Jason Cong, a distinguished professor of computer science at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, has been named the recipient of the 2024 Phil Kaufman Award for his contributions to field-programmable gate array, or FPGA, design automation technology.
The award, presented annually by the Electronic System Design Alliance — part of the global semiconductor industry association SEMI — and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Council on Electronic Design Automation, is regarded as the highest honor in the field of electronic system design.
Cong’s research over the past three decades has helped revolutionize FPGA design automation, influencing both academia and industry. FPGAs are integrated circuits that can be reprogrammed after they have been manufactured. His work spans from circuit to system-level design, enabling advancements in semiconductor technology through innovations in logic, layout and synthesis automation.
At UCLA, Cong holds the Volgenau Chair for Engineering Excellence and directs both the VLSI Architecture, Synthesis and Technology Laboratory and the UCLA Center for Domain-Specific Computing. He has mentored numerous graduate students, many of whom have gone on to leadership roles in academia and industry, including founders of successful startups.
