Life is short, so aim high – MIT AI Hardware Program

March 29, 2024

When Rafael Jaramillo talks about his favorite accomplishments, it quickly becomes clear that he has the right temperament for a researcher — he is energized by a challenge and the prospect of hard work.

“I am proudest of things that required risky strategic thinking, followed by years of technical slog, followed by validation,” says Jaramillo, the Thomas Lord Career Development Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Not even the fear of failure deters him. Referring to his work developing new semiconductor materials, he says, “It’s often a fool’s errand to try to replace silicon in any particular application. Time will tell if I spend a career making a fool of myself.”