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UH’s Faghih Named an MIT Technology Review 2020 Innovator Under 35
By
Stephen Greenwell
Dr. Rose Faghih, an assistant professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, has been named to MIT Technology Review's prestigious annual list of Innovators Under 35, in the category of visionary.
Dr. Rose Faghih, an assistant professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, has been named to MIT Technology Review's prestigious annual list of Innovators Under 35, in the category of visionary.

HOUSTON, TEXAS, USA – June 18, 2020 – Yesterday MIT Technology Review announced Dr. Rose Faghih, an assistant professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, has been named to MIT Technology Review’s prestigious annual list of Innovators Under 35 as a visionary. Every year, the world-renowned media company has recognized a list of exceptionally talented technologists whose work has great potential to transform the world.

Faghih was highlighted by the publication for her work on decoding cognitive arousal states based on peripheral physiological signals such as sweat activity, with the goal of the designing a sensor-laden wristwatch that would monitor a person's brain states. Previous winners include Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the cofounders of Google; John Rogers, a materials scientist at the University of Illinois; and Max Levchin, a co-founder of PayPal.

Earlier this year, Faghih was also recognized by the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Women in Engineering Magazine. A feature article about her, “Women to Watch – The New Face of Engineering: Faghih Is Applying Her Research to Make an Impact on People's Lives,” is available on the IEEE Xplore website. Faghih also received a 2019-2020 Research Excellence Award, as well as a 2019-2020 Teaching Excellence Award, from the Cullen College of Engineering.

Faghih said, “I feel extremely honored and humbled to be named on the prestigious Innovators Under 35 list and would like to thank MIT Technology Review and all those who kindly supported my selection. This recognition is one of the most significant events in my academic career. My multidisciplinary research at the intersection of signal processing, control theory, medicine, and neuroscience on decoding brain states using wearables with the goal of designing adaptive controllers to improve the quality of life of different individuals initially appeared to be overly ambitious and risky. Thanks to the National Science Foundation [NSF] believing in my idea, this research was made possible. NSF first supported me through the Computer and Information Science and Engineering [CISE] Research Initiation Initiative [CRII] award to show the feasibility of my idea, which was followed by supporting my MINDWATCH idea earlier this year with NSF's CAREER Award.”

Gideon Lichfield, editor in chief of MIT Technology Review, said: “MIT Technology Review’s annual Innovators Under 35 list is a chance for us to honor the outstanding people behind the breakthrough technologies of the year that have the potential to disrupt our lives. These profiles offer a glimpse into what the face of technology looks like today as well as in the future.”

Learn more about this year’s honorees on the MIT Technology Review website here. The honorees are also invited to participate at the upcoming EmTech MIT conference, MIT Technology Review’s annual flagship event that offers a carefully curated perspective on the most significant developments of the year, with a focus on understanding their potential economic and societal impact. EmTech MIT will be held virtually October 20-22, 2020. Click here to learn more about the event.

About MIT Technology Review

Founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1899, MIT Technology Review is a world-renowned, independent media company whose insight, analysis, reviews, interviews and live events explain the commercial, social and political impact of new technologies. MIT Technology Review derives its authority from the world's foremost technology institution and from its editors' deep technical knowledge, capacity to see technologies in their broadest context, and unequaled access to leading innovators and researchers. The mission of MIT Technology Review is to make technology a greater force for good by bringing about better-informed, more conscious technology decisions through authoritative, influential, and trustworthy journalism. Subscribe. Follow: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram.

About EmTech MIT

Launched in 1999, MIT Technology Review’s annual flagship conference has a longstanding legacy of exploring the biggest technologies and trends of the day. Being held virtually for the first time October 20-22, 2020, EmTech MIT will offer a carefully curated perspective on the most significant developments of the year, including artificial intelligence, climate adaptation, personalized medicine, data security, and more. Part of the esteemed EmTech Event Series, this conference conducts a deep dive into how these technologies impact society, research, education, and life as we know it. EmTech MIT features conversations from innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, industry leaders and some of the world’s most brilliant minds. In addition, MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 are all invited to appear at the event, representing the best and brightest technologists the world has to offer. Learn more.

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