’s how I feel about superconductivity.”
For more information about UW ECE Assistant Professor Serena Eley, her research, and work as an educator, visit her bio page.
[post_title] => Serena Eley — studying superconductivity, magnetism, and disorder in quantum materials
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[post_date] => 2025-02-03 14:26:02
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[post_content] => By Wayne Gillam / UW ECE News
[caption id="attachment_36551" align="alignright" width="600"] UW ECE and Physics Professor Arka Majumdar and his students have collaborated with Princeton University to build a new type of compact camera engineered for computer vision. Their prototype (shown above) uses optics for computing, significantly reducing power consumption and enabling the camera to identify objects at the speed of light. Photo by Ilya Chugunov, courtesy of Princeton University[/caption]
Collaboration can be a beautiful thing, especially when people work together to create something new. Take, for example, a longstanding collaboration between Arka Majumdar, a UW professor in electrical and computer engineering and physics, and Felix Heide, an assistant professor of computer science at Princeton University. Together, they and their students have produced some eye-popping and groundbreaking research, including shrinking a camera down to the size of a grain of salt while still capturing crisp, clear images.
Now, the pair is building on this work, recently publishing a paper in Science Advances that describes a new kind of compact camera engineered for computer vision — a type of artificial intelligence that allows computers to recognize objects in images and video. Majumdar and Heide’s research prototype uses optics for computing, significantly reducing power consumption and enabling the camera to identify objects at the speed of light. Their device also represents a new approach to the field of computer vision.
“This is a completely new way of thinking about optics, which is very different from traditional optics. It’s end-to-end design, where the optics are designed in conjunction with the computational block,” Majumdar said. “Here, we replaced the camera lens with engineered optics, which allows us to put a lot of the computation into the optics.”
[caption id="attachment_36593" align="alignleft" width="350"] Majumdar (left) and Felix Heide, an assistant professor of computer science at Princeton University. Photos by Ryan Hoover (UW ECE) and Steven Schultz (Princeton University)[/caption]
“There are really broad applications for this research, from self-driving cars, self-driving trucks and other robotics to medical devices and smartphones. Nowadays, every iPhone has AI or vision technology in it,” added Heide, who was the principal investigator and senior author of the Science Advances paper. “This work is still at a very early stage, but all of these applications could someday benefit from what we are developing.”
Heide and his students at Princeton provided the design for the camera prototype, which is a compact, optical computing chip. Majumdar contributed his expertise in optics to help engineer the camera, and he and his students fabricated the chip in the Washington Nanofabrication Laboratory. The UW side of this multi-institutional research team included Johannes Froech, a UW ECE postdoctoral scholar, and James Whitehead (Ph.D. ‘22), who was a UW ECE doctoral student in Majumdar’s lab when this research took place.
Replacing a camera lens with engineered optics
[caption id="attachment_36554" align="alignright" width="500"] Instead of using a traditional camera lens made out of glass or plastic, the optics in this camera relies on layers of 50 meta-lenses — flat, lightweight optical components that use microscopic nanostructures to manipulate light. These meta-lenses fit into a compact, optical computing chip (shown above), which was fabricated in the Washington Nanofabrication Laboratory by Majumdar and his students. Photo by Ilya Chugunov, courtesy of Princeton University[/caption]
Instead of using a traditional camera lens made out of glass or plastic, the optics in this camera relies on layers of 50 meta-lenses — flat, lightweight optical components that use microscopic nanostructures to manipulate light. The meta-lenses also function as an optical neural network, which is a computer system that is a form of artificial intelligence modeled on the human brain. This unique approach has a couple of key advantages. First, it’s fast. Because much of the computation takes place at the speed of light, the system can identify and classify images more than 200 times faster than neural networks that use conventional computer hardware, and with comparable accuracy. Second, because the optics in the camera rely on incoming light to operate, rather than electricity, the power consumption is greatly reduced.
“Our idea was to use some of the work that Arka pioneered on metasurfaces to bring some of those computations that are traditionally done electronically into the optics at the speed of light,” Heide said. “By doing so, we produced a new computer vision system that performs a lot of the computation optically.”
Majumdar and Heide say that they intend to continue their collaboration. Next steps for this research include further iterations, evolving the prototype so it is more relevant for autonomous navigation in self-driving vehicles. This is an application area they both have identified as promising. They also plan to work with more complex data sets and problems that take greater computing power to solve, such as object detection (locating specific objects within an image), which is an important feature for computer vision.
“Right now, this optical computing system is a research prototype, and it works for one particular application,” Majumdar said. “However, we see it eventually becoming broadly applicable to many technologies. That, of course, remains to be seen, but here, we demonstrated the first step. And it is a big step forward compared to all other existing optical implementations of neural networks.”
The article, “Spatially varying nanophotonic neural networks,” was published Nov. 8 in Science Advances. In addition to Majumdar, Froech, Whitehead, and Heide, co-authors include Kaixuan Wei, Xiao Li, Praneeth Chakravarthula, and Ethan Tseng. The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a Packard Foundation Fellowship, a Sloan Research Fellowship, a Disney Research Award, a Bosch Research Award, an Amazon Science Research Award, a Google Ph.D. Fellowship, and Project X, an innovation fund of Princeton’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.
[post_title] => A camera that can identify objects at the speed of light
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