TLDR: Vidya Chhabria, an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University, has received the inaugural Google ML and Systems Junior Faculty Award, which includes $100,000 in unrestricted funding. The award recognizes her groundbreaking research in applying AI and machine learning to enhance the design of computer chips, a field crucial for the future of technology from smartphones to data centers.
Vidya Chhabria, an accomplished Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU), has been named a recipient of the prestigious inaugural Google ML and Systems Junior Faculty Award. This significant recognition, announced on September 24, 2025, comes with $100,000 in unrestricted funding, acknowledging her innovative work in AI-driven chip design.
The Google ML and Systems Junior Faculty Award aims to celebrate early-career faculty whose research is pushing the boundaries of machine learning and systems. Chhabria is among more than 50 assistant professors from 27 U.S. universities to receive this honor, selected by a distinguished panel of Google engineers and researchers.
Chhabria’s research at ASU, specifically within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, focuses on computer-aided design (CAD) for very large-scale integration (VLSI) systems. Her group is dedicated to developing advanced electronic design automation (EDA) tools—specialized software essential for designing the computer chips that power everything from personal smartphones to vast data centers. Her work primarily delves into physical design, optimization, and analysis algorithms.
Expressing her gratitude, Chhabria stated, “Being recognized by Google via this junior faculty award is extremely rewarding, not just to me but to our entire group.” She further elaborated on her team’s mission: “The research our group does focuses on developing electronic design automation tools, specialized software that aid in the design of computer chips behind everything from smartphones to data centers.”
The integration of artificial intelligence into chip design is a cornerstone of Chhabria’s work. She highlights the transformative potential of AI in this complex field: “Designing chips is complex, time-consuming and resource-intensive, and AI has shown enormous potential in addressing challenges of scale, automation and optimization in this area.” Her research specifically leverages machine learning to automate and optimize hardware design processes, addressing the limitations of traditional EDA tools as chip complexity grows.
Chhabria also pointed out a significant hurdle in this domain: “Training AI for chip design is especially challenging because of the lack of open-source, industrial-scale chip designs makes it difficult to create and test AI models.” She believes the Google award will be instrumental in overcoming this, adding, “This award helps bridge that gap by creating collaboration opportunities with Google.”
Looking ahead, Chhabria is particularly enthusiastic about utilizing large language models (LLMs) as intelligent ‘agents’ for chip design. These agents could learn to perform design tasks autonomously, significantly boosting efficiency, enhancing optimization, and making chip design more accessible to non-experts. “Developing autonomous AI agents for different challenges in physical design could be transformative,” she noted.
Dr. Stephen Phillips, an associate dean at ASU, praised Chhabria’s impact: “Our students have an amazing opportunity learning from faculty like Dr. Chhabria, whose research is not only impactful but also receives recognition from industry leaders like Google. It’s incredibly motivating for students to be guided by someone shaping the future of the field.”
Also Read:
- Innovations in AI Hardware Unveiled, Driving Advanced Model Capabilities
- Google and Knight Center Announce Free AI Course for Journalists to Revolutionize Workflow and Audience Engagement
This award not only underscores Google’s commitment to academic collaboration but also solidifies ASU’s position as a leader in microelectronics and EDA. Chhabria’s pioneering efforts are poised to shape the future of the semiconductor industry by advancing the next generation of AI-driven chip design technology.
