Jia Di

Jia Di serves as Professor and Department Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Arkansas, holding the Rodger S. Kline Endowed Leadership Chair. He has been with the institution since 2004, progressing from Assistant Professor to his current leadership position within the College of Engineering.

Education:

• B.S. in Automatic Control, Tsinghua University (1997)
• M.S. in Automatic Control, Tsinghua University (2000)
• Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Central Florida (2004)

Research Focus: Dr. Di's work centers on asynchronous integrated circuit design and hardware security, with emphasis on Multi-threshold Null Convention Logic (MTNCL) for ultra-low-power secure systems. His research spans hardware Trojan detection, polymorphic logic gates, extreme environment electronics, and security solutions for IoT infrastructure. His Trustable Logic Circuit Design Lab has pioneered techniques for side-channel attack mitigation and cold boot attack prevention through self-destructive memory mechanisms.

Publication Trends: Recent publications reveal a strategic shift toward hardware security applications for renewable energy systems and IoT edge devices, while maintaining core expertise in asynchronous circuit design. His work increasingly integrates machine learning (e.g., graph neural networks for hardware Trojan detection) and cross-platform verification frameworks, demonstrating evolution from pure circuit design to holistic cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure.

Scientific Recognition:

• Senior Member of IEEE
• Eminent Member of Tau Beta Pi
• Elected Member of the National Academy of Inventors

Research Leadership: Dr. Di has secured over $23 million in research funding for his Trustable Logic Circuit Design Lab, supporting development of 6 U.S. patents and two authoritative books. His lab collaborates with federal agencies and industry partners on hardware security challenges, with recent grants focusing on photovoltaic system protection and extreme-environment electronics. While specific student names aren't documented here, his extensive publication record indicates significant graduate mentorship in hardware security and asynchronous design.

Lab Infrastructure: The Trustable Logic Circuit Design Lab maintains specialized capabilities for testing circuits in extreme environments (high temperature/radiation) and developing polymorphic security mechanisms. Current projects include RF aperture security, hardware-based IoT verification systems, and digital twin implementations for power electronics with integrated trust verification.