My name is Tanaya Katakkar, and I am applying for the Master of Science (MS) in Computer Engineering
program at California State University, Sacramento as it is an opportunity for me to develop the skills
required to pursue a career in the semiconductor industry. I have completed Master of Science (MS) in
Electrical Engineering from California State University, Fullerton after which I realized I could further
enhance my knowledge by pursuing a more in-depth course focused on VLSI. I completed my Bachelor
of Engineering (BE) degree in Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering from University of Pune,
India.
During my Masters, I completed projects related to CMOS design and SystemVerilog including design
and verification of Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) bus. However, I did not have access to newer
platforms like Cadence Virtuoso which is available at Sacramento State. I have also worked on FPGA
design and testing during my Bachelor’s Degree. My senior year project titled "Implementation of
Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum using FPGA" is what spurred my interest in the semiconductor
field. The key responsibilities assigned to me were programming in VHDL and research methods to
improve the design further and resulted in a 20% cost reduction as compared to the previous system.
After completion of my Bachelors, I worked as a Design and Verification Engineer at Bit Mapper
Integration Technologies for one year. I worked on the design and test of FPGAs and ASICs for various
applications. I learned the steps a product undergoes from the conception of an idea to manufacturing
and testing the product. This experience further fueled my interest in chip designing and manufacturing
which is why I decided to enroll for a Masters degree in this field.
The Computer Engineering program at Sacramento State will provide me a platform to learn more about
the semiconductor industry. I am very passionate about this field as it is the backbone of all technology
today. The program will provide me with an opportunity to study and work under expert professors with
multiple research areas and publications like Dr. Behnam Arad, Dr. Perry Heedley, and Dr. Jing Pang all
of whom have interests based in the VLSI domain. The coursework including Digital Design, Mixed Signal
Design, Timing Analysis and Computer Architecture as well as the level of education facilitated by the
program will undoubtedly prove beneficial for my career.
In short, I believe that a good graduate program is an essential step for realizing my professional
ambition of becoming a competent researcher. I also believe that I possess the motivation, intellectual
ability, and preparation to do justice to a demanding graduate program. I would be grateful if I am
accorded the opportunity to pursue my graduate studies at Sacramento State.