Mohammadreza Rostami awarded Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship

August 6, 2026 - UC Irvine mechanical and aerospace engineering Ph.D. student Mohammadreza Rostami has received the Graduate Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship. The Graduate Dean's Dissertation Fellowship, funded by the UCI Graduate Division, provides a $5,000 summer stipend to doctoral and MFA students in their final year of graduate study, allowing them to focus on completing their dissertation or thesis.

Rostami’s dissertation explores ways to help artificial intelligence systems learn more efficiently while protecting users' privacy. Instead of collecting data in one place, his research allows computers and devices to work together by sharing only the information they need, optimizing communication, safeguarding sensitive data and making AI systems more efficient and scalable.

“I hope people recognize that advanced machine learning does not always require transmitting or storing enormous amounts of information. By carefully designing what information is communicated, it is possible to make collaborative learning more efficient while also improving privacy and scalability,” explained Rostami.

The fellowship will give Rostami dedicated time to complete his dissertation in the coming academic year, strengthen theoretical and experimental findings, and prepare journal publications. Looking ahead, Rostami hopes to translate this research into practical technologies for communication-efficient and privacy-preserving artificial intelligence while continuing to advance the field through research and innovation.

“I was extremely happy and grateful when I received the news,” said Rostami. “Completing a Ph.D. requires several years of sustained effort, so receiving this fellowship was both exciting and motivating. It gave me additional confidence in the value and potential impact of my research.”

- Caroline Lu