Scholar Profile –
Vasiliki

What appeals to me about Electronics?

Getting paid to solve challenging puzzles – what is not to like! The field of electronics is the cornerstone of all modern-day technologies. From mobile phones to space shuttles, most people do not realise the impact electronics have in every area of our society, which is what makes the field so broad and challenging. I discovered my passion for electronics during university and I switched my course, which shows why students should be exposed to electronics from a young age, and highlights the importance of the outreach work that UKESF is doing.

Why I wanted a Scholarship with EnSilica?

I wanted to join a chip design company, and EnSilica stood out during my research due to the variety of projects that it has been involved with that include satellites, medical devices and cars. What made me accept their offer was the hiring process, which was challenging but very informative. During the interview, the hiring manager took his time to talk me through the different stages of chip design, was happy to answer many questions and even suggested that I join them for a full year instead of the summer, which was something I had not considered until then.

My placement and its value

I am part of the digital team and I started training on SystemVerilog for design and verification. Currently I am involved with the directed verification of a large communications chip which includes writing directed testbenches to test the developed RTL and checking the code coverage. The plan for the rest of the year includes getting familiar with UVM and constrained random verification and the design of an SPI IP module. It is mind-blowing to think that the work I am doing, however small, will someday be up in space receiving communications from earth. I am confident that my placement year with EnSilica will surely prepare me to enter the highly challenging semiconductor industry.

My interests

I am a very active person and in my free time I enjoy bouldering, going to the gym and taking dance classes. Apart from that, I love travelling so I try to visit new places at least once a month!