Six New Faculty Join USC Stevens School of Computing and AI This Year

The USC Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence welcomes six new faculty members whose research advances the frontiers of artificial intelligence, computing and emerging hardware.

Appointed across USC Stevens and USC Viterbi School of Engineering's USC Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the USC Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science, the new faculty bring expertise spanning machine learning systems, computer architecture, quantum computing, superconducting electronics, quantum information and next-generation computing hardware.

Two of the new faculty members, Z. Morley Mao and Scott Mahlke, join USC from the University of Michigan, bringing expertise in trustworthy machine learning systems, cybersecurity and autonomous systems, as well as computer architecture and compiler-driven hardware design. Four additional faculty members join ECE in research appointments. Sasan Razmkhah and Haowei Shi continue their work at USC after completing postdoctoral and doctoral research at the university, while Itay Hen and Ajey Jacob bring longstanding research leadership from the USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI), where they have led projects in quantum computing and advanced computing hardware.

Their appointments come as USC expands its investment in AI and advanced computing through the newly named USC Stevens School, which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research, education and innovation in AI. The university's broader computing initiatives are also advancing research and education in areas including AI, quantum technologies and hardware for machine learning, while efforts across USC are exploring how AI can accelerate scientific discovery and address challenges in security and other fields.

Meet Our New Faculty

Morley Mao | Computer Science Professor | PhD in Computer Science, UC Berkeley

Research focus: I work on a variety of systems and security projects, including machine learning systems, cyber-physical systems, and security for autonomous vehicles and drones. Recently, I've spent significant effort designing trustworthy machine learning systems for autonomous vehicles and drones. I also enjoy developing systems that tackle critical challenges, such as a cloud-edge system for multimodal clinical screening to support rural health care.
What attracted you to USC? USC has a top engineering school with strong industry connections and a very collaborative community.
If you could offer one piece of advice to your students, what would it be? Chase your passion. Your passion is also influenced by what you learn: As you dig deeper into an area or topic, you can develop a passion for solving a hard problem. Try to think outside the box. Some topics are "hot," and everyone seems to want to work on them, but try to solve harder problems instead of focusing on potential low-hanging fruit.
Any hobbies? I like traveling and outdoor activities.

Scott Mahlke | Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor | PhD in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Research focus: My research focuses on the intersection of computer architecture and compiler code generation. The goal is to automatically design highly customized hardware architectures for the applications they run.
What attracted you to USC? The strong ECE department and the great faculty.
If you could offer one piece of advice to your students, what would it be? Language models are great tools that we should all use, but they are not a substitute for your own understanding.
Any hobbies? I enjoy running and biking.

Sasan Razmkhah | Research Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering | PhD in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from TOBB University of Economics and Technology

Research focus: My research focuses on superconducting and cryogenic electronics for energy-efficient computing, including digital architectures, neuromorphic and AI accelerators, quantum computing hardware and EDA tools. My latest work under the GENESIS Mission explores the use of AI and machine learning to develop design and optimization tools for superconducting integrated circuits, with the goal of improving their scalability, performance and design automation. I currently work in the USC SPORT Lab.
What attracted you to USC? USC's long history of innovation in computing and its leadership in emerging areas such as computing architectures, quantum technologies and AI were major attractions for me. I am also grateful to Massoud Pedram, my postdoctoral adviser, whose mentorship and support played an important role in my research path at USC.
If you could offer one piece of advice to your students, what would it be? Don't let negative attitudes about the future of your field discourage you. Every major technological shift changes the nature of work, but it also creates new opportunities. The future belongs to those who take the time to truly learn, understand and adapt.
Any hobbies? In my free time, I like reading about philosophy and history, especially modern history. I also enjoy hobby electronics, including FPGA programming and small hardware projects. I used to do powerlifting too!

Itay Hen | Research Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Principal Scientist at USC's Information Sciences Institute | PhD in Physics, Tel Aviv University

Research focus: My research focuses on computational physics and quantum computing. I develop algorithms for simulating quantum many-body systems and methods for benchmarking quantum computers. I also lead the Hen Lab at USC.
What attracted you to USC? Cutting-edge quantum computing.
If you could offer one piece of advice to your students, what would it be? Choose a research direction that genuinely excites you.
Any hobbies? I enjoy playing guitar and soccer.

Haowei Shi | Research Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering | PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering, USC

Research focus: My research focuses on quantum sensing, quantum communication and quantum information theory. Recently, I developed an entanglement-enabled noiseless amplifier that boosts sensing and communication efficiency without adding noise. I work in the Quantum Information Theory Group at USC.
What attracted you to USC? The USC Quantum Initiative provides an active hub for innovation and experimental testing.
If you could offer one piece of advice to your students, what would it be? El Psy Congroo!
Any hobbies? I like skiing, playing tennis and playing Go.

Ajey Jacob | Research Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering | PhD in Physics, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Research focus: My research focuses on next-generation computing and sensing hardware, from materials and devices to circuits and architecture. Leading the Application-Specific Intelligent Computing (ASIC) Lab, I explore alternative physical state variables, including electrons, photons, phonons and magnetic spins, to develop energy-efficient computing systems that can scale. My current projects include photonic compute-in-memory accelerators for AI inference, heterogeneous integration, beyond-CMOS devices and quantum system integration.

What attracted you to USC? After 16 years at Intel and GlobalFoundries, I joined USC's ISI to pursue fundamental research beyond near-term product roadmaps. USC offers the freedom to explore new ideas and develop real hardware through collaborations with government agencies, national labs and industry. Joining ECE also gives me the opportunity to teach and mentor students and collaborate across engineering and the physical sciences.

If you could offer one piece of advice to your students, what would it be? Be innovative and pursue important, challenging problems. Build deep and broad expertise, stay open to emerging technologies, from AI to robotics, and be ready to work in both theory and experiment. As AI advances, focus on creating new knowledge through your own research rather than competing with AI on what is already known.

Any hobbies? I like playing badminton, hiking, cooking and listening to music.

Published on October 14th, 2026

Last updated on October 14th, 2026