Spotlight on Electrical and Computer Engineering

PhD student Zihan Zhang writes on a whiteboard while Assistant Professor Marco Donato looks on.

Student highlight

Name: Zihan Zhang
Degree: PhD in Computer Engineering
Faculty lab: Assistant Professor Marco Donato
Hometown: Wuhan, China

Why Tufts?
Tufts has excellent research facilities and works closely with top tech companies, making it perfect for my studies in semiconductor devices and nonvolatile memory. Also, Tufts' focus on academic excellence and innovation keeps me at the cutting edge in my field.

Favorite thing about living in the Medford/Somerville and Boston area?
I love Boston for its peaceful, academic vibe and modern touch. It's the vibrant intellectual community here that is most appealing, offering a great environment for growth. Boston's mix of history and modernity makes living here special. Plus, meeting students from different universities and fields here broadens my perspective and understanding.

Any advice you’d give to prospective students or new graduate students?
It's crucial to manage your time effectively to balance study and life. The key is maintaining enthusiasm in your studies while not getting discouraged by academic setbacks. Embrace the learning journey passionately and ensure your life outside academia is fulfilling and balanced.

Assistant Professor Marco Donato and PhD student Zihan Zhang walking down the hallway and talking together.

Faculty highlight

Name: Assistant Professor Marco Donato
Research interests: Emerging technologies, non-volatile memories, SoC design, hardware for machine learning, noise modeling and reliability

About Assistant Professor Donato:
Marco Donato is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University. Prior to joining Tufts, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. He earned a PhD in Electrical Sciences and Computer Engineering from Brown University and holds a MSc and BSc degree from the University of La Sapienza in Rome, Italy. His research focuses on designing reliable and energy efficient hardware leveraging emerging technologies. He is currently working on co-design methodologies for building specialized architectures for machine learning applications that leverage dense, fault-prone embedded non-volatile memories.