University of Arizona Electrical and Computer Engineering

A solar-powered balloon built by UA students has circled the globe – twice. 🎈🌍

The K7UAZ Amateur Radio Club launched StratoCat on March 22, and it's been riding the jet stream ever since, tracked in real time by amateur radio operators around the world.

After a failed attempt last fall, the team did a full failure analysis, redesigned key components, and came back stronger. The result? Two laps around the Earth on a shoestring budget.

"Projects like this teach you more than engineering," said club treasurer and ECE student Briana Curley. "They teach you how to solve problems, trust your team and keep going when things don't work the first time."

Read more about the launch: https://ece.engineering.arizona.edu/news-events/student-built-radio-transmitting-balloon-circles-globe-twice?publication=20260610&utm_campaign=University+of+Arizona+Electrical+and+Computer+Engineering&utm_content=A+solar-powered+balloon+b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

A cross-disciplinary workshop brought together 10 expert presenters from the Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences and the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering to explore how AI and machine learning are reshaping the future of health care.

ECE highlights from the program included:

➡️ Machine learning for multi-modal image synthesis, Abhijit Mahalanobis
➡️ VR and haptic feedback in surgical training, Jerzy Rozenblit
➡️ AI-driven medical image understanding, Eungjoo Lee
➡️ AI-enabled extended reality and digital twins in healthcare, Ehsan Azimi
➡️ Predicting patient responsiveness to cancer treatment based on imaged markers, Marwan Krunz
➡️ Reliable and privacy-preserving medical imaging systems Ravi Tandon

…and much more across diagnostics, image optimization, and cancer treatment prediction.

Thank you to every speaker and attendee who made this event such a success. The intersection of AI and medicine has never felt more energized.

Technology startup Ampira, co-founded by ECE student Kian Sadat and Franke Honors College classmate Safiya Tarazi, took part in the western regional finals of the Hult Prize competition at the University of Arizona on April 17 and 18. Ampira develops hearing aids designed for use in underserved communities.

"Our goal is to create a new, basic product that incorporates aspects of modern technology like automatic calibration and remote fitting," said Sudat.

Read more about their startup: https://ece.engineering.arizona.edu/news-events/ece-student-co-founded-startup-competes-1m-hult-prize?publication=20260526&utm_campaign=University+of+Arizona+Electrical+and+Computer+Engineering&utm_content=Technology+startup+Ampira&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

Last week we celebrated at the University of Arizona AI Hardware Design League Awards Ceremony! We are so proud of all our participants and extend our heartfelt congratulations to this year's winners of our international competition. Your hard work and innovation are truly inspiring!

This year’s winners are announced here: https://github.com/prismlabarizona/AIHDL-2026/

A huge thank you to our distinguished panelists for sharing their expertise and insights:
➡️ Pratik Satam — University of Arizona
➡️ Aned De Leon Flores — University of Sonora
➡️ Richard Quiroz — Cadence
➡️ Atul Kwatra — Intel
➡️ Jovan Andjelich — ChipMango

We also want to give a special shoutout to the founder of AI-HDL and our host, ECE professor Soheil Salehi, and our panel moderator, department head Michael Wu, for an engaging event and informative panel discussions.

Last but certainly not least, a sincere thank you to our generous sponsors — none of this would have been possible without your continued support!

We are already looking forward to what's next for AI-HDL! Interested in joining AI-HDL for the 2026-27 academic year? Fill out this form: https://bit.ly/43ofC6u

Congratulations, Class of 2026! 🎉 Years of hard work and late nights have finally paid off! We're so proud of our newest ECE alumni. 🎓 We wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors and don't forget to stay in touch! 🐻⬇️

Keep the celebration going by viewing our 2026 Yearbook and award-winning students: https://ece.engineering.arizona.edu/news/celebrating-class-2026?publication=20260515&utm_campaign=University+of+Arizona+Electrical+and+Computer+Engineering&utm_content=Congratulations%2C+Class+of&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

AI IGNITE 2026 is a wrap — and what an incredible afternoon it was. 🎉

On Tuesday, the ECE AI community came together for our first annual AI IGNITE Showcase! From outstanding poster presentations to inspiring lightning talks, the talent and passion in the room was electric.

A huge thank you to our lightning talk speakers Department Head Michael Wu and ECE professor Ming “Fred” Li, our amazing student poster presenters, our faculty hosts Jyotikrishna Dass and Huanrui Yang, our ECE staff, and every single person who came out to support and celebrate with us. 🙌

A special congratulations to all our poster competition winners! 🏆 We'll be sharing the full results and highlights of their award-winning research soon, so stay tuned!

Ready, set, graduate! 🎓 We're officially 1️⃣ week away from the College of Engineering Spring Convocation! 🎉

📆 Thursday, May 14 | 2 p.m.
📍 McKale Center at ALKEME Arena

Here's everything you need to know to get ready:

🏟️ The College of Engineering hosts one ceremony, requiring RSVP, for all spring graduates
🎟️ No guest tickets required as there is no guest limit
🧑‍🎓 Graduating students must wear caps and gowns to participate in the ceremony
⌚️ Students and guests are expected to remain for the duration of the ceremony
👜 The McKale Center has a clear bag policy in effect for all convocations

Graduating students, check your email for more details. Additional questions? Reach out to [email protected].

The finish line is almost there, Wildcats! 😻

The AI-HDL Awards Ceremony is right around the corner! Join us next Tuesday for a celebration of innovation, talent, and the future of AI hardware design.

📅 Tuesday, May 12 | 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
📍 Grand Challenges Building, University of Arizona

Join us for a morning of:
📢 Welcome remarks and keynote speech
🧑‍💻 Industry-academia panel discussion
🏆 Awards presentations and social hour

With student participants showcasing cutting-edge research, this is an incredible opportunity to connect with the next generation of AI hardware designers. Whether you're a sponsor, researcher, student, or industry professional, we'd love to see you there!

🔗 RSVP now: https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8pMEDEljEZtvYkm

This is what we've been SPARKING toward all semester. 🔥

The AI IGNITE Showcase is almost here! Join us on TOMORROW, May 5, at 3:30 p.m. in the Community Engagement Center, U of A Campus Store (Lower Level). Explore innovative student research, connect with AI enthusiasts and celebrate a fantastic semester of AI innovation in ECE at U of A.

Free and open to all U of A students, faculty, and staff. Free food and light refreshments included!

RSVP now: https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fBtaTTiNJ4VxsO