Aseel Zenati - ECE PhD Student of the Month - September 2024
Aseel Zeinati is a second-year Ph.D. student advised by Professor Misra at the VLSI lab. Her research is centered on characterizing the next generation of non-volatile memory, such as resistive random access-memory (RRAM), for in-memory and neuromorphic computing, with the goal of replacing the conventional computing systems in use today. She attends several ECS (Electrochemical Society) conferences. As a mother of two children, she is also a talented storyteller, a skill that has honed her ability to break down complex concepts into easily understandable information. This talent has been particularly valuable in training graduate, undergraduate, and high school students who joined NJIT during the summer. She also holds a master’s degree from NJIT and strongly believes that the world seems simpler because engineers create user-friendly interfaces that bridge the gap between people and complex technologies.
What do you think will be the next big move in your field of study?
The next big move will be the development of hybrid computing architectures that combine conventional processors with RRAM-based in-memory computing units. This could lead to significant enhancements in energy efficiency and processing speed. This would be especially relevant for AI workloads that require massive parallel processing and data movement.
Despite still working on research towards the degree, you have already completed the coursework required by your PhD study, and probably will not take more regular courses in the rest of your days at a school. Do you miss when you were taking regular courses, doing homework and taking exams? What do you miss particularly?
I do miss the structure of courses and exams. Courses provide a clear path to follow and a way to evaluate your knowledge. Homework and exams, although not always enjoyable, offer valuable practice and the adrenaline to challenge yourself. In contrast, research requires creating your own plan to keep learning efficiently. As a researcher and a mother, I find it fascinating to learn about how humans learn, which has deepened my understanding of the learning process. While research takes us back to the natural way people learn, courses with specific references act as training, preparing us before we have the freedom to build our own learning plans.
The US is going through another major national endeavor in semiconductors and IC. As a PhD student studying in the area, what academic and industrial opportunities do you see brought by this hype?
There are a significant amount of opportunities in both academia and industry. In academia, it opens up numerous new research topics as the field of transistors reaches saturation, which will lead to increased funding for research. It will also open the way for the development of more courses and training programs to keep up with emerging technologies. On the industrial side, it creates new job opportunities for designers and materials science engineers to ensure compatibility with existing infrastructures.