Are AI Models Working Harder Than They Need to?
John, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, has spent the past five years working on a class of models called weightless neural networks.
Ian Anderson and Team Win Outstanding Poster Award at the 2026 Hilton Head Workshop
Texas ECE PhD student Ian Anderson led a team that won the Outstanding Poster Award at the 2026 Hilton Head Workshop (Solid-State Sensors, Actuators, and Microsystems Workshop), held May 31–June 4 on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, for their paper on "Enabling Lithium Niobate Phononic Frequency Combs via Thermal Engineering and Design." Ian is part of Prof. Ruochen Lu's research group.
Pan and Li Receive 2026 MARC Academia-Industry Collaboration Excellent Research Award
Prof David Z. Pan and Prof. Sensen Li received the 2026 MediaTek Advanced Research Center (MARC) Academia-Industry Collaboration Excellent Research Award at its MARC Annual Workshop.
Atlas Wang Wins 2026 J.K. Aggarwal Prize from IAPR
Texas ECE associate professor Atlas Wang has been named the winner of the 2026 J.K. Aggarwal Prize from the International Association for Pattern Recognition (IAPR).
Six Inducted into Texas ECE Academy of Distinguished Alumni
The Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is proud to welcome the six newest members of the Academy of Distinguished Alumni. The inductees will be honored at an Academy dinner on October 16, 2026 in Austin, Texas.
John Sheputis
John Sheputis is a prominent data center executive, entrepreneur, and real estate investor with over 20 years of experience in digital infrastructure. His commercial and technical contributions include helping establish several major U.S. data center markets, advancing sustainable construction and operations, and driving early adoption of renewable energy and environmental accountability.
Peng T. Ong
Peng T. Ong is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has spent over 25 years building and backing technology companies that reshape industries. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Monk's Hill Ventures, one of Southeast Asia's leading early-stage venture capital firms, he has helped support and scale the region's next generation of technology founders. Prior to Monk's Hill Ventures, he was a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures in China, where the firm became known for successful investments in companies such as Didi Chuxing, Ele.me, and Qunar.
Michael Nassirian
Michael Nassirian is a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, and innovator with more than four decades of experience spanning software, hardware, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and advanced product development. He currently serves as Founder and CEO of Thessai Corporation, a company focused on developing privacy-first AI solutions to improve the quality of life, safety, and independence of seniors through intelligent behavioral monitoring technologies.
Carl Meade
Colonel Carl Meade is the founder and Directing Executive of CM2 Solutions, LLC, helping organizations integrate advanced technologies while minimizing risk and maximizing strategic value. Prior to founding CM2 Solutions, he directed a portfolio of classified programs for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems and served as Director of Space Exploration Systems, overseeing major government initiatives related to human spaceflight.
Shanaz Hemmati
Shanaz is the Co-Founder & Executive Advisor at ZenBusiness, a digital business management platform that provides budding entrepreneurs with a complete set of services to simplify the process of starting, managing, and growing their business. Until recently, she was the Chief Operating Officer and responsible for keeping the company moving forward and running smoothly, by overseeing the day-to-day operations of this fast-growing company, which has become one of Austin’s most successful entrepreneurial ventures.
