Jeff Zhang · lutet.industries

ECE PhD student · University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

I study computer architecture, compilers, and hardware-software co-design for AI systems.

Portrait of Jeff Zhang

About

I am a first-year PhD student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UIUC, advised by Prof. Jian Huang under PlatformX. I'm broadly interested in compilers, computer architecture, and hardware-software co-design.

Currently, my research explores programming abstractions and compiler stacks for AI accelerators, designing interfaces targeted by both human engineers and AI agents.

Before beginning my PhD, I also did my undergrad in Computer Engineering at UIUC.

Publications

  • Agents Need DSLs Too: Examining DSLs for Autonomous Kernel Optimization Agents
    Jefferson Zhang, Ingi Helgason, Anna Li, Jian Huang
    arXiv, 2026.10xxx (pre-preprint)

Projects

  • npupy_xdna — A transparent NumPy backend for AMD Ryzen AI NPU cores (XDNA2), with spatial-template kernels, an offload cost classifier, and compiler passes using MLIR-AIE and Peano. [Code]
  • tiled-ip — A hardware compiler for tile-based INT8 accelerators, using dynamic programming to stitch 11 parameterized IP cores into GPT-2 transformer blocks with shape inference and AXI4-Stream. [Code]
  • tileweaver — A compiler path from TileLang GPU kernels to synthesizable HLS C++, lowering TIR through MLIR while preserving tiling and memory mappings. [Code]

Experience

  • Teaching Assistant · ECE498JH AI Systems & Engineering [Fall 2026]
    Led weekly lab instruction, covering GPU/CUDA and TPU architectures.
    Designed a comprehensive machine problem guiding students through modern LLM post-training (SFT, LoRA, RLVR, RLHF).
  • Engineering Intern · Rivian Automotive
    May 2024 - Aug 2024
    Worked on automated ECU triage and diagnosis at the Normal, IL plant.

Notes / Blog

All writing →

Misc

In my spare time, I enjoy rhythm games. I founded the Illini Rhythm Syndicate, UIUC's rhythm games club, which was recently featured in the Daily Illini!

popn2 is my custom pop’n music controller, with an STM32F072 mainboard, custom PCBs, firmware, and chassis. [Code]

I also co-founded chigyu.ai, a semi-satirical AI startup that explores the sillier side of AI.