Dr. David Z. Pan, an assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering, received a $410,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award, which recognizes promising young faculty members. Pan’s research focuses on bridging the gap between integrated circuit design and manufacturing of microchips. The funds will be disbursed over the next five years as Pan develops computer-aided guide tools to make smarter design decisions that increase microchip resistance to the damage by lithography, polishing, random defects, and other stages of chip design. Pan is the director of the Design Automation Laboratory.