Hai Li - EngrMed - Purdue University

I learned a lot from my advisor and many other professors during the four-year Ph.D. study at Purdue. The experience re-shaped my understanding of research and developed my self-confidence. 

Why did you choose to study electrical and computer engineering?

Math and physics were my favorite courses in high school. When applying to college, computer engineering, a rapidly growing subject that satisfies my interests, became a natural pick.

Favorite Purdue ECE class or experience:

My advisor, Professor Kaushik Roy, led (and is still leading) a large research team. In our group meeting, students presented and discussed many different research topics. It was very open, friendly, challenging and fun!

What are you doing currently?

I am currently the Clare Boothe Luce Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University. My research focuses on memory design and architecture, neuromorphic architecture for brain-inspired computing systems, and architecture/circuit/device cross-layer optimization for low power and high performance. More details are available here.

What are your ultimate career goals?

I look forward to the realization of robust and trustable systems that work for and with humans, assisting and promoting our life quality. I also like to mentor more students as it is the most rewarding and satisfying experience in life.

How is your Purdue degree helping you achieve your goals?

I learned a lot from my advisor and many other professors during the four-year Ph.D. study at Purdue. The experience re-shaped my understanding of research and developed my self-confidence. My following career (in both industry and academia) benefits significantly from the training at Purdue. 

What advice do you have for current ECE students?

Electrical and computer engineering is a fast-growing area and requires the integration of knowledge from many specialties. It is challenging to keep up to date in all the new technologies, tools, applications, etc. A very important thing is to keep following the trend of the field, by actively attending conference and workshops, reading IEEE and ACM journals, etc.

What do you do in your free time?

Reading, jogging, and spending time with family and kids.

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