Please join us in welcoming Dr. Muhammad Ali Siddiqi as the newest member of the SSE faculty. Ali earned his PhD from Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC) in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where his doctoral research focused on security and privacy concerns related to implantable medical devices.
For the past two years, Ali served as a post-doctoral researcher at the Quantum and Computer Engineering (QCE) Department of Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), the Netherlands. During this time, he was actively engaged in the design of ultra-low-power computing architectures for neural implants. Additionally, Ali possesses comes with half a decade of experience in the European digital systems design industry. 
He earned his BE in Electrical Engineering and received a prestigious Presidential Gold Medal from NUST. He later pursued an Erasmus Mundus Scholar MSc in Embedded Computing Systems at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of Southampton. Before commencing his master's studies, he dedicated a year as a Research Assistant in LUMS' Computer Science Department, focusing on low-power embedded systems.
Ali, it is a pleasure to have you in our midst. We look forward to your contributions to Dept of Electrical Engineering, SBASSE, and LUMS.

Dr. Yahya Sattar, an alumnus of the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) at LUMS, recently achieved the remarkable milestone of defending his PhD thesis at UC Riverside. His journey has been a testament to his passion for Applied Mathematics and the invaluable support he received from the faculty and the National Outreach Program (NOP) at LUMS. Dr. Yahya is now pursuing cutting-edge research in Electrical Engineering, Machine learning, Optimization, Statistics, and Applied Mathematics at Cornell University as a postdoc. 

Born in the picturesque village of Keris in Baltistan, Dr. Yahya started his educational journey in a government primary school in Skardu and then moved on to his intermediate education at Cadet College Skardu. In 2011, getting admitted to SBASSE at LUMS was an extraordinary moment for him. “I cannot express in words the support I got from NOP at LUMS. Whatever I have achieved so far would not have been possible without the generous support of NOP”, he mentions, looking back on his journey. 

Deeply passionate about Mathematics and its real-world applications, Dr. Yahya explored his interests at SBASSE through courses like Modern Physics, Signals and Systems, Advanced Digital Signal Processing, Data Structures, and Communication Systems. Inspired by dedicated instructors, especially Dr. Momin Uppal, who fueled his ambition in Statistical Learning Theory and Applied Mathematics, Dr. Yahya pursued advanced courses, deepening his interest.

After graduating from LUMS in 2015, Dr. Yahya worked as a research assistant under Dr. Zubair Khalid, resulting in two research papers in the IEEE ICASSP conference. Dr Yahya shared that Dr.  Zubiar played a pivotal role in training him as a researcher by guiding him in formulating research problems and exploring solutions. This experience led to fully funded PhD offers from multiple U.S. universities, and he chose UC Riverside, focusing on the theoretical foundations of Machine Learning algorithms with Dr. Samet Oymak. During his 2017 PhD, Dr. Yahya's work expanded the understanding of nonlinear dynamical systems, exploring Markov Jump Systems, Bilinear Systems, and various Nonlinear Systems. His contributions had a ripple effect, inspiring follow-up research at MIT, UC Berkeley, Caltech, and Harvard.

Dr. Yahya continues his academic odyssey by joining Cornell University, collaborating with Dr. Sarah Dean to advance the intersection of Machine Learning, optimization, statistics, and applied mathematics. By collaborating with excellent researchers, he plans to design safe and reliable control policies for various dynamical systems and extend his earlier works on developing a framework for learning and controlling nonlinear dynamical systems. As he looks to the future, he envisions significant advancements in AI and Machine Learning technology, which has already begun with tools like ChatGPT. "In future, more advancements will be in incorporating feedback with machine intelligence. This will lead to tremendous progress in autonomous driving technology and robotics. We will be able to give verbal commands to the robots, which will then plan and execute the task it is asked to do", remarks Dr. Yahya.  

For students aspiring to follow in his footsteps, Dr. Yahya stresses the importance of mathematical skills as essential tools to navigate the world of research in Machine Learning Theory and Dynamical Systems. Additionally, he suggests students not shy away from advanced courses in applied mathematics. "I would encourage them to build a solid understanding of Statistical Learning and Optimization", he says.  

He shares one crucial piece of advice: "The formula to overcome challenges is simple – "never give up!" Difficulties and challenges are an integral part of our life."  He has encountered numerous challenges throughout his research career, including initial PhD rejections and subsequent dismissal from a research lab at UC Riverside. Eventually, he came in touch with a Phd advisor working on applied mathematics and joined his research lab which was working on precisely what he is passionate about. Overcoming obstacles is a fundamental part of the journey toward greater rewards.

Dr. Yahya's remarkable story is a testament to the endless possibilities that await those who dare to dream and work tirelessly toward their goals!

 

Mechanically cracking a peanut without absolutely annihilating it. Such was the challenge presented to the richly diverse cohort enrolled in the second intake of the EE 200 – Sophomore Design Studio Course, offered by the Department of Electrical Engineering. Evolving from the preceding iteration of the challenge which called for the creation of a paper shredder, this batch was faced with a challenge more delicately intricate than its predecessor. Dr. Talha Manzoor expressed his itch to amp it this year, leading the students to design, assemble and subsequently exhibit a machine that could ‘shred’ a peanut, dispose of its shell, and extract its kernel. On the 1st of December 2023, as each team stood proudly beside their creation, the palpable sense of appreciation for the explicit act of 'creating' was undeniable.

Beyond an elevated level of complexity to the task presented this time around, based on his teaching experience, Dr. Talha Manzoor noticed a gap between his students’ ideas and their ability to convey them adequately. He thus particularly focused on honing visual communication skills, through imparting the art of diagrammatically sketching out the workings of a machine before giving it a tangible form. This approach allowed students to consider, evaluate and document a myriad of prospective designs for the project’s components prior to finalizing them. In their journey of trial and error, one group recounted having gone over 20 different variations on their blade cuts before finding the one that achieved maximum precision. 

Students expressed the sheer tenacity such a venture had elicited from them. The process involved hours of cementing a solid preliminary understanding, followed by even more hours of accurately cutting through materials, including wooden and acrylic sheets, to construct the project physically. Although the finish line entailed presenting a machine that ‘worked’, students found themselves irrevocably consumed and enraptured by the piece-by-piece nature of the process. They wove inefficiencies beyond the project's requirements. For example, one of the projects, ‘The ShellShocker' achieved such mobility that it could be turned at odd angles during its runtime without hindering its functionality. 

Placed at the epicenter of the exhibition, however, was a sleek, mysteriously ominous peanut cracker designed by Zoya Attiqe and Ahmad Faraz. It features a unique internal mechanism. Instead of leveraging two rotating blades like most of the other projects, this one employed nails jutting out of a block paired with one rotating wheel. The peanuts were ushered into the gap between the nails and the rotating blade, with the latter holding the peanuts in place before the decisive shredding moment. Beyond this project, others went on to incorporate advanced features, such as installing infra-red sensors to signal when the peanut shell tray reached capacity. Students also capitalized on different software and tools, such as laser cutters and 3D printers, which were readily available throughout the course. 

The Nut-Cracker Collective, represented by a ‘mascot’ fondly crafted by Faheem Shehzad and Daniyal Ahmad, stood as a testament to the collective passion and dedication poured into these machines. Amidst the whispers of gears turning and circuits humming, Dr. Talha Manzoor had done it again. The exhibition was not merely a display of machines but a lyrical manifestation, affirming that in the hands of these engineers, the artistry of engineering had found its resounding voice once more.

Dr Hafsa Qamar, an Associate Professor at the EE department, along with her collaborators Professor Nauman Ahmad Zaffar from SBASSE and Dr Haleema Qamar from Habib University serving as Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs), set out to develop affordable, locally manufactured inverters to address the energy crisis in Pakistan and combat the high component costs of solar energy.

Their dedication to this cause received a significant boost as their research project secured significant backing from the Higher Education Commission Rapid Technology Transfer Grant (HEC-RTTG), amounting to a funding of 10.6 million PKR. This grant will provide essential funding and support for the team, allowing them to accelerate the development of the much-needed inverters and bring them closer to realisation.

In Pakistan, the expense of electricity is reaching unprecedented heights, resulting in hardships for numerous families who face difficulty in managing their electricity expenses. This has led to a growing trend of individuals adopting solar panels as an alternative solution. Solar panels harness the ample sunlight available in the region, providing households with a sustainable and cost-effective source of energy. But here's the catch: pretty much every component of the solar panels, like the plates and inverters, is being imported, increasing the initial cost.

The inverter initiative led by Dr Hafsa Qamar stands as a proud moment for Pakistan, showcasing the nation's determination to harness its untapped potential and drive self-reliance. While inverters are just one component of the system, this endeavour paves the way for a comprehensive approach to local manufacturing, marking the beginning of a trend where local solutions take centre stage in addressing critical challenges.

As power electronic engineers, Dr Hafsa along with her collaborators are set out to pioneer an indigenous, low-cost inverter by locally sourcing materials and manufacturing them within Pakistan. This will cut costs and make it possible for citizens to afford clean solar energy.
 

The significant backing from the Higher Education Commission Rapid Technology Transfer Grant (HEC-RTTG) has provided the crucial support needed to propel the project forward. Following the approval and disbursement of the grant, the team will commence the six-month timeline dedicated to the project's execution. Within the six months, their objective is to design, test, and finalise the development of the inverter with a hardware prototype as their main deliverable.

In an interview, Dr Hafsa emphasised the pressing need to bridge the gap between academia and industry in Pakistan. She highlighted how collaboration between the two sectors could lead to innovation and progress, particularly in addressing complex challenges like the energy crisis. She said, “Once we reach a point of efficient and effective collaboration between academia and industry, the industry would be more willing to incorporate what our academia is working on.”
According to her, the industry must actively involve academic professionals to thrive and excel. She envisions a future where academia and industry work hand in hand, leveraging each other's strengths to drive meaningful change and propel Pakistan towards a brighter future.

Dr. Zubair Khalid  from the Department of Electrical Engineering at SBASSE,  in collaboration with researchers from KAUST, the University of Notre Dame, Saint Louis University, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and NVIDIA, has been named a finalist for the prestigious Gordon Bell Prize for Climate Modeling. This is a significant achievement, as it marks the first time a finalist from Pakistan has been selected for this global recognition.
The team’s development of an ExaScale Climate Emulator brings a substantial improvement in the accuracy and efficiency of climate models. Their work, which outperforms existing emulators by a factor of 245,280, leverages AI and high-performance computing to achieve higher spatial and temporal resolution. Notably, their emulator has been executed on several leading supercomputers, including the top-ranked exascale Frontier system.
 

Dr. Khalid will present their research at the Supercomputing Conference 2024 in Atlanta this November. This achievement highlights the potential of cutting-edge technologies in addressing global climate challenges.

Find out more about the team collaboration behind this research here.
 

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Dr Zartash Afzal Uzmi to Full Professor in the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering LUMS. This achievement reflects Dr Uzmi’s significant contributions to research, teaching, and service, as well as his commitment to academic excellence.

Dr Uzmi earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, focusing on multi-user detection for CDMA systems. He joined LUMS in 2002 and has since played a vital role in shaping the academic landscape. His research areas include network design, routing and traffic engineering, internet censorship, blockchain technologies, and IoT devices. With over 50 published papers in leading journals and conferences, Dr Uzmi's work has made notable theoretical and practical contributions.

He has served as a Visiting Researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and as a Visiting Professor at Chonbuk National University in South Korea. Dr Uzmi has also contributed to national IT and telecom policy through his roles on the Prime Minister’s Task Force on IT & Telecom and the National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC).

In addition to his academic achievements, he has co-founded several successful software companies, including Confiz Systems and WiMetrix.

Please join us in congratulating Dr Zartash Afzal Uzmi on this well-deserved promotion. We look forward to his continued contributions to the LUMS community and beyond.