Keynote Talks from the Academe

Plenary Session 1

Chiplets Everywhere! Opportunities and Challenges

Farhana Sheikh

Principal Engineer and Research Manager, Technology Pathfinding – Advanced Chiplet Technologies, Altera Corporation

Dr. Farhana Sheikh is a Principal Engineer at Intel’s Programmable Solutions Group (PSG), where she leads research in chiplet integration and 3D heterogenous systems for next-generation wireless and sensing applications. With a background spanning adaptive DSP, cryptography, and 5G+ wireless, Dr. Sheikh spent over a decade at Intel Labs before joining PSG. She is the co-developer of the open AIB-3D specification and a key driver of Intel’s University Shuttle Program. Dr. Sheikh has authored over 50 papers, filed 22 patents, and received multiple ISSCC Outstanding Paper Awards. As Chair of the IEEE SSCS Women in Circuits Committee and Member-at-Large, she actively promotes technical leadership and mentorship in the community. Her work continues to shape the future of scalable, intelligent chiplet-based platforms.

Plenary Session 2

Chips are the New Gold

Jan M. Rabaey

Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Jan M. Rabaey is the Donald O. Pederson Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Professor in the Graduate School at University of California, Berkeley, and Chief Technology Officer at imec’s System Technology Co-Optimization division. A global leader in ultra-low-power design and ubiquitous computing, Dr. Rabaey has introduced transformative ideas such as the infoPad, PicoRadio sensor networks, and the Human Intranet. He has led numerous multi-university research initiatives, including the GSRC and MuSyC centers, and served as Associate Chair of EECS at Berkeley. A prolific author and educator, Dr. Rabaey has received prestigious honors including the IEEE James H. Mulligan Jr. Education Medal and IEEE Mac Van Valkenburg Award. His work continues to shape the future of human-centric and distributed intelligent systems.

Plenary Session 3

Re-Energizing Chip Design through an Open-Source Ecosystem

Boris Murmann

Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Dr. Boris Murmann is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a Fellow of the IEEE, recognized for his pioneering contributions to mixed-signal integrated circuits and hardware for intelligent systems. After earning his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, he joined Stanford University, where he spent two decades advancing data converters, sensor interfaces, and embedded machine learning hardware. At Stanford, he also directed the System Prototyping Facility and co-directed the SystemX Alliance, fostering innovation between academia and industry. Dr. Murmann’s work has led to key advancements in edge AI and ultra-low-power computing, earning him the SIA-SRC University Researcher Award and the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award. Currently, he continues to push the boundaries of analog-digital convergence and hardware-software co-design for intelligent, energy-efficient systems.

Plenary Session 4

Ali Niknejad

Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Ali M. Niknejad is the Donald O. Pederson Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering at UC Berkeley and Faculty Co-Director of the Berkeley Wireless Research Center. His research has transformed RF and mm-wave integrated circuit design, with applications in wireless communications, radar, and biomedical sensing. He has led innovations in CMOS power amplifiers and receivers operating at frequencies from 2.4 GHz to over 200 GHz, and his work in mm-wave biomedical sensors has opened new frontiers in health monitoring. Dr. Niknejad has received numerous awards, including the ASEE Frederick Emmons Terman Award and the SIA-SRC University Research Award. He is also a founder and advisor to multiple startups in wireless and radar imaging technologies, driving the commercialization of next-generation RF systems.

Plenary Session 5

Massimo Bruno Alioto

Provost’s Chair Professor, National University of Singapore

Dr. Massimo Alioto is a Professor at the National University of Singapore and Director of the Integrated Circuits and Embedded Systems area. An internationally recognized expert in ultra-low-power and energy-efficient design, he leads the Green IC group, which focuses on sustainable and intelligent electronics. Dr. Alioto’s research spans digital, mixed-signal, and hardware security circuits with emphasis on energy-quality scalability and near-threshold design. He has published over 300 papers and served as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on VLSI Systems. A Fellow of the IEEE, he has received multiple best paper and service awards, and frequently serves as an advisor to industry on next-generation energy-aware systems. Dr. Alioto continues to advance the frontiers of “more-than-Moore” technologies through innovation in energy-scalable and resilient circuit design.