News: Microelectronics
7 November 2025
Cornell’s Huili Grace Xing to receive 2025 University Research Award in Technology from SIA and SRC
Huili Grace Xing, the William L. Quackenbush Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and of Materials Science and Engineering at Cornell University, is the recipient of the 2025 University Research Award in Technology from the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC).
SIA and SRC present the University Research Awards annually to two professors who demonstrate excellence in advancing research in semiconductor technology and design. The awards were established in 1995 by SIA to recognize lifetime research contributions to the US semiconductor industry by university faculty. Winners are selected in conjunction with the SRC board and the SIA board chairman and board of directors.
The 2025 award is being formally presented at the SIA Awards Dinner on 20 November in San Jose, California. Todd Austin, professor of computer science and engineering and of electrical and computer engineering science at the University of Michigan, is recipient of the University Research Award for Design.
“Professors Xing and Austin exemplify excellence in semiconductor research, with their cutting-edge work expanding the frontiers of chip technology and strengthening America’s role as the global innovation leader,” comments the SIA’s president & CEO John Neuffer.
Picture: Huili Grace Xing, the William L. Quackenbush Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and of Materials Science and Engineering at Cornell.
Xing is receiving the award for her pioneering work in III-V nitride materials and devices, oxide materials and devices, 2D semiconductors and layered crystals. Her research on wide-bandgap semiconductors like aluminium nitride and gallium nitride ultra-scaled high-electron-mobility and high-hole-mobility transistors for high-speed, high-power applications has significantly advanced applications of polar semiconductors in electronics and in photonics, such as high-frequency wireless communication, solid-state electronics and energy-efficient devices.
“The hallmark of SRC research programs is the consistent delivery of real-world impact through visionary research, deep collaboration and a commitment to excellence across academia, industry and government,” says SRC’s president & CEO Todd Younkin. “Professors Huili Grace Xing and Todd Austin exemplify this legacy – not only through their groundbreaking innovations and mentorship, but through the scale and ambition of the programs they’ve helped lead,” he adds. “Their work moves at industry speed and demonstrates the power of public–private partnership to accelerate progress and shape the future of microelectronics.”
Xing’s contributions include both fundamental research (such as studying material properties at the atomic level) and applied research (involving the design and testing of gallium nitride devices in real-world scenarios). A Fellow of IEEE, AAAS and APS, Xing has previously received numerous awards, including the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award, ISCS Young Scientist Award, NSF CAREER Award, and AFOSR Young Investigator Program Award.
“This recognition highlights the vital partnership among academia, industry and government that drives innovation in semiconductor technology,” says Xing. “Over the past two decades, I’ve been fortunate to contribute to this collaboration in various roles – from a contributing PI [principal investigator] to a JUMP 2.0 center director. This award is also a tribute to the many generations of my graduate students and close collaborators who have shared this journey with me.”
