Farzana Rahman, an associate teaching professor in electrical engineering and computer science (EECS), has received the Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence in Outstanding Contributions to the Student Experience and University Initiatives. This award acknowledges faculty and staff who enhance the undergraduate experience for students or make contributions to supporting and advancing the University’s mission and goals through their work.  

Rahman joined the College of Engineering and Computer Science in the spring of 2020. Over the past 12 years as an educator, she has blended evidence-based teaching practices with personalized mentoring, inclusive curriculum design and a deep commitment to student-centered learning. She has also designed and led multiple student engagement and experience initiatives to ensure that EECS students are not only successful in their studies but also feel a strong sense of belonging, agency and purpose.  

Among her achievements in student engagement is the Inclusion Triangle, a framework to address three critical dimensions of student success: access, belonging and agency. Rahman also created Research Exposure for Students from Historically Overlooked and Resource-Constrained backgrounds (RESORC), which is a signature student engagement program that provides early research exposure to students who have traditionally faced systemic barriers, supporting students in building both technical expertise and a strong research identity.  

“Receiving the Chancellor’s Award is both an incredible honor and a deeply personal milestone. It reflects the heart of my work—creating spaces where every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to thrive,” she says. “For me, this recognition goes beyond individual achievement; it represents the shared journeys, challenges, and growth I’ve been privileged to experience alongside my students and colleagues.  

“This award affirms my belief in the transformative power of inclusion, mentorship, and student-centered learning in higher education. It renews my commitment to fostering learning environments and student experiences where every student feels a true sense of belonging and is equipped to reach their fullest potential—both within the university and far beyond it.” 

The Chancellor’s Citation for Excellence award will be presented to Rahman at the One University Awards Ceremony, an annual event to honor members of the Syracuse University community who are making a difference through academics, work and dedicated service. The ceremony will be held Friday, April 11, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.  

“I am deeply grateful to my incredible colleagues whose support have been instrumental in shaping and sustaining my work, to my amazing students who continue to inspire me with their curiosity, resilience, and passion, and to Syracuse University for providing me with the platform to bring these ideas to life and create meaningful impact in computing education.”  

Chilukuri K. Mohan, professor in electrical engineering and computer science, and his Ph.D. student Youchuan Wang G’20 G’24 have received the Best Paper Award at the 17^th Annual Conference on Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BICOB). Established in 2009, BICOB is one of the most recognized conferences in the fields of bioinformatics and computational biology. The conference is committed to creating an engaging environment for scientists to connect, present and publish their research findings, methodologies and studies. 

BICOB-2025 took place in San Francisco, California from March 17-18 where Wang presented their paper, “Transitive Reduction and Cluster Normalization for Improved Gene Regulatory Network Inference.” Biological processes require complex sequences of expression of various genes, generating RNA and proteins and regulatory networks are sparse graphs that model which genes influence which other genes. Wang and Mohan’s research applies machine learning and computational methods to learn such models from available data. 

Aicha Gory’s ’26 fascination with problem-solving made a career in computer science an ideal choice for her. With a strong background in STEM, she remained committed to her goals, even when faced with challenges as she navigated a new country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these obstacles, her dedication to pursuing education fueled her resilience. 

“Coming from Senegal, adapting to a new environment and navigating remote learning while improving my English ability was intimidating, but it also taught me resilience and adaptability,” says Gory.  

After completing an online course at Syracuse University in the summer of 2021, Gory had an opportunity to visit the University’s campus, an experience that was crucial to her decision to attend the college.   

“I enjoyed the powerful sense of community and the faculty’s help during the online session, which gave me confidence that Syracuse is a place where I might succeed,” she says. “I wanted to attend a school with a strong engineering department, and Syracuse’s combination of academic brilliance and a welcoming environment made it the perfect choice for me.”  

Throughout her academic journey at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Gory has had the opportunity to explore her passions through internships. As an operations analyst intern at a financial institution, she improved financial accuracy by managing and verifying over 100 daily deposit transactions, ensured regulatory compliance and reduced errors.  

She’s also been involved with the Research Exposure in Socially Relevant Computing (RESORC) program, where she attends research meetings, participates in technical research, soft skills-building sessions and collaborates with peers to brainstorm research topics.  

“I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned and contribute to impactful research. Also, I am in the steps of working on a project related to virtual reality with my professor from my VR class, which I am excited about. This opportunity will allow me to practice what I’ve learned in class and gain more experience.”  

In addition to her academics, Gory holds positions in many clubs including the Secretary for the Society of Women Engineers, the Conference Planning Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers and an Academic Excellence Workshop Facilitator. Gory is also a mentor in the Catalyst Scholars program, which supports first-generation college students.  

This role is perfect for her since she understands the struggles these students face and helps them adjust to college life as they navigate their academic journey. She also assists the admissions office with student panels, which allows her to “give back and help others who are in a similar position as a first-generation student.”  

When she’s not juggling various responsibilities, Gory enjoys cooking, spending time with loved ones, watching sunsets and playing Badminton. She seeks to become a data scientist in healthcare, finance, business, or technology.  

“Take time to care for yourself and enjoy the process of learning and growth. Remember, never compare yourself to others. We all have different paths, and the end goal is to simply keep moving forward and make it.”  

Moamer Hasanovic brings broad teaching experiences across multiple areas of electrical engineering as a professor in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Get to know him as he discusses his career path, research interests, and his role as a faculty member in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Tell us about yourself and what brought you to Syracuse University.

With a diverse background in RF industrial expertise, quantum research, and teaching experience across multiple areas of electrical engineering, I am excited to bring my knowledge and innovative spirit to Syracuse University. My career has evolved from mentoring students as a lab technician to teaching electromagnetics and RF courses, conducting research, and managing grant-funded projects in photonics and quantum technology.

My work has resulted in several patents, demonstrating my ability to turn theoretical concepts into practical applications. Over two decades of academic experience at multiple institutions, both in the United States and abroad, I have mentored students in electronics, RF systems, optics, and quantum. In addition, my MBA and corporate experience allow me to bridge the academic and industrial worlds, promoting collaboration, internships, and innovation.  

What sparked your interest in teaching at Syracuse University?

I was attracted to Syracuse University by its dynamic faculty team, which blends the experience of established faculty with the fresh perspectives of new colleagues. The university is uniquely positioned to make significant contributions to research and workforce development in emerging fields such as quantum technologies and chip manufacturing. With my background in workforce development and training, I would like to leverage my professional connections to improve collaboration with academic and corporate partners in semiconductor chip fabrication, integrated photonics, and quantum. My expertise complements well with the institutional needs in these areas. As a proud Syracuse University alum, I also feel a deep sense of responsibility to give back to both the university and the local community, making my return to Syracuse especially meaningful.  

What are your research interests?

I have spent over twenty years in the RF industry, holding various roles focused on board-level RF component design and development across multiple organizations. Alongside my work in RF, my research interests extend into optics and photonics, with a recent emphasis on integrating RF technologies with photonics and quantum. Currently, I am leading an NSF-funded project EdQuantum (NSF DUE 2055061) to raise public awareness about the transformative impact of quantum technologies on our daily lives, aiming to make this complex field more accessible to a broader audience.

This is a global effort with the collaboration that involves partners from Australia that share common interests in quantum technologies. Drawing from my industrial background, I am deeply committed to workforce development, actively supporting both regional and national initiatives in photonics, quantum technologies, and semiconductors. My goal is to contribute to the best of my ability so that the next generation of professionals is well-prepared to support these emerging technologies. 

What are you most excited about in your role as a faculty member?  

I am most excited about the opportunity to work with young people and engage in the exchange of ideas on a wide range of topics in electrical engineering and beyond. I firmly believe that knowledge transfer is a two-way street; as much as I educate my students, I also learn a great deal from them. Hearing fresh perspectives and exploring different approaches to classroom concepts is incredibly rewarding, fostering an educational environment where everyone benefits. Additionally, the prospect of leveraging our collective strengths and collaborating with fellow faculty members is something I find truly inspirational, as it enhances both personal growth and the broader academic experience. 

What advice do you have for students?   

Be passionate about the field and career you are pursuing. Strive to live it fully, rather than merely viewing it as a job or work. Use your creativity, knowledge, and effort to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others and contribute positively to society. True rewards and the pursuit of happiness ultimately lie in this purpose-driven approach. 

What are some things you like to do for fun? 

I have a deep passion for travel and exploration of different cultures and cuisines. So far, I’ve visited over 50 countries across five continents. When I travel, I enjoy mingling with locals, learning about their daily routines, discovering the restaurants they visit, and participating in the activities that bring them joy. I also have a love for outdoor activities, with hiking being one of my favorite ways to connect with nature. Additionally, I’ve been playing the accordion since my teenage years, which has become a hobby that helps me unwind and relax. As a father of three teenagers, spending time with my family is the cornerstone of my life that gives me a deep sense of purpose. 

The State University of New York’s Polytechnic Institute (SUNY POLY) has named Abdullah Eroglu G’99, G’04 as the dean of the College of Engineering. Eroglu earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Eroglu comes to SUNY Poly from UMass Boston, where he was the department of engineering chair. In that role, Eroglu led the development of new academic programs, including online programs and certificates and initiated strategic industry partnerships. Since 2018, he has also served as an ABET program evaluator for engineering programs.

Before his academic career, Eroglu spent over eight years in the semiconductor industry as a lead senior radio frequency (RF) design engineer at MKS Instruments, ENI Products in Rochester. He also held positions as a faculty fellow in the fusion energy division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and as a visiting scholar at the University of Gavle, Sweden.

Eroglu is a prolific researcher with more than 160 journal and conference papers, six books, and five patents. He has secured over $23 million in extramural funding as PI and co-PI from federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and National Science Foundation as well as from industry. His research expertise includes RF/microwave/THz circuit design, RF amplifiers and topologies, RF metrology, anisotropic and gyrotropic materials, and metamaterial devices and sensors. Eroglu serves on the editorial boards of several journals and has received numerous awards for his research accomplishments.

Operations Research and System Analytics is a new master’s program developed to meet the industry’s emerging needs. With an emphasis on computer science and artificial intelligence, the program breaks away from traditional operations research programs and focuses on mathematical foundations to include concepts from machine learning, analytics and data science. These learning outcomes will provide students with skills to tackle problems in practice. 

Students in the program will apply operations research models and methods to identify and solve engineering problems, use mathematical programming for informed decisions, gain proficiency in scientific tools, perform data-driven analytics, and integrate different concepts to design and optimize systems for engineering practice. 

The program spans different departments across Syracuse University and offers a variety of electives that allow students to tailor their skills and interests. Students will also receive hands-on experience with a capstone project. The program is open to all students with an undergraduate degree in any STEM field. 

“There is a growing need in the industry for graduates with skills in decision-making, data-science, coding, machine learning and AI,” says Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor Natarajan Gautam. “We created this program to address that need by taking undergraduates with a quantitative background and educating them with the necessary skills to thrive in the emerging workplace.” 

Visit Operations Research and System Analytics for more information.

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Professor Farzana Rahman received a Meredith Teaching Recognition Award at the 2024 One University Awards. The award is sponsored by the Syracuse University Meredith Professors to recognize excellence in teaching and foster a culture of collegial mentoring among faculty members.

Rahman joined the College of Engineering and Computer Science in the spring of 2020. She has taught core courses in the across the EECS department. Central to her teaching approach is an active learning style, which pairs hands-on programming exercises with challenging projects that demand students to cultivate skills in problem-solving, debugging, and software engineering in general. She is dedicated to creating equitable education and learning experiences for all students.

In October 2023, Rahman was honored by the Technology Alliance of Central New York as the organization’s College Educator of the Year. She has also received a grant from Google to fund the development of an undergraduate student engagement workshop program, Research Exposure in Socially Relevant Computing.

“Farzana Rahman is an exemplary teacher,” says Professor Shiu-Kai Chin. “Our students are fortunate that they can learn fundamental concepts from her. She represents our profession and Syracuse University in an exemplary fashion.”

“We have seen Professor Rahman motivate students through her enthusiasm, high expectations, challenging, and well-structured course design,” says Interim Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department Chair Susan Older. “Despite her successes in the classroom, we are most appreciative of the reflection she maintains as she isolates student learning difficulties, designs activities to remedy these difficulties, and then self-evaluates how she can improve each course from semester to semester.”

“Professor Rahman has served as the ‘go-to’ professor for many women and underrepresented students who frequently seek her advice on resume building, internship/job interview preparation, research supervision, and the higher education admission process,” said Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Academic Initiatives Jae Oh.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) is proud to welcome Professor Alex K. Jones as the Klaus Schroder Endowed Professor for Engineering and the Chair of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department (EECS). He joins Syracuse from the University of Pittsburgh where he had a 21-year career in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) with courtesy appointments in Computer Science (CS) and Physics and Astronomy. 

“I’m thrilled to join Syracuse University at this important time,” said Jones.  “The designation of Syracuse University as a core partner in a Regional Tech Hub for computer chips along with the establishment of the new Micron fabrication facility is a tremendous opportunity to become a national leader in the semiconductor space with direct access to opportunities through the CHIPS and Science Act.  I am also excited about the outstanding potential within the EECS Department in topics like artificial intelligence, sustainable energy, quantum science and information, and many others thanks to the talented faculty, students, and staff.  In partnership with ECS and Syracuse University, broadly, I think you will see great things from EECS in the coming years that will benefit our students, our city, our state and beyond.”

Jones’ research interests are broadly in the areas of computer architecture and compilers. He is best known for research and leadership advancing the field of sustainable computing.  His contributions are related to applying full lifecycle thinking to the study of environmental impacts and optimizations for computing systems including projections of environmental impacts, such as with servers in data centers.

Jones demonstrated that the critical environmental impacts from manufacturing these servers can meet or exceed those from the powering their operation in data centers.  This trend has started to be noted by industry over the last half decade.  More importantly, in handheld systems like mobile phones, 80% or more of the greenhouse gas emissions comes from manufacturing. 

Among his research contributions in this area, Jones’ work has demonstrated that leveraging existing silicon in novel ways, such as processing-in-memory, creates an opportunity to holistically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  He has created a tool suite called GreenChip to help encourage the use of environmental-related metrics in the development of next generation computing systems. Jones has received a Carnegie Science Award, a Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation Faculty Fellowship, and was elevated to Fellow of the IEEE for his contributions to sustainable computing.

Jones has a significant background in academic leadership. He served as Pitt’s Director of Computer Engineering from 2011—2017, a joint program comprised of faculty from the CS and ECE departments.  He led the program to unprecedented growth and an increase in visibility and rankings nationally.  Jones’ philosophy combined better engagement between students and faculty in the program and a curriculum that included the newest developments in the field and aspects of the excellent research undertaken by computer engineering program faculty.  During his tenure as director, Computer Engineering at Pitt became a top 50 program nationally, where it remains today.

Following his tenure with Computer Engineering, Jones joined the NSF Space, High Performance, and Resilient Computing (SHREC) Center and served as Associate Director from 2018—2020.  He led a project team in memory reliability for high performance and space applications.  He demonstrated that off-the-shelf dynamic random access memory (DRAM) used in commodity computers had specific radiation properties such that 95—99% of the faults were from predictable locations.  He developed a technique that combined a fault repository and low-level error correction that could protect standard DRAM from radiation faults in space, avoiding the need to use radiation hardened devices that are expensive and trail the state of the art by several generations.

In August of 2020, Jones joined the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a program manager in the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) directorate in the Computer and Network Systems (CNS) Division as part of the Computer Systems Research (CSR) cluster.  A significant accomplishment was his creation of the Design for Environmental Sustainability of Computing (DESC) program.  He was also the managing program director of the ATHENA AI Institute led by Duke University.  In his third year at the NSF, he was elevated to serve as cluster lead for CSR.  In his fourth year, he was appointed as the Deputy Division Director for the Electrical, Communications, and Cyber Systems (ECCS) Division, which is a member of the senior leadership team of the Engineering (ENG) Directorate.

While at NSF, Jones established a new personal research direction in quantum computing.  Attracting nearly three million dollars in funding from Foundation and Department of Defense grants with his physics colleague Michael Hatridge (Pitt/Yale) and the latter with Hatridge and Robert Schoelkopf (Yale) to develop modular computer architectures, Jones’ research demonstrates better target quantum gates and interconnection topologies that can be realized with high fidelity superconducting systems.  These approaches improve the size of quantum applications that can be solved in noisy quantum machines.

Jones received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University, where he was a Walter P. Murphy Fellow.  His first major paper at Northwestern on translating MATLAB applications into hardware descriptions went on to be a seminal work (top 25 paper of all time) in the IEEE Field Programmable and Custom Computing Machines (FCCM) Conference.  His Ph.D. work in compilation/high-level synthesis of C/C++ codes into hardware descriptions crystallized his interest in compilation and configurable computing.  This work informed some of his early work at Pitt in design automation of coarse-grain reconfigurable computing fabrics and radio frequency identification (RFID) devices.  Compilation remains a core focus of Jones’ research as applied to configurable architectures and most recently in terms of programming quantum systems (transpilation).

In his spare time, Jones is a freelance clarinetist.  In Pittsburgh he was the principal clarinetist of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, where he has been a featured soloist, served briefly as its artistic director, and served as guest conductor. He also enjoys downhill skiing.

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) has selected computer science student Cheryl Olanga ‘25 as the recipient of the Deloitte Foundation Scholarship.  

The Deloitte Foundation is committed to investing in education and equity by supporting underrepresented students. Through grants that help students develop critical skills in business, accounting, and STEM, the foundation seeks to promote the success of students, educators, and schools by collaborating with academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to drive social impact. 

Olanga is currently the assistant treasurer for the Syracuse University NSBE chapter. The organization engages in community service and outreach with high school students, and members discuss their experiences, introduce students to STEM subjects, and help students with science projects. Olanga also works in the Office of Admissions in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, giving tours and talking with prospective and admitted students. She’s also a peer leader for the Office of Success Advising and a member of the Engineering Ambassadors.

Olanga is also researching the implications of AI on policing in Syracuse with the Lender Center for Social Justice. “For me, winning this scholarship is like receiving an affirmation that the future of underrepresented groups within the study and practice of engineering and computer science is bright.”

Get to know the incredible staff who keep electrical engineering and computer science running smoothly!

Name: Shawn Knight

Title: Assistant to the Department Chair

Tell us about your role at ECS:

I am the administrative assistant to the department chair and assist the director of academic operations with the daily administrative operations of the department and I also serve as the departmental search administrator for hiring faculty and staff.

What is your favorite part of working here at ECS?

Learning something new every day!

Name: Rebecca Noble  

Title: Office Coordinator III 

Tell us about your role at ECS:

I started as a member of the EECS team in August 2011, working for ISR at 621 Skytop in conjunction with BMCE. In 2013, I moved into my current position where I mainly handle scheduling and enrollment issues for the EECS department which covers CSE, ELE, CIS, and Cyber programs as well as CPS classes for non-engineering majors.   

What is your favorite part of working here at ECS? 

My favorite part of working at SU is when we work convocation in May.  It is a real joy to see the students I’ve worked with through the years taking the next steps on their journey. A close second is walking through the Thornden Park Rose Garden (with tea in hand) in June. 

Name: Sarah Collins

Title: Director, Academic Operations

Tell us about your role at ECS:

Work with Chair and Program Directors to review, assess, design and implement administration policies and procedures. Assist Chair, Program Directors, faculty, staff and students with various needs and requests.

What is your favorite part of working here at ECS?

Being in a new role (since June) I have enjoyed the challenges that come with learning a new role and working with new people. I have learned a lot and continue to come across new things that I haven’t necessarily been involved with previously supporting my professional and personal growth.

Name: Cynthia Bromka-Skafidas

Title: Administrative Assistant II

Tell us about your role at ECS:

I work with our budget manager, Linda Lowe, in ordering supplies and other special orders, and make sure our Graduate Assistants, Fellows and hourly workers get paid in a timely manner.  I also assist with academic matters related to our graduate students.  I have been with EECS over 30 years.

What is your favorite part of working here at ECS?

Watching students present their projects at the end of the year and seeing their achievements.

Name: Cynthia Salanger

Title: Admin Specialist I

Tell us about your role at ECS:

Helping students from the time they arrive on campus until they are certified to graduate.

What is your favorite part of working here at ECS?

Helping students achieve their goal of graduating.

The junior electrical engineering lab is the latest among several renovations taking place in the Center for Science and Technology and the lab’s layout has significantly improved teaching and interactions within the educational space.  

“It was a bit of a change when I first came back. They’ve transformed a pretty clunky environment into a usable space,” teaching assistant Kyle Maiorana said. “They also centralized a lot of the components and resources like lab instruments so you’re not running all over the lab to use them.”  

The lab was originally a long, narrow room, making it difficult to navigate and teach, but the newly renovated lab is more open, allowing for better mobility.  

“Before, we had half the students in one room, and half the students in another room. We were separated and I had to go back and forth. Now we’re all in the same room – it’s much nicer,” said Duane Marcy, associate teaching professor of electrical engineering and computer science. “It was really hard to teach in that space. Stand on one end of the room and students toward the back would have difficulty paying attention.”  

According to Marcy, these renovations have been in the works for some time and he’s glad that they’ve finally been completed.  

“We actually proposed the renovations about 10 years ago. We’ve had different drawings and architects look at it. When Bruce Molino came to the college, he took the lead on this project and made it possible. The renovations have made a huge difference by encouraging active, exploratory learning which is crucial in lab environments.” 

“It invites a lot more collaboration,” Maiorana added. “With the amount of time I spent in the lab for the past couple of years, I’m a little bummed I graduated before I could use it. The renovations always happen right after you leave. It’s definitely a gift for the incoming students though. They have a lot of great space to use for their future projects.” 

Upon publication of his autobiography “If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes: The Nick Donofrio Story,” former executive vice president of innovation and technology at IBM and Syracuse University Life Trustee Nick Donofrio, G’71, H’11 came to campus to share insights and learnings from his six decades in business and technology. During a conversation at the Schine Student Center with current computer science student Maya Lee ’24, Donofrio discussed leadership, emerging technologies and the importance of diversity and inclusion.

“I learned early on that if you want to be an innovator, you should enable everyone to be their best,” said Donofrio. “I am all about bringing opportunity to talent.”

After the conversation, Donofrio signed copies of his book for the Syracuse University faculty, staff and students in attendance. In his book, Donofrio covers the development and launch of key technological advances from IBM and shares strategies on leadership and collaboration. Each chapter of the book is framed with important moments and lessons from Donofrio’s childhood with his mother and father.

“I want all of you to be leaders,” said Donofrio. “Have a view of the horizon and have the courage of your conviction to move towards it.”

Donofrio earned a master’s degree in 1971 from Syracuse University while working for IBM and taking classes as part of an extension program in the Hudson Valley. He has been a strong supporter of Syracuse University ever since he graduated. His philanthropy has supported the highly successful Donofrio Scholars and Ambassador Scholars programs that strengthen the College’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in every aspect of a student’s experience. Donofrio was awarded with Syracuse University’s highest alumni honor, the George Arents Award in 2005 and received an honorary doctoral degree in 2011.

Pramod Varshney, Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has been selected to receive the 2021 IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS) Pioneer Award. The AESS Pioneer award has been given annually since 1949 and is one of the most notable awards in the electronics and aerospace systems field. The award recognizes contributions significant to bringing into being systems that are still in existence today. The contributions for which the award is bestowed are to have been made at least 20 years prior to the year of the award.

The 2021 award will recognize Varshney’s contributions to signal processing and information fusion enabling advanced aerospace and electronic systems.

He will receive the award at 2022 IEEE Radar Conference in New York City in March.

“Professor Varshney has been a trailblazer in the field of complex information processing who has made innumerable contributions over the course of his career.  The Pioneer Award fittingly recognizes that some of his inventions paved the way for today’s rapidly evolving technologies,” said Ramesh Raina, Interim Vice President for Research.

Varshney was also selected to receive the prestigious 2021 Claude Shannon-Harry Nyquist Technical Achievement Award from the IEEE Signal Processing Society for outstanding contributions in the fields of distributed inference and data fusion.

“Within a few months, Dr. Varshney won two prestigious awards from two different IEEE societies. Such an achievement is completely unheard of. He won the 2021 Shannon-Nyquist Technical Achievement Award from the IEEE Signal Processing Society and the 2021 IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS) Pioneer Award. The EECS department is incredibly proud of the achievements and recognitions that he truly deserves,” said Jae C. Oh Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department Chair and David G. Edelstein Professor for Broadening Participation.

In his current role as a partner engineering manager at Microsoft, Niket Kothari G’02 is responsible for the design, provisioning, and operations of the company’s worldwide regional and data center networks. Since starting at Microsoft in 2014, Kothari helped transform the business by leveraging the power of automation to build and manage infrastructure at scale. He currently manages a team of network engineers, software engineers and data scientists around the world.

“We worked to identify key metrics, build software systems, and deliver efficiencies in operational excellence for the hyperscale network infrastructure,” said Kothari. “We were also able to enable new cloud offerings and multiple other initiatives that reduced the overall network cost of goods sold.”

Prior to his current role, Kothari spent 7 years at Google, and 5 years at 2 different start-up companies focused on building infrastructure to support software-as-a-service offerings to international customers. During his professional tenure, Kothari has worked across different functional areas related to large scale infrastructure, with experience in content delivery network rollout, long-term network planning, infrastructure acquisition, and building networks across the globe.

“I’m passionate about solving complex technical problems along with building and mentoring high performing teams with diverse skills and backgrounds,” said Kothari. “I’m actively involved in helping recruit the next set of talent for Microsoft.”

Syracuse University and the faculty at the College of Engineering and Computer Science played a key role in helping Kothari build the strong technical foundation that he has leveraged through his professional career.

“I came to the United States to earn my degree in 2000 and Syracuse University is what I now consider my home,” said Kothari.

He met his wife Bhumika Kothari G’02 while he was at Syracuse University.

“We spent many hours working together on assignments in the lab, while also competing for the on-campus jobs and assistantship opportunities at the University,” said Kothari.

He and his wife hope their two daughters will follow in their parents footsteps and attend Syracuse University.

“If they are successful with managing its cold winters,” said Kothari with a laugh.