Apply now Job no:520461
Work type:Post Doc (Amherst Only)
Location:UMass Amherst
Department: Computer Science
Union: Post Doc
Categories:Postdoctoral Research Associate, Computer & Information Technology

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

About Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences

Celebrating almost 60 years of pioneering contributions to computing, the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) at UMass Amherst is home to graduate and undergraduate programs that are ranked among the top twenty-five in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and among the top twenty by CS Rankings. Following a decade of tremendous growth, CICS currently has 88 core faculty, including 20 ACM Fellows, 11 IEEE Fellows, and 36 NSF CAREER Award winners. CICS research encompasses all major technical specializations across the profession and serves as the focal point for interdisciplinary computing research at UMass Amherst, with affiliated research centers such as the Center for Intelligent Information Retrieval, the Center for Data Science, the Center for Smart and Connected Society, the Computational Social Science Institute, and the Cybersecurity Institute, as well as the new NIH-funded Massachusetts AI and Technology Center for Connected Care in Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease. The college currently enrolls approximately 300 doctoral students, 400 master’s students, and 2,000 undergraduate students in its computer science and informatics programs and continues to build on its history of innovative teaching with new programs in public interest technology and a growing online master’s program. The college’s new building, slated to open in the spring of 2025, is being designed to accommodate its growth and serve as a hub for community, collaboration, and research. The CICS community is united by a revolutionary vision for computing research, education, and outreach—Computing for the Common Good—and is committed to inspiring and educating students from all backgrounds and experiences, while conducting research that improves the lives of the people of the Commonwealth and the world. More information about the college can be found at cics.umass.edu.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our dynamic team in the field of Radio Frequency (RF) engineering and embedded systems. This position offers an exciting opportunity to collaborate on cutting-edge research projects and contribute to advancements in RF circuit design, communication systems, and sensor interfacing with particular emphasis on wearable computing. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in conducting experiments, developing innovative solutions, and disseminating research findings. The candidate will be co-supervised by Professors Sunghoon Ivan Lee and Jeremy Gummeson. 

The home institution for the position is the University of Massachusetts Amherst, at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, a top-25 Computer Science program in the nation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Contributes to research in a highly technical Computer Science and Electrical Engineering lab. This can involve: developing new ideas, hardware, and software; designing, documenting, modifying, and debugging engineering systems; evaluating and validating, circuits, algorithms, and architectures.
• Supervises research assistants.
• Carries out experiments in association with students, staff, and faculty.
• Describes techniques and results for use in scientific papers and conferences; assists in writing reports and articles.
• Contributes to the development of new research proposals. 

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with a focus on, or experience in, Radio Frequency (RF) engineering and embedded systems.
• Capacity for excellent research, as demonstrated by publications or other professional activities, appropriate to the number of years in the field.
• Deep understanding of RF engineering, including impedance analysis and optimized matching solutions.
• Proficiency in Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design of RF circuits, implementation,  debugging, and testing in laboratory and real-world settings. 
• Experience coding communication stacks and sensor interfacing for bare metal C embedded systems.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Additional Information

• The initial appointment will be for one (1) year with the possibility of reappointment contingent upon satisfactory performance and the availability of funding.
• Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates can learn more about current research projects by reviewing these related publications:

• Mohammed, Noor, et al. "ShaZam: Charge-free wearable devices via intra-body power transfer from everyday objects." Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies 5.2 (2021): 1-25.
• Shukla, Rishi, et al. "SkinnyPower: enabling batteryless wearable sensors via intra-body power transfer." Proceedings of the 17th Conference on Embedded Networked Sensor Systems. 2019.
• Mohammed, Noor, et al. "Charging Wearable Devices Through Natural Interactions with Instrumented Everyday Objects." GetMobile: Mobile Computing and Communications 26.2 (2022): 29-33.
• Shukla, Rishi, et al. "Enabling Batteryless Wearable Devices by Transferring Power Through The Human Body." GetMobile: Mobile Computing and Communications 24.3 (2021): 30-34.
• Mohammed, Noor, et al. "Wireless Intra-Body Power Transfer via Capacitively Coupled Link." 2022 IEEE-EMBS International Conference on Wearable and Implantable Body Sensor Networks (BSN). IEEE, 2022.

Application Instructions

Along with the application, please submit a CV, research statement, and contact information for three (3) professional references. The review of applications will start in September 2023 and will continue on a rolling basis.

UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, caste, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, political belief or affiliation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related condition(s), veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, natural and protective hairstyle and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University.  To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans.  It is the policy of UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.