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.

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.