Fellowships fuel the next generation of ECE PhD researchers

Every year, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at UW–Madison invests in graduate students and their research by awarding graduate fellowships to top incoming PhD students.  These fellowships, which provide full stipends for the first year as well as additional stipend support in the 2^nd through 5^th years to complement year-out research and/or teaching assistantships, allow students to focus entirely on their initial PhD coursework and research as they begin their graduate studies.  For the 2026–2027 academic year, up to 15 ECE distinguished graduate fellowships will be available. All applicants to the ECE PhD program are automatically considered, and no additional application is required.  Fellowships also cover the student’s tuition, similar to research and teaching assistantships.

Many of these fellowships are made possible by the extraordinary generosity of ECE alumni.   The awards provide meaningful support and recognition to the recipients, as highlighted below.

Dalton Zirbel, first-year ECE PhD student and recipient of a Professor Norbert L. Schmitz Fellowship, first discovered his passion for research as an undergraduate.

“I joined Professor Knezevic’s research group in my second [undergraduate] year to learn more about the research process and the topics I was interested in.  This experience made me realize that research was what I wanted to devote my life to,” Zirbel says.  “I was exposed to the cutting edge in this field, which only deepened my interest.”

Zirbel’s research with ECE Patricia and Michael Splinter Professor and Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor Irena Knezevic focuses on the physics and simulation of nanoelectronics. The fellowship, he explains, supports him as he fully devotes his time to this area of interest.  “It allows me to focus all of my time on my coursework and research, which are the things I enjoy most.  My future goal of staying in academia after graduation has been reinforced by receiving this fellowship.”

Undergraduate research experience had a similar impact on Paridhi Gupta: “During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to work in Professor Josh San Miguel’s lab, and that experience was truly eye-opening. I discovered that I genuinely enjoy the process of doing research—grappling with open-ended problems, diving deep into complex ideas, and contributing to something bigger than myself.”

Gupta, a first-year ECE PhD student, received an ECE Distinguished Graduate Fellowship and is now advised by San Miguel. She was drawn to the creativity and problem-solving involved in designing computer systems from the ground up: “The more I learned, the more fascinated I became by how architecture decisions influence everything from performance to energy efficiency. What excites me most is the potential to design sustainable computing systems—hardware that’s optimized not just for speed, but for energy efficiency and environmental impact.”

In addition to feeling financial relief, the fellowship provided Gupta with a strong sense of validation and motivation: “I felt like the department believed in my potential, which boosted my confidence heading into this next chapter.”

Another ECE fellowship recipient, Alex Vanasse, set a goal to investigate how best to utilize the electrical properties of novel devices and circuits at an architectural level.  He is now a member of the research team led by ECE John D. Wiley Assistant Professor Jennifer Volk.

“I want to work in research on the cutting edge of computing devices,” Vanasse explains.  “I am currently focused on superconducting electronics for computing.”

For Vanasse, receiving the Peter R. Schneider Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship helps bring out his best work.

“This fellowship allowed me to come to Madison without worries of funding my degree, allowing me to focus my attention on the work I want to get done.  I think someone’s highest quality work naturally comes out when they are truly passionate about what they’re working on.”

First-year ECE PhD student Bill Nguyen was drawn to the challenge of connecting ideas across disciplines.  “I felt that doing a PhD would give me the opportunity to learn to become a better thinker and allow me to be creative with research.”  His work with ECE Keith and Jane Morgan Nosbusch Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Grace Wahba Professor of Data Science Robert Nowak centers on the theory of machine learning, where he aims to understand why deep neural networks can model so many problems so effectively and how improved analysis might not only advance modeling methods but also offer mathematical insights into human decision-making and philosophical systems.

Receiving departmental fellowship support through the Claude and Dora Richardson Distinguished Graduate Fellowship has made the start of Nguyen’s PhD studies especially impactful. “The fellowship support has allowed and will continue to allow me to fully take in the very collaborative research environment of UW–Madison and encourage me to access a broader spectrum of research interests during my time here,” Nguyen says.

To students considering a PhD program, he offers simple advice: “Do the things you really want to do and do the things that you’re on the fence about. Don’t miss experiences—you’ll learn a lot, and that learning will serve you well in every aspect of life.”

To learn more about graduate programs within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UW–Madison, visit our programs page.

Top photo left to right: Zirbel, Vanasse, Nguyen, Gupta