Dr. Mercedeh Khajavikhan

Professor

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Biography

Professor Khajavikhan is a distinguished member of the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Southern California. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2009. Afterward, she joined the University of California, San Diego as a postdoctoral researcher, focusing on the design and development of nanolasers, plasmonic devices, and silicon photonic components. In August 2012, she began her academic career as an Assistant Professor at the College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) at the University of Central Florida, where her research primarily involves unraveling novel phenomena in active photonic systems. Khajavikhan has received numerous accolades, including the NSF Early CAREER Award in 2015, the ONR Young Investigator Award in 2016, and the DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2018. She was also awarded the University of Central Florida Reach for the Stars Award in 2017, the UCF Luminary Award in 2018, and the DARPA Director’s Fellowship in 2020. She is a fellow of Optica, which was formerly known as the Optical Society of America (OSA).

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

2019-01-01 — Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Teaching and researching in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Assistant Professor

2012-08-01 — 2019-01-01

University of Central Florida • Orlando, FL

Focused on active photonic systems and novel phenomena in photonics.

Awards

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NSF Early CAREER Award

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ONR Young Investigator Award

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DARPA Young Faculty Award

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Reach for the Stars Award

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UCF Luminary Award

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DARPA Director's Fellowship

Requirements for University of Southern California

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree in Physics or related field
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Transcripts
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Writing Sample (if requested)
Specialization Notes

GRE requirements vary; many Dornsife programs have made it optional.