Two Indian American faculty get named professorships at Wisconsin-Madison University

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has honored two Indian American engineers for their outstanding early-career achievements, recognizing their contributions to next-generation semiconductor research with prestigious named faculty appointments. The recognition highlights the growing influence of Indian-origin scientists in advancing technologies that power artificial intelligence, telecommunications, electric vehicles, and modern electronics.

Shubhra Pasayat and Chirag Gupta, both assistant professors in the university's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, have been named Dugald C. Jackson Assistant Professorship recipients. The distinction recognizes exceptional performance in research, teaching, and service while honoring the legacy of Dugald C. Jackson, who established electrical engineering at the university in 1891.

Both researchers began their academic journeys at India's premier engineering institutions before pursuing advanced research in the United States. Their careers reflect a growing pipeline of Indian engineering talent contributing to America's semiconductor innovation ecosystem.

Pasayat earned her Bachelor of Technology degree from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur before working as a senior hardware engineer at Samsung R&D Institute Bangalore. She later completed her doctorate at University of California, Santa Barbara and joined the Wisconsin faculty in 2021.

Her research focuses on developing advanced wide-bandgap and ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor materials capable of delivering higher efficiency, faster performance, and improved reliability. These materials are expected to play a critical role in future electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, high-speed wireless communications, LEDs, lasers, and advanced power electronics.

Gupta followed a similar academic path after completing his undergraduate studies at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He also earned graduate degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara before gaining industry experience as a device engineer at Maxim Integrated, now part of Analog Devices.

His research explores the design and fabrication of gallium nitride and other advanced semiconductor materials that improve the performance of transistors, power devices, communication systems, and emerging bioelectronic technologies. These innovations are expected to support the rapidly growing demand for faster, more energy-efficient computing and AI hardware.

University officials say the named professorships will provide long-term institutional support, enabling both researchers to expand their laboratories, accelerate semiconductor innovation, and mentor the next generation of engineering students. The recognition also reinforces Wisconsin's growing role as a center for advanced semiconductor research at a time when governments and technology companies worldwide are investing heavily in strengthening domestic chip manufacturing and scientific talent.