The University at Buffalo has named Indian American academic and researcher Uttam Singisetti as the new director of its Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies tasked with creating energy-efficient components for artificial intelligence systems.
Singisetti, a Clifford C. Furnas Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering within UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, succeeds inaugural director Jonathan Bird to lead the interdisciplinary institute.
Established to address the growing energy consumption of modern computing, the center brings together researchers across multiple fields to advance microelectronics innovation.
Under Singisetti’s leadership, the facility will focus on creating energy-efficient components for artificial intelligence systems, power semiconductors for electric vehicles and data centers, and advanced solar energy technologies.
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The center also plays a central role in training a skilled technical workforce to support Western New York’s expanding semiconductor manufacturing industry.
University officials appreciated Singisetti’s expertise in wide- and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor-based power and radio frequency electronics.
Kemper Lewis, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, noted that Singisetti’s vision will strengthen the regional technology ecosystem and advance academic, industrial, and governmental partnerships.
Since the center’s launch in 2024, affiliated faculty members have secured $14.4 million in research funding from federal agencies and corporate partners.
Venu Govindaraju, senior vice president for research, innovation and economic development, emphasized that Singisetti’s research will guide the center toward discoveries critical to national competitiveness in fields like AI and quantum technologies.
Singisetti’s academic foundation traces back to India, where he earned his Bachelor of Technology degree in materials science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 2001.
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By (July 13, 2026)
After moving to the United States for advanced studies, he completed a Master of Science degree in materials science and engineering at Arizona State University in 2004.
He later earned his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2009 before joining UB’s faculty in 2011.
Emphasizing the broad influence of microelectronics, Singisetti noted that semiconductor chips underpin modern developments in healthcare, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing.
Under his direction, the center aims to combine foundational technical research with workforce development initiatives to prepare workers for emerging technologies.