Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies names new director

Uttam Singisetti, Clifford C. Furnas Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has been named director of UB’s Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies.

The center brings together researchers from several disciplines to address the increasing energy needs of modern computing, develop energy efficient devices for AI computation, power semiconductors for electric vehicles and AI data centers, advance solar technology implementation and develop a workforce to power economic development the region’s growing semiconductor manufacturing industry. 

“Professor Uttam Singisetti is an exceptional researcher and leader whose vision and expertise will build on the remarkable momentum of the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies,” says Kemper Lewis, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

“The center has already demonstrated the extraordinary impact of multidisciplinary collaboration, bringing together researchers across fields to advance discoveries, forge partnerships with industry and government, and prepare the next generation of talent. Under Professor Singisetti’s direction, the center will continue to strengthen our region’s semiconductor ecosystem and reinforce UB’s role as a national leader in this critically important field.”

Singisetti, whose research focuses on wide- and ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor-based power and RF electronics, says UB is uniquely positioned to make significant contributions to an area that impacts every aspect of life.

“Semiconductor chips are used in health, AI, quantum – everything we do has a chip,” he explains. “It’s essential to emphasize how important this sector is to the regional economy and to national security not only from a research and innovation standpoint, but also in meeting an increasing demand for a trained manufacturing workforce proficient in emerging technologies.”

Singisetti says UB’s strengths in semiconductor technologies are due in large part to the caliber of research faculty working at the university, and the partnerships they’ve been able to leverage with regional and national collaborators.

Since the center launched in 2024, affiliated faculty have been awarded $14.4 million in funding to support semiconductor and microelectronics projects in partnership with federal agencies and industry leaders.

Singisetti succeeds Jonathan Bird, UB Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, who served as inaugural director of the center.

“Uttam Singisetti’s pioneering research and collaborative leadership will guide the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies’ next phase of growth, advancing discoveries that will support future breakthroughs in AI, quantum technologies and other fields vital to our nation's competitiveness,” says Venu Govindaraju, senior vice president for research, innovation and economic development.