OUR TEAM

Mahsa Ardakani is a Ph.D. student at the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include quantization and efficient deployment of large language models (LLMs) on edge devices, with a focus on low-bit optimization techniques. She develops energy-efficient AI systems and end-to-end pipelines for real-time applications on resource-constrained platforms.

Peyton Chandarana received his M.S. in Computer Engineering in 2025. Before joining the iCAS Lab in the spring of 2021, he worked on building an Amazon Alexa skill for healthcare applications and researching proteins similar to COVID-19. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at the University of South Carolina. His research interests consist of neuromorphic computing, edge computing, and hardware design for machine learning accelerators.

Michael Wang Cluver is pursuing his Ph.D. in computer science at the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining the iCAS lab, Michael researched quantum circuit synthesis in the AI Institute of UofSC. He received his B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of South Carolin in 2025. Currently, Michael's research involves machine learning and edge computing.

Aishneet Juneja is currently a graduate student working towards her Ph.D. degree at the University of South Carolina. Her research interests span across deep learning, machine learning, and edge computing. She explores various domains with an avid curiosity. Before joining the lab, she gained valuable experience as a full-stack developer, adding practical insights to her academic foundation.

Lily Lamb received her B.S.E. in Computer Engineering from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA in 2023. Prior to joining the iCAS Lab in the spring of 2025, she worked for the Autonomous Field Robotics Lab at USC and currently works for Integer Technologies. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at the University of South Carolina. Her current interests include Robotics and Applied AI.

Jinendra Malekar is a graduate student at the University of South Carolina. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the International Institute of Information Technology - Naya Raipur (IIIt-NR) in Fall 2021. His research in the iCAS lab focuses on Edge LLM, LLM Compression and Quantization, and In-Memory Computing Technologies. 

MohammadReza Mohammadi received his B.Sc degree in computer engineering (hardware) from Mazandaran University of Science and Technology in 2016. He pursued his master's Also in Computer engineering (Computer Architecture) at the University of Tehran. During his master's, he worked on digital design for Machine Learning algorithms. Currently, he is a Ph.D. student at the University of South Carolina. His research in the iCAS lab includes Neuromorphic computing, Digital design for Machine Learning algorithms, In-Memory Processing, and bio-inspired computing.

Brendan Reidy is pursuing his Ph.D. in computer engineering at the University of South Carolina. He received his bachelor's degree in computer science in Fall 2021. His research focuses on machine learning at the edge for computer vision and natural language processing applications. Brendan has led several projects including industry collaborations, various works with mixed precision neural networks, and deployment of large language models on edge AI devices. Over multiple summers, Brendan has also interned at multiple companies to research AI applications in industry.

Blake Seekings is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science. He received his bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics at the University of South Carolina in Spring 2023. He is a recipient of the McNair Junior Fellows Scholarship and the Magellan Scholar Award. Blake is currently researching edge computing and neuromorphic computing. His research interests include Machine Learning and Neuromorphic Computing.

Lingjia Shi is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Computer Science. She received her M.S. in Computer Science at the University of South Carolina in 2023. Her current research focuses on deep learning in computer vision and its application and deployment in edge computing scenarios.

Jiarong Xu is a Ph.D. student at the University of South Carolina. Her research interests include quantum computing and quantum–classical hybrid systems, leveraging classical machine learning and reinforcement learning techniques. She also works on MLIR-based compiler infrastructures and system optimization for heterogeneous computing.

Hasti Zanganeh is currently a graduate student in computer science at the University of South Carolina, having earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics in Fall 2022. Her research focuses on distributed machine learning, edge computing, and neuromorphic systems, with a background of two years in researching differential equations and partial differential equations.

Arshia Eslami is a graduate student working at the intersection of robotics and machine learning. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a minor in Neuroscience. His research focuses on robot learning and Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models, with an emphasis on developing general-purpose systems that enable intelligent and multimodal interaction with robots. He also collaborates on computational medicine research with the USC School of Medicine. His broader interests include reinforcement learning, bioinformatics, robotics and machine learning.

Matthew Grenier is a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, currently pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering. His research interests include machine learning, edge computing, and computer architecture, with a particular interest in their intersections. Before joining the lab, he researched algorithmic methods for fairness in online marketplaces.

Ethan Hammer is an undergraduate at the University of South Carolina pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering. His research interests revolve around machine learning, edge computing, and low-level systems. Prior to joining the lab, Ethan contributed to the development of simulation software for USC’s Power Flow Design Tools group and for NASA. 

Elijah Hatcher is an undergraduate student studying computer engineering and mathematics. His research interests include machine learning, edge computing, and robotics. 

Andrew Heuer is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence. His research focuses on machine learning architectures, with past projects on neural performance prediction and transformer pre-training. He also has research experience with virtual reality development and software engineering from previous research roles and multiple internships.  

Nikhil Krishna is currently an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in computer engineering and is a USC top scholar. His research interests include machine learning, computer vision, and computer architecture. Before joining the lab, he researched edge computer vision on autonomous drones. 

Cody Miller is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Computer Science and a concentration in Artificial Intelligence. His research interests include edge computing and machine learning in robotics. 

Dissertation: Cross-layer Design and Optimization of Analog In-memory Computing Systems

Thesis: Real-Time Facial Expression Recognition Using Edge AI Accelerators

Integer Technologies - Lead Computer Engineer