Shuai Zhang - ECE PhD Student of the Month - October 2022
Shuai Zhang received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Helen and John C. Hartmann Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NJIT in 2022. Currently, he is working as a Postdoctoral researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. His research interests include 6G wireless communications, Internet of Things, Mobile Edge Computing, optical networks, UAV-assisted communications and artificial intelligence in wireless networks.
What do you think would be an impactful move in your research area?
UAV-assisted heterogeneous network has attracted significant attention due to its wide range of applications, such as disaster rescue and recovery, aerial camera, ground macro base station (MBS) traffic offloading, and communications for temporary events. The UAV-assisted heterogeneous network can effectively provision line of sight (LoS) communication links and therefore can mitigate potential signal shadowing and blockage. The regulation relaxation and cost reduction of UAVs as well as communication equipment miniaturization make the practical deployment of highly mobile wireless relays more feasible than before. Besides, machine learning-based methods and artificial neural networks provide a new solution to problems that cannot be handled by traditional optimization methods and is seen as another potential game changer in 6G wireless communications.
What is a mesmerizing moment during your time at NJIT?
I have enjoyed my studies and research in the ECE department during my Ph.D. study at NJIT. I benefited and learned a lot from the courses I took in my first two years of study. My advisor has been very supportive of my research and he is my role model as a lifelong learner. Even as a Distinguished Professor in the ECE department, he is still working hard like a graduate student. I still remember the first time when I sent him the draft manuscript of my paper to scrutinize, I received his reply at 2 am! It is impossible for me to publish those papers without his responsive help and critical thinking. The research attitude of my advisor influenced me a lot and I am sure it will continue to inspire me in the future.
Where do you hope to see yourself in a few years?
I see myself as a faculty member of a research-oriented university after my postdoc training at KTH. Being a professor and keep learning new technologies has always been my dream. Influenced by a family where a lot of members are high school or middle teachers, I enjoyed helping people, teaching, and learning and found myself comfortable in such an environment. I also worked as a home teacher when I was an undergraduate student and witnessed the improvement of my students achieved under my tutoring, which further makes me believe I fit into academia.
What strengths have you gained from your TA experience?
I believe being a TA during the Ph.D. is a good rehearsal for those who plan to go to academia after graduation. For those who want to go into the industry, it is also a beneficial experience to enhance their communication skills, which have always been a critical criterion when companies are hiring people. Meanwhile, I believe, as the Chinese proverb says, teaching benefits teachers as well as students. During the teaching, I learned how to present my ideas more clearly to the listeners and I also learned a lot from the students in the after-class discussion.
Please share your experience on advancing to a research career after the PhD study.
It was actually a coincidence that I managed to secure a Postdoc at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. At first, I was planning to continue my research career in the U.S. However, there are always things that you cannot control in your life. The available postdoc positions for me in the U.S. do not match my research direction. So, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and explore more parts of the world. I have to say once you’re prepared thoroughly in every manner, the only thing you need is just a chance. Last but not least - do not put limits on yourself. If you can dream it, you can achieve it!