• 2025 Luminary Award winner •

Dr. Praveen K. Meduri has established himself as a pioneering scholar, educator, and innovator whose work in engineering education and applied research bridges technology, pedagogy, and equity. Currently an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Computer Engineering Program at California State University, Sacramento, Dr. Meduri has combined deep technical expertise with a strong commitment to inclusive excellence, ensuring that pathways into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remain accessible to all students.

Dr. Meduri’s technical contributions span computer engineering, digital systems design, and applied machine learning, with research extending into AI-based audio signal processing, convolutional neural networks, and smart parking systems. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications, including work presented at the IEEE International Conference on VLSI Design, ASEE Annual Conferences, and international venues on machine learning and computer vision. His research demonstrates a consistent pursuit of applying computational intelligence to real-world problems, from automatic transistor-level CMOS OpAmp sizing to AI-driven urban infrastructure solutions.

Equally impactful is his leadership in large-scale educational transformation projects. As principal investigator or co-PI, Dr. Meduri has secured multimillion-dollar funding from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. His NSF-funded Project-ACE ($595,227) is reimagining six core engineering courses by embedding project-based and research-driven learning, benefiting more than 2,500 students and addressing longstanding equity gaps. Complementing this is Project-SOAR, a $344,000 NSF initiative exploring how online course redesign and student self-efficacy can improve outcomes in high-failure STEM courses. Most recently, he co-leads the TECH4Teaching & Learning initiative, a $3 million Department of Education grant that enhances online education and bridges the digital divide for underserved Hispanic students.

Dr. Meduri’s technical leadership also extends beyond academia. As a longstanding Technical Liaison with Cadence Design Systems, he has ensured student and faculty access to cutting-edge design tools, including FPGA and ARM platforms that prepare students for the engineering workforce. His integration of cloud-based instructional models during the pandemic earned recognition for agility and innovation in engineering education delivery.

His excellence has been recognized with numerous honors, including Sacramento State’s Outstanding Faculty Award for Research & Creative Activities (2024), the PITCH Award for innovative online instruction, and leadership roles such as IEEE Sacramento Valley Section Chair.

Dr. Meduri’s journey began in Hyderabad, India, where he completed a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communications Engineering. Motivated by a deep appreciation for education instilled by his grandfather, he moved to the United States in 2004 to pursue graduate studies. He earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering at Southern Illinois University and later completed his Ph.D. at Old Dominion University in 2011.

His early years as an international student were marked by cultural adaptation, part-time jobs, and overcoming challenges of language and implicit bias—experiences that shaped his empathetic, student-centered philosophy. At Sacramento State, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Dr. Meduri views his role as both educator and mentor, fostering an environment where students’ cultural assets—multilingualism, resilience, family ties—are seen as advantages. His advising of more than 150 students annually, coupled with mentoring of undergraduate and graduate assistants in funded projects, reflects his belief that excellence is accessible to all, provided structures of support and equity are in place.