Stefany Cruz Wins 2021 Microsoft Research Ada Lovelace Fellowship

Northwestern computer engineering PhD student Stefany Cruz has been named one of the five 2021 Microsoft Research Ada Lovelace fellows. The highly selective, prestigious three-year fellowship recognizes PhD students pursuing research areas aligned with Microsoft Research.

Cruz works in the Ka Moamoa lab and is advised by assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and assistant professor of computer science Josiah Hester.

Cruz’s research interests are in “building, designing, programming, and deploying battery-free, intermittently powered devices in the sustainable Internet-of-Things,” with the intention of augmenting and supporting health, safety, and independence in resource-constrained communities. Her goal is to make wearable technology affordable, long-lasting, and accessible for everyone. 

“This fellowship will give me the freedom and resources to tackle research problems that are most important to me,” Cruz said in a recorded acceptance video. “This is my way of giving back to my community as well as contributing to the fundamental advancement of ultra low-powered AI enabled embedded systems.”

Cruz received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) where she performed undergraduate research in the Grover Lab and Cooperative Vehicle Networks (COVEN) Lab. Prior to UCR, she received an associate of science in physics and mathematics from Pasadena City College.