Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Professor Muhannad Bakir has been named the inaugural GlobalFoundries Termed Chair in Packaging and 3D Heterogeneous Integration.

The position was established in the spring of 2025 to be awarded to a distinguished ECE faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in research and teaching in the areas of chiplet-based integrated circuit (IC) systems, 2.5D, and 3D IC technologies.

“I am grateful to GlobalFoundries for establishing this chair position in ECE, and honored to be the inaugural recipient,” Bakir said. “Advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration are a key differentiator and driver of innovation in virtually all leading-edge electronic systems from handheld devices to data centers powering AI. ECE’s partnership with GlobalFoundries will position the School for many unique research and educational programs development to support 2.5D and 3D technologies.”

3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI) is a cutting-edge technology that merges various ICs and components, including processors, memory, sensors, and RF modules, into one 3D package.

The position is part of a strategic agreement between Georgia Tech and GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF) to expand collaboration on semiconductor research, education, talent, and workforce development. GF is a leading manufacturer of essential semiconductors, headquartered in Malta, New York, providing a wide range of wafer fabrication services and differentiated technologies for automotive, smart mobile devices, internet of things, communications infrastructure, aerospace and defense, and other high-growth markets.

Bakir is currently the Dan Fielder Professor in ECE and the director of the 3D Systems Packaging Research Center supported by the Institute for Matter and Systems, where he oversees an interdisciplinary approach to electronic packaging research.

His work includes heterogeneous microsystem design and integration, advanced cooling and power delivery for emerging system architectures, electrical and photonic interconnect technologies, biosensor technologies and their integration with CMOS, and nanofabrication technologies.

Bakir has earned several awards, including the Intel Early Career Faculty Honor Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, IEEE Electronics Packaging Society Exceptional Technical Achievement Award, and several Georgia Tech Teaching Effectiveness Awards. He has over 180 bylines on journal publications and conference proceedings and holds 12 U.S. patents.