(Left to right) Vice Dean for Academic Programs Erik Johnson, Ballhaus Prize winner Yushun Zeng, USC Board of Councilors member William F. Ballhaus Jr., Dean Yannis C. Yortsos and BME Professor Qifa Zhou (Photo/Noe Montes)
Yushun Zeng still remembered the first time he saw what ultrasound could reveal; and what it could not.
“Even with today’s technology, there are still gaps in resolution and accuracy,” he said. “That’s where engineering can make a real difference.”
On Wednesday morning, Zeng crossed the stage at Bovard Auditorium to receive his doctorate from the USC Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering. The winner of the William F. Ballhaus Jr. Prize for Excellence in Graduate Engineering Research, he focused his research on ultrasound transducers: the devices that send and receive sound waves to create images inside the human body; tools used every day in hospitals and clinics.
His dissertation, “Advanced Ultrasound Transducers: From Design and Fabrications to Biomedical Applications,” aimed to improve how those transducers function, making them more sensitive and precise. The result: clearer images for physicians and better outcomes for patients.
“Better images lead to better decisions, and that can change lives,” he said.
Working under adviser Qifa Zhou – Zohrab A. Kaprielian Professor in the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Ophthalmology – Zeng found both freedom and support. Collaborations with the Keck School of Medicine of USC strengthened the clinical impact of his work, while USC’s research environment pushed him further.
Zeng said the hands-on nature of his research defined his experience. He has been offered a postdoctoral position at USC and plans to continue advancing medical imaging research.
“USC has been an incredible place for me. You’re surrounded by people who want to push boundaries,” he said. “I’ve grown as a researcher and as a person. I truly love this community.”
PhD graduates enter the Bovard Auditorium. (photo/Magali Gruet)
Students take selfies at the ceremony. (Photo/Magali Gruet)
Families came for support! (photo/Magali Gruet)
A ceremony rooted in tradition
On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, 170 newly minted Ph.Ds. gathered at Bovard Auditorium sporting cardinal and gold hoods, a tradition that dates to 12th century monks. This year’s graduates represented countries ranging from China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United States.
USC Viterbi Dean Yannis C. Yortsos (Photo/Magali Gruet)
Yannis C. Yortsos, dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, complimented members of the graduating class for overcoming the many hurdles they faced on their academic journey. “Every Ph.D. journey has its Cyclops: the single, seemingly insurmountable problem that almost ended everything,” he said. “You did not overpower it. You could not. You outthought it. That is the Odyssean move. That is the Ph.D.”
Yortsos added that graduates would play a major role in addressing the major issues of the day, including climate change, energy, cybersecurity and responsible AI.
“When those problems arise, the world will turn to engineers like you. You are its polymechanos — people of many devices. That is not a burden. It is an extraordinary privilege,” said Yortsos, who participated in his final Ph.D. hooding ceremony as USC Viterbi’s dean, a position he’s held for 21 years.
Executive Vice Dean Gaurav Sukhatme (Photo/Magali Gruet)
Executive Vice Dean Gaurav Sukhatme, who also serves as the founding director of the USC Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, discussed how advanced computing and AI are playing an increasingly central role in all of engineering.
“As part of today’s program, we formally acknowledge the Ph.D. graduates of the Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science and the Ming-Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering – the two academic departments in the Stevens School,” he said.
“I want to note, however, that so much of the fundamental work represented in the dissertations in today’s program is computational in nature. Accordingly, the growth of the Stevens school in the years to come will be to build a community of scholars dedicated to expanding the frontiers of computing in all areas of engineering, indeed across all disciplines of study.”
William F. Ballhaus Jr., the keynote speaker and namesake of the Ballhaus Prize, addressed the graduates with a message shaped by decades in aerospace and engineering leadership. A member of the USC Viterbi Board of Councilors who earned his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, Ballhaus built a career that included leading NASA Ames Research Center and The Aerospace Corporation and serving as a top engineering executive at Lockheed Martin.
Keynote Speaker William F. Ballhaus Jr. (Photo/Noe Montes)
In his remarks, Ballhaus struck a balanced tone on artificial intelligence, noting that the technology will provide engineers “new opportunities, if you take advantage of them,” while emphasizing that people must remain responsible for how it is used.
“I do believe that for the foreseeable future, there will be humans overseeing and taking accountability for whatever AI does to help prevent lapses in mission success,” he said.
Drawing on lessons from his career, Ballhaus emphasized two guiding principles.
First, learn from the mistakes of others. In complex fields like aerospace, he said, failures rarely come from a single point of breakdown; they emerge from small oversights that accumulate.
Second, focus on quality and success. “What is mission success?” Ballhaus asked. “Quite simply, making sure that your product, service or whatever it is works as intended
He closed by reminding graduates that their work carries real responsibility, especially as technologies grow more powerful.
“Congratulations to all of you for achieving this significant milestone in your lives you can be very proud of,” Ballhaus said. “You are now on to exciting careers.”
A PhD graduate receives his diploma surrounded by Dean Yannis Yortsos (left) and Vice Dean Gaurav Sukhatme (right). (Photo/Magali Gruet)
Student and advisor have fun on stage by wearing sunglasses. (Photo/Magali Gruet)
More heartwarming moments on stage.(Photos/Magali Gruet)
From research to real-world impact
Ballhaus Prize Finalist Berk Tinaz (Photo/Noe Montes)
For Berk Tinaz, that transition had already begun.
A finalist for the Ballhaus Prize, the 27-year-old Turkish electrical engineering graduate from the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the USC Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence accepted a role as an applied scientist at Amazon in San Diego. His dissertation, “Fast and Interpretable Multi-Modal Models with Applications to Inverse Problems,” focused on advancing machine learning systems, particularly on making them more efficient, scalable and reliable in real-world environments where data is constantly changing.
His work addressed a central challenge in modern AI: how to ensure that models not only perform well in controlled settings but continue to adapt and deliver accurate results at scale. That kind of reliability is critical in industry applications, from recommendation systems to large-scale data processing.
“I wanted to work on problems that don’t just stay in the lab,” Tinaz said. “My research was about building systems that can actually handle the complexity of real-world data, systems that don’t break when conditions change. That’s exactly what excites me about going into industry: the chance to take these ideas and apply them at scale where they can have a real impact.”
He credited USC and his adviser, Mahdi Soltanolkotabi – Andrew and Erna Viterbi Early Career Chair and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Industrial and Systems Engineering, with shaping both his technical skills and his mindset as a researcher.
“The training here pushes you to think deeply, but also to think practically,” he said. “You’re constantly asking yourself not just ‘Does this work?’ but ‘Will this work in the real world?’ That perspective is something I’ll carry with me throughout my career. It’s been an incredible experience; I’ve grown a lot, and I’m really grateful for my time here.”
Ballhaus Prize Finalist Ahmad Hassan (Photo/Noe Montes)
Ahmad Hassan has also stepped into the next phase of his career.
Another Ballhaus Prize finalist, the Ph.D. graduate in electrical and computer engineering recently began working at TikTok in Seattle as a senior backend software engineer on the AI Governance team. His dissertation, “Performance-Aware Cellular Networking through Measurement-Driven, Cross-Layer Control,” focused on improving cellular network performance, finding ways to make networks respond faster, use resources more efficiently and save battery power across mobile devices.
Hassan’s research tackled issues that affect millions of users every day, from dropped calls and slow data speeds to battery drain. By improving how networks manage traffic and resources, his work aimed to make mobile communication more seamless and reliable.
“I was always motivated by the idea that small improvements at the network level can translate into a much better experience for users,” Hassan said. “When you reduce latency or make systems more efficient, you’re not just improving a metric, you’re making communication smoother for millions of people. That’s what made this work meaningful to me.”
Hassan said his journey to USC, including following his adviser, Feng Qian – an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and computer science, from the University of Minnesota to Troy, played a defining role in his development as a researcher.
“My adviser supported me through every stage; not just technically, but in how to think about problems and how to approach research with purpose,” he said. “USC gave me the space to grow, to take risks and to work on problems that matter. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished here, and I feel ready to take that next step and apply what I’ve learned in industry.”
Proud families and parents. (Photos/Magali Gruet)
Newly minted graduates celebrating (photo/Magali Gruet)
The hooding ceremony was followed by a reception where families were able to meet the supervisors. (Photo/Magali Gruet)
Published on May 16th, 2026
Last updated on May 18th, 2026