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Delivering the future
ISI's mission is to advance society through pioneering research and technological innovation. We cultivate an intellectually vibrant environment where researchers are empowered to imagine bold solutions to complex problems and to develop into world-class leaders. Guided by integrity, inclusion, and a commitment to excellence, we create unprecedented capabilities that harness information to transform lives.
Research & Development
Part of the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, ISI is a pioneer in research and development across an exceptionally wide range of advanced information processing, computer, and communications technologies.
Our broad expertise spans artificial intelligence, computational systems and technology, space engineering, informatics systems research, and networking and cybersecurity. Bridging multiple technology disciplines through both academic and industry expertise, ISI continues to shape the technologies of tomorrow.
Centers
ISI Centers are internationally renowned for pioneering research in a multitude of areas and disciplines, with collaborations with Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, and numerous other organizations. From quantum computing to global space applications, ISI Centers push forward the boundaries of innovation.
MOSIS
In 1981, a request from DARPA led to USC establishing The MOSIS Service at ISI — a silicon prototyping and low volume production service for custom and semicustom integrated circuits.
Over the past 40 years, The MOSIS Service has collaborated with over 50 US government laboratories and agencies, 800 domestic and foreign colleges and Universities, and more than 100 commercial companies, and continues to support the advancement of microelectronics.
Join the Future
To build upon its successes and global reach, ISI actively recruits exceptional talent. We are dedicated to investing in tomorrow’s leaders, providing numerous internship, job, and program opportunities for students, as well as unique opportunities for exceptional researchers in information sciences and related fields.
Featured Job Openings
To build upon its successes and global reach, ISI actively recruits exceptional talent. We are dedicated to investing in tomorrow’s leaders, providing numerous internship, job, and program opportunities for students, as well as unique opportunities for exceptional researchers in information sciences and related fields.
Analog Design & Layout Engineer
Marina del Rey, CA
In Office
Seeking an engineer skilled in analog/RF and digital circuit design, and physical layout. The role involves working with MOSIS 2.0 customers, supporting USC’s tape out classes, and contributing to funded research projects in the USC ECE department.
EDA Infrastructure Engineer
USC University Park Campus
In Office
Manage and support multi-vendor EDA tool flows with a focus on digital design. Oversee cloud platforms for tool access and IP repositories, providing support to internal and external users in a collaborative, cloud-based EDA ecosystem.
ASIC/FPGA Research Engineer - Digital Design
Arlington, VA
Hybrid Eligible
Perform front-end digital design of advanced ASIC or FPGA-based prototypes addressing problems of national importance while developing novel computer architectures, RTL models, and systems-on-chip.
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ISI SEMINAR SERIES
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subscribe to notificationsISI SEMINAR SERIES
Keep up-to-date with the ISI seminar series by subscribing below.
You will have the option of subscribing to individual seminar topics.
Information Sciences Institute
As a world-class institution, ISI offers a prestigious, intellectually vibrant environment, combining the best of major research universities and industry labs on both coasts.
ISI is committed to forging a better future. Please visit our careers web page to learn how you can become a part of the ISI community.
Yesterday, we brought together ~100 researchers, educators, and students from 30+ Southern California institutions for our Southern California AI Workshop – and the energy was absolutely electric!
Read our story here: https://lnkd.in/gZmdvF8V
A huge THANK YOU to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for supporting this event through the ACCESS and NAIRR Pilot programs. Your commitment to democratizing access to advanced AI resources is transforming what's possible for researchers across our region and beyond.
We really enjoyed hearing from our speakers Frank Wuerthwein, director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, who spoke on AI Infrastructure for All; Shelley Knuth assistant vice chancellor for research computing at the University of Colorado Boulder, who gave introductory talk; and Maytal Dahan, director of advanced computing interfaces at the The University of Texas at Austin.
The workshop exceeded our expectations in every way. We connected researchers from 22 universities – spanning UC campuses, Cal State schools, and private institutions – with the powerful computing resources that were once only available to those with supercomputers. But more importantly, we created a space where marine biologists, historians, engineers, health scientists, and educators could share concrete strategies for integrating AI into their research workflows.
What made this workshop special? We listened first. Our pre-workshop survey told us researchers wanted practical training, real-world examples, and guidance on responsible AI use – not just theoretical possibilities. So that's exactly what we delivered.
Thank you to our phenomenal organizing team – Ewa Deelman, Mats Rynge, Karan Vahi, and everyone at USC ISI's ACCESS Support Team – for bringing this vision to life. And to every participant who shared their insights, challenges, and innovations: you're proof that when we lower barriers to technology, we raise the ceiling for discovery.
Here's to building momentum, fostering community, and advancing responsible AI-enabled research!
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Contour Crafting Corporation, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California
We're proud to celebrate our Managing Director, Terry Benzel, who has been featured as one of the IEEE Computer Society's Vice Presidents in their landmark 2025 Reflection article, published in the December issue of their Computer Magazine.
Alongside fellow Vice Presidents Nils Aschenbruck, Andrew Seely and Dr. Cyril Onwubiko, Charles Hansen and Edward Au, Terry contributed to a comprehensive review of what the IEEE Computer Society describes as "one of its most active years in nearly 80 years of history." The reflection piece examines the remarkable programs and activities that defined 2025 while charting an ambitious course toward the Society's 80th anniversary.
Terry's inclusion in this distinguished leadership group underscores her significant contributions to advancing computer science and cybersecurity research on a global scale.
The full reflection article is available in the December issue of IEEE Computer Magazine, offering insights into the initiatives and innovations that have positioned the IEEE Computer Society at the forefront of the computing field.
Congratulations, Terry, on this well-deserved recognition of your leadership and impact!
Scientists at USC Information Sciences Institute and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed the first regenerative photonic memory on a commercial foundry platform, solving a critical bottleneck in light-based computing.
The challenge: As AI and data center demands surge, traditional electronic systems are hitting hard limits. Metal wires can only move data so fast before resistance and heat become barriers. Light-based computing promises dramatically faster speeds, but we've lacked one crucial component: memory that operates entirely in the optical domain.
The innovation: Our team, led by Director of Advanced Electronics Ajey Jacob and UW-Madison Professor Akhilesh R Jaiswal, created a "photonic latch", an optical memory cell that stores data as light, just like standard RAM but faster.
What makes this significant? It was built using GlobalFoundries' Fotonix™ platform, meaning it's ready for commercial-scale manufacturing today.
Impact: This technology could enable optical processor caches running 50-60 GHz—up to 20x faster than today's electronic caches—ideal for data centers and high-performance computing.
Presented at IEEE IEDM Conference 2025, December 6-10 in San Francisco.
Read more: https://lnkd.in/gdTdGEgw
USC Viterbi School of Engineering University of Southern California
I’d also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Chris Hughes, Stephen Wyatt, and chris clark for their incredible support and mentorship during my time at ASIC North It was a pleasure working with Chris Hughes and Stephen Wyatt as my managers — I truly appreciated the opportunity to learn, grow, and collaborate with such talented professionals.