Najme Ebrahini, Assistant Professor, Dept. of ECE, Northeastern
I AM...a Professor
What made you want to work in this industry?
I’ve always been fascinated by physics and electronics. During high school, I participated in national Physics Olympiad tournaments, which exposed me to advanced concepts early on. Starting from my first summers in high school (junior years), I studied Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday & Resnick. Those tournaments often included camps where university and college-level students served as instructors. That’s when I realized that the part of physics, I was most drawn to, electronics and electromagnetics, had a real home in electrical engineering. That early exposure helped me decide what to study in university and shaped my career path. On the other hand, my early motivation and interest in teaching also came from my parents being teachers. I used to attend their classes at a young age. These two early influences are what led me into this field and into academia.
What is your favorite part of your job?
What excites me most is the interdisciplinary nature of RF and microwave engineering. It’s incredible how we translate digital bits into electromagnetic waveforms that propagate through the environment, bridging fundamentals of physics with complex systems and applications. Whether it’s circuit design, antenna arrays, or systems integration, every project combines fundamental science with real-world impact.
I started my PhD at University of California, San Diego doing research on communication electronics, especially mmWave phased arrays for 5G and 6G. Now, as a professor, what I enjoy most is having the freedom to not only continue working in the area I was trained in, but also explore new directions through collaboration. One example I’m excited about is using electronics and RF/microwave systems to control different physical domains, whether it’s electromagnetic waveforms for antenna arrays or control signals for quantum qubits. I’m especially interested in how we can design these systems to operate efficiently and reliably at scale.
What are you most excited about for IMS2026?
I’m very excited to serve on the IMS2026 Steering Committee. This year’s technical program is structured around three distinct symposia: RF Technology & Techniques (RFTT), RF Systems & Applications (RFSA), and the RF Integrated Circuits (RFIC) Symposium. This structure reflects the growing focus and depth across circuits, system design, theory, and application spaces. But beyond the technical program, I’m especially excited about the new high school engagement activity we’re initiating. I believe moments of early exposure, like the ones I had in high school, can truly change someone’s path. Through IMS2026 and other outreach, I hope we can help the next generation find their passion in this field and get connected to engineering community and experienced professionals.