Florida State University - PhD positions in AI for power electronics & semiconductor manufacturing

Enrollment & admission

Enrollment

• FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida, USA
• Fall 2026–Spring 2028
• Full Scholarship (Tuition Fee Covered + Stipend)
• Supervisor: Xinze Li

General Ph.D. admission requirements

• A bachelor's degree.
• A minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) GPA in all coursework attempted.
• Official English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English: IBTOEFL - 80; OR TOEFL - 550; OR IELTS - 6.5; OR MELAB - 77; OR PTE - 55.
• GRE: For all engineering master’s applicants, GRE requirement has been waived; For bachelor’s applicants, you might be eligible for a GRE waiver.
• More information: eng.famu.fsu.edu/prospective/graduate/admissions-requirements

Research overview

My vision is to build next-generation AI for next-generation power electronics technologies: an AI-native foundational intelligence layer for the adaptive, autonomous, and eventually self-sustained lifecycle management of power electronics systems. For more on my research, use the resource links below.

Our research will center on three AI directions: physical AI, explainable AI, and agentic AI.

We do not simply apply methodology — we renovate technology. You will not only master engineering — you will learn philosophy.

Research directions

Candidate profile

I am looking for PhD students who plan to enroll between Fall 2026 and Fall 2027 and have:

• Strong passion, motivation, curiosity, and character;
• A background in power electronics, AI, IC design, physics, mathematics, or related fields;
• A willingness to explore bold ideas and build real technologies.

Applicants from other fields are also welcome.

Know my work

Quick links — papers, code, profile, and full CV site.

CAPS & FAMU-FSU

Students will have the opportunity to work with the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS) at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering — a unique research environment for advanced power systems, power electronics, real-time simulation, cyber-physical systems, superconductivity, insulation, and thermal systems.

CAPS facilities include:

• State-of-the-art low-voltage and high-voltage power electronics laboratories for converter modeling, control, simulation, and prototyping;
• A 5 MW Prototype Test Facility that integrates real hardware with one of the world’s largest university RTDS installations, enabling powerful power-hardware-in-the-loop testing;
• Digital real-time simulation capabilities for realistic, low-risk testing of critical power and energy systems;
• Cyber-physical systems testbeds for distributed control, agent-based control, communication-aware power systems, and HIL experiments;
• High-temperature superconductivity and cryogenic dielectric laboratories;
• A High Electric Field Laboratory supporting insulation diagnostics, condition monitoring, high-voltage testing, and extreme-environment validation;
• Thermal systems laboratories for thermal measurement, evaluation, and testing of power systems.

This is an ideal environment for building AI that does not stay on paper, but interacts with real hardware, real systems, and real constraints.

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering is the joint college for engineering education and research at Florida A&M University and Florida State University — one college, two universities, and infinite possibilities.

According to U.S. News & World Report 2026 rankings, FSU is ranked No. 21 among public universities, and FAMU remains the highest-ranked public HBCU. The college is connected with major research facilities and centers, including the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion, Center for Advanced Power Systems, and RIDER Center.

Through this opportunity, students will be affiliated with FSU and CAPS.