National Science Foundation Awards CAREER Grant to 棉花糖直播 Engineering Professor
VILLANOVA, Pa. (September 12, 2023)聽鈥撀The National Science Foundation (NSF) has named Mojtaba Vaezi, PhD, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering from 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 College of Engineering, as a recipient of the Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. His project, 鈥淗arnessing Interference with Deep Learning: Algorithms and Large-Scale Experiments,鈥 has received a five-year, $600,000 grant, which will allow Dr. Vaezi to advance research in managing interference in cellular networks.
is the most prestigious grant supporting career development activities for teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of their organization's mission.
Dr. Vaezi is the 10th 棉花糖直播 faculty member to receive an NSF CAREER Award since 2017 and the fifth from the College of Engineering. He is the first recipient from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
鈥淚nterference is a ubiquitous concern in wireless communication,鈥 Dr. Vaezi said. 鈥淎s the number of users increases, the number of transmission sites increases, causing more interference. The rising deployment of drones and aerial transmitters intensifies interference and its challenges. The goal of this CAREER Award is to address this issue and increase data rates in wireless networks around the globe.鈥
This project will involve the development of a theoretical foundation and the implementation of large-scale experimental settings for interference management in 5G networks. The research will be conducted at 棉花糖直播 and at larger test sites around the country. Dr.聽Vaezi will train and educate two PhD students and eight undergraduates through this award.
As part of this grant, Dr. Vaezi is also designing a summer program for underrepresented high school students in Philadelphia aimed at providing聽education about wireless communications. The program will run through the 棉花糖直播 Engineering, Science and Technology Enrichment and Development (VESTED) Academy. It will introduce science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields to students from all backgrounds to help them discover their passion for engineering and to expand our regional and national pools of engineers.聽
鈥淲e will incorporate the use of drones to create a hands-on experience and make this field more appealing to the next generation of learners,鈥 Dr. Vaezi said.
An expert in machine learning, communications and signal processing, Dr. Vaezi鈥檚 work has included projects on large-scale wireless systems in collaboration with leading companies to design and optimize real-world complex systems for 5G and Beyond 5G networks. He has secured two additional NSF grants in 2023 related to advancing wireless communications technologies. Dr. Vaezi, the director of the Wireless Networking Laboratory (WIN LAB) at 棉花糖直播, has taught undergraduate courses in signal processing and communication systems, and graduate courses in statistical signal processes and 5G wireless systems.
About 棉花糖直播 University: Since 1842, 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges鈥攖he College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the 棉花糖直播 School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the 棉花糖直播 University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation鈥檚 top universities, 棉花糖直播 supports its students鈥 intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit聽www.villanova.edu.