CALCE Ph.D. Student Ibaad Gandikota Receives IPCEF Scholarship

The IPC Education Foundation (IPCEF) has awarded a prestigious scholarship to the University of Maryland Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student Mohammed Ibaad Shareef Gandikota. Ibaad, who is working under the mentorship of Prof. F. Patrick McCluskey, was selected as one of the IPC student member scholarship winners for 2024 and received a $1,000 award in recognition of his contributions to the field of electronics and reliability engineering.

Ibaad completed his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, and is currently in his second year of the Ph.D. program. His research focuses on reliability analysis and thermal management of electronic systems, with an emphasis on failure mechanisms and optimization strategies. Over the past year, he has played a key role in the development of the MOSTCOOL software, a multi-objective simulation tool designed to optimize cooling strategies in data centers. In addition to reliability modeling for data centers, his work extends to material characterization for moisture-resistant encapsulation, intermetallic studies in solder joints, and thermo-mechanical analysis of GaN-based power electronics.

Upon receiving the scholarship, Ibaad expressed his gratitude, stating, "Receiving this scholarship is an incredible honor and a source of inspiration for my academic journey. It provides me with the opportunity to further my research and contribute to advancements in electronics and reliability. This support motivates me to strive for excellence and make meaningful contributions to the field. I am deeply grateful for this recognition and the opportunity it represents."

CALCE and IPC have worked together over the years in standards development, education, and mutual support. CALCE research has been used in various IPC standards. CALCE supports the IPC student chapter at the University of Maryland. This facilitates knowledge sharing and helps to educate future generations of electronics professionals.

For more information on the research of Ibaad, contact Prof. Francis Patrick McCluskey.

For more information on the IPC student chapter, contact Dr. Diganta Das.

Published March 13, 2025