Birsen Sirkeci

Birsen Sirkeci is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at San Jose State University (SJSU), San Jose, CA. She holds a PhD from Cornell University (2006), an MSc from Northeastern University (2000), and a BSc from Middle East Technical University, Turkey (1998). Prior to joining SJSU, she was a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (2006)
• MSc in Electrical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA (2000)
• BSc in Electrical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey (1998)

Professor Sirkeci's research spans wireless communications, sensor networks, statistical signal processing, and machine learning. Her work focuses on developing advanced algorithms for cognitive radio networks, spectrum sensing, and cooperative communication systems. She has pioneered applications of neural networks in materials science (e.g., stress prediction in porous ceramics) and medical imaging (e.g., colon cancer detection), demonstrating exceptional interdisciplinary innovation.

Analysis of her 2013-2021 publications reveals a dominant trend at the intersection of wireless communications and deep learning. Key themes include spectrum sensing via convolutional neural networks, cooperative broadcast strategies in dense networks, and physics-informed machine learning for materials engineering. Her work consistently addresses real-world constraints like channel estimation errors and hardware limitations using USRP SDRs.

Her scientific contributions have been recognized with:

• Best Paper Awards at MILCOM 2005, WCECS 2010, and ICETEC 2013
• IEEE ICME Outstanding Organizing Committee Member (2013)
• Applied Materials Teaching Award at SJSU (2014)

As an advisor, she co-led the SJSU Spartans team to the DARPA Spectrum Challenge finals in 2013. While specific grants aren't detailed in source material, her award-winning publications and competition success indicate sustained research funding. She actively mentors students through capstone projects and competitive teams, emphasizing hands-on implementation.

Professor Sirkeci leads wireless communications research within SJSU's Electrical Engineering department, with strong ties to industry through awards like Applied Materials. Her DARPA Spectrum Challenge involvement underscores leadership in translating theoretical research into competitive, real-world systems.