Phoenix Business Journal names alumnus as Top Technology Exec finalist

ECE ILLINOIS alumnus Samir Shah (BSEE ‘99, MSEE '01) was selected as a finalist for the Phoenix Business Journal's Top Technology Execs award. Twenty-one individuals were recognized at the annual event that highlights the growth and diversity in the region's tech community.

From a young age, Shah knew that his future would hold a career in the tech. At 13, his experience at SpaceCamp connected him to similarly-minded people and sparked a deeper interest in math and science.

During his time at Illinois, Shah worked with ECE Professor Joseph W Lyding on upgrades to a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). Shah’s second research area focused on self-aligning carbon nanotubes. He fondly remembers his time on campus and sees the completion of his master’s degree at ECE ILLINOIS as a major milestone which has led him down a path of personal success.

Shah has worked in the advanced technology industry for 15 years, most recently in the data center industry. In 2004, he joined the Hitachi Global Storage Technologies team which designed the first perpendicular hard drive. He is currently chief of staff at BASELAYER, a company transforming and simplifying data centers.

Talking to the Phoenix Buisness Journal, Shah emphasized the importance of continuous learning, crucial in a constantly shifting field. He also encouraged persistent questioning of the status quo. He said, this questioning “forces us to explore new technologies to solve the problems of tomorrow.”

For more information read the original article on Phoenix Business Journal.