March 31, 2005 -- The department is especially proud to announce that Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Dr. Yehia Massoud has received the National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award. This award recognizes outstanding scientists and engineers who, early in their careers, show exceptional potential for leadership.  Massoud proposed an integrated automation strategy for interconnect design in his winning proposal. The proposal presents a new paradigm for mixed-signal that provides excellent solutions for the immediate and the long-term future of integrated circuits. Massoud's award comes with a five-year $400,000 grant.

"This is a very prestigious award from the National Science Foundation and it is extremely competitive. This early recognition by the NSF Career panel will help highlight Yehia's great career. I have no doubt that Yehia will have a long and outstanding career at Rice with many more awards and recognitions," said Professor Behnaam Aazhang, Chairman, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Massoud has been a key contributor in the department with his broad knowledge and research experience in deep submicron CMOS technologies as well as his vision for future non-conventional technologies. His expertise in digital, analog, and mixed-signal technologies provides an essential research area that significantly strengthens ECE’s computer engineering program and complements the department’s future direction towards the nano-scale electronic era.

Massoud, an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science joined the faculty in 2003. He is the principle investigator of the Rice Automated Nanoscale Design Group, RAND. He received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999. He was a member of the Technical Staff at the Advanced Technology Group at Synopsys Inc. from 1999 to 2003.

For more information about Massoud and his new paradigm for mixed signal, see: Awards and Honors