My teaching and research focuses on building microsystems and nanosystems. I specialize in the following areas:

• Design and CAD of 3D Processors. "3D" refers to stacking of chips with TSVs and/or interconnecting using high density interposers. Projects in this area include exploring advantages specific to 3D in computing, signal processing and other areas, as well as putting together Computer Aided Design flows to support 3D design.
• Interconnect Structures and Circuits. High-density, and low-power on-chip and chip to chip interconnect. These involve circuit design and novel physical packaging paradigms. Foci include low-power signaling, contact-free connectors, and crosstalk-free communications. Signal integrity and power integrity management. My teaching activities in this area focus on ECE 733 Digital Electronics.
• Cognitive Computing. Exploring new computing paradigms involving emerging artificial intelligence concepts. Past work includes designing accelerators for Automated Speech Recognition. Future work will be in the area of cortical processors.
• Application Specific Chips. Past work involved determining new hardware algorithms and building specialized chips of networking, network security, encryption, signal processing and multimedia. Design of integrated sensing systems for a variety of applications. Most of my current research work in this area is within my 3DIC focus. My teaching activities here focus mainly on ECE 464/520 ASIC Design which is also occasionally taught as an open online course.
• Microsystems. MEMS and micromachines, including meso-scale actuators. One current focus is on using Electroactive Polymers to enable refreshable Braille displays. Another is a new type of passive RFID chip that reduces cost and potentally increases range.
• Emerging devices and architectures. Concepts for computation beyond the end of CMOS scaling. Includes devices, interconnect structures and circuit/architecture concepts. A current focus is a new type of unified memory device, the double floating gate FET. ECE 733 Digital Electronics includes material on this topic.

The links to the left contain more research on teaching and research activities. The "advice" pages include advice to applicants and current students.

I am director of the Microelectronics Systems Laboratory (MSL), and co-director of the Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL). I codirect NCSU's CAD efforts, including production and distribution of our popular design kits. I have served as chair or co-chair of several conferences, on the Technical Program Committee of several more and as Associate Editor for several journals. I am a fellow of the IEEE. My personal interest include flying (power and glider), Horse Riding, Cycling, White Water Kayaking, occasional skier and diver. I am a former Australian infantry officer and maintain a continuing interest in military affairs and history. I am a member of bandit flight formation flying team.