News

5/01/2026 – MS ECE graduate student Carlos Diaz presented our research paper titled “Real-time error detection in dental panoramic imaging using custom AI-driven deep learning with clinical user interface,” at the SPIE Defense + Security: Pattern Recognition and Prediction XXXVII Conference, held in National Harbor, Maryland, April 26–30, 2026. This research addresses deep learning–based methods for real-time medical image analysis and was conducted in collaboration with the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine. The paper is based on the master’s thesis research Carlos conducted under Dr. Salehi’s supervision in the MS in ECE program. This international conference draws researchers from the U.S., Europe, and other countries, providing a strong global stage for our research work. Congratulations to the team!

• C. A. Diaz, D. C. Colosi, R. Chavez, and H. S. Salehi, “Real-time error detection in dental panoramic imaging using custom AI-driven deep learning with clinical user interface,” SPIE DS Pattern Recognition and Prediction XXXVII Conference, National Harbor, MD, USA (April 28, 2026 ).

5/01/2026 – MS ECE graduate student Manas Punjabi presented our research paper titled “AI-powered learning from complex satellite image data: integrating random forests and deep learning for crop classification and assessment,” at the SPIE Defense + Security: Machine Learning from Challenging Data Conference, held in National Harbor, Maryland, April 26–30, 2026. This work focuses on AI-driven learning from complex satellite imagery and was conducted in collaboration with the CSU Chico College of Agriculture. The paper is part of Manas’s master’s thesis research, carried out under Dr. Salehi’s supervision in the MS in ECE program. Congratulations to the team!

• M. Punjabi, H. S. Salehi, and H. Zakeri, "AI-powered learning from complex satellite image data: integrating random forests and deep learning for crop classification and assessment," SPIE DS Machine Learning from Challenging Data Conference, National Harbor, MD, USA (April 28, 2026 ).

5/01/2026 – MS ECE graduate student Yolanda D. Reyes presented our research paper titled “Deep learning framework for lithium-sulfur battery cathode coating assessment using convolutional neural networks and Grad-CAM,” at the SPIE Defense + Security: Pattern Recognition and Prediction XXXVII Conference, held in National Harbor, Maryland, April 26–30, 2026. This international conference draws researchers from the U.S., Europe, and other countries, providing a strong global stage for our research work. Congratulations to the team!

• Y. D. Reyes, H. S. Salehi, and P. Dirlam, "Deep learning framework for lithium-sulfur battery cathode coating assessment using convolutional neural networks and Grad-CAM," SPIE DS Pattern Recognition and Prediction XXXVII Conference, National Harbor, MD, USA (April 29, 2026 ).

4/10/2026 – The Optical Imaging and Intelligent Processing (OIIP) Lab congratulates Carlos Diaz, a student researcher in the lab, on successfully defending his master’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Salehi. His thesis, titled “AI-Driven GUI-Based Deep Learning System for Real-Time Assessment and Error Detection in Dental Panoramic Imaging,” was defended on Friday, April 10, 2026. 

Carlos completed his MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering at California State University, Chico. His work focused on developing an AI-driven graphical user interface and deep learning system for real-time assessment and error detection in dental panoramic imaging. Congratulations, Carlos!

4/07/2026 – Dr. Salehi’s Lab Modernization Project Receives Approximately $60,000 in Combined Support

A Student Learning Fee (SLF) proposal titled “Upgrade and Modernization of O’Connell Lab 344” has received approximately $60,000 in combined support to advance a major instructional laboratory modernization effort at California State University, Chico. This support includes approximately $50,000 through the 2026–27 Student Learning Fee program, along with an additional $10,000 commitment from the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management to support infrastructure-related costs. The proposal was led by Dr. Hassan Salehi in collaboration with Dr. Meghdad Hajimorad, both from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The project will transform O’Connell Lab 344 from a traditional bench-style electronics laboratory into a modern, smart, active-learning engineering space. Planned upgrades include collaborative pod-style tables, multiple instructional displays, a large smart electronic board, updated electronics workstations, an instructor station, improved power routing, and a redesigned room layout to enhance visibility, accessibility, collaboration, and instructor mobility.

The modernized lab will support hands-on learning across Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and related programs. The space will serve students in circuits, electronics, bioinstrumentation, electromechanical conversion, solar energy systems, and senior design courses, impacting approximately 325 students each year and more than 1,600 students over five years.

This project reflects a broader commitment to strengthening the educational infrastructure that supports student success. By modernizing OCNL 344, the initiative will provide students with a more collaborative, technology-rich learning environment that better reflects today’s engineering workplaces and prepares them for real-world problem solving.

3/04/2026 – Dr. Salehi Leads Development of New MS in Artificial Intelligence Engineering Program at CSU Chico

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management at California State University, Chico has received approval for a new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Engineering program, with implementation planned for the 2026–2027 academic year.

The program was proposed and developed under the leadership of Dr. Salehi, who served as the lead proposer and primary architect of the MS in Artificial Intelligence Engineering program. Dr. Salehi developed the program concept and led the preparation of the degree projection and full program proposal for campus and CSU system review.

As part of the curriculum development for the program, Dr. Salehi contributed to the development of EECE 664: Machine Learning for Engineers, which was co-developed with a departmental colleague. He also independently designed, developed, and taught EECE 665: Deep Learning, a graduate-level course created from the ground up to provide advanced training in deep learning and applied AI for engineering applications.

The new MS in Artificial Intelligence Engineering program will prepare graduate students to contribute to emerging areas of AI-driven engineering, intelligent systems, automation, data-driven technologies, and research-based innovation.

Congratulations to Dr. Salehi on this important achievement and on his leadership in advancing graduate education in artificial intelligence engineering at CSU Chico.

12/04/2025 – Our research paper was presented at the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications (ICMLA)! Congratulations to the team!

Our work in artificial intelligence and machine learning was selected for an oral presentation at the 2025 IEEE ICMLA conference. ICMLA serves as a leading international forum for sharing original research in machine learning and its applications. The conference brings together researchers and practitioners to discuss innovations addressing emerging challenges in AI and data-driven systems. Our findings were presented as part of this broader dialogue within the AI-machine learning community.

• C. A. Diaz and H. S. Salehi, “GUI-Based Deep Learning System for Real-Time Early Dental Caries Classification and Detection via OCT Images,” IEEE International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications (ICMLA), Boca Raton, FL, USA, pp. 368-375, (2025). Link

4/12/2024 – Congratulations to Dr. Hassan Salehi on achieving tenure and being promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, California State University, Chico!

5/04/2023 – Dr. Hassan Salehi has accepted a Visiting Professor position at Harvard University, Medical School for Summer 2023 to conduct research on optical imaging and AI/deep learning models development for early disease detection, diagnosis and monitoring. One of Salehi’s research objectives is to create a bridge between engineering and medicine to advance the healthcare technological tools.

5/04/2023 – Dr. Hassan Salehi has been awarded an Exceptional Service Assigned Time (ESAT) Award from Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, California State University, Chico, for his proposal titled “Mentoring and Advising Undergraduate Students on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Imaging and Deep Learning Processing for Healthcare Applications.”

5/03/2023 – Dr. Hassan Salehi gave a research talk titled "Development of GUI-based deep learning and image processing system for legume nodule segmentation and classification," at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, Pattern Recognition and Tracking Conference, held in Orlando, Florida, May 3, 2023. Congratulations to the team!

• H. S. Salehi, M. Barchini, K. Braiser, and H. Zakeri "Development of GUI-based deep learning and image processing system for legume nodule segmentation and classification," Proc. SPIE DCS 12527, Pattern Recognition and Tracking XXXIV, 1252703 (2023). Link

4/26/2023 – Tyler L. Harris (B.S. Candidate in Computer Engineering) has accepted a position in industry as a Software Development Consultant at StackNexus Inc, a software company located in Sacramento, CA. In our lab, Tyler carried out his senior design project under the supervision of Dr. Salehi where he explored and developed machine learning/deep learning image classifiers specifically deep convolutional neural network models for smart city. Congratulations to Tyler! 

9/16/2022 – Our paper titled “Convolutional Neural Network Performance for Sella Turcica Segmentation and Classification Using CBCT Images,” has been published by Journal of Diagnostics, in the section of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostics. Congratulations to the team!   Read more here.

5/19/2022 – Dr. Hassan Salehi received "International Wildcat Outstanding Professor Award" from the California State University, Chico. Each year, international students attending Chico State have an opportunity to nominate a faculty or staff member who has made a significant impact in their lives. For the 2021-2022 academic year, Dr. Salehi was recognized as Professor of the Year.

2/22/2022 – Dr. Salehi presented a research paper titled "Comparison of deep convolutional neural network models with OCT images for dental caries classification," at SPIE Medical Imaging Conference, held in San Diego, California, February 22, 2022. Congratulations to the team!

• H. S. Salehi, A. Granados, and M. Mahdian, "Comparison of deep convolutional neural network models with OCT images for dental caries classification," Proc. SPIE 12036, Medical Imaging 2022: Biomedical Applications in Molecular, Structural, and Functional Imaging, 1203613 (4 April 2022).

2/18/2022 – Andrew Romero (B.S. Candidate in Electrical/Electronic Engineering) has been admitted to the Stanford University Electrical Engineering Graduate Program. In our lab, Andrew has significantly contributed to the development of deep learning/AI models for optical image analysis and classification and presented our research at 2021 IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference and 2022 CSU Annual Biotechnology Symposium. Congratulations to Andrew!  

2/5/2022 – Eric Rainey (B.S. Candidate in Electrical/Electronic Engineering) has accepted a position in industry at NAVAIR as an Electrical Engineer in the Electronics Division. In our lab, Eric has significantly contributed to the optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging and deep learning/artificial intelligence models development for healthcare applications. Congratulations to Eric! 

2/4/2022 – Randall Fowler (B.S. Candidate in Electrical/Electronic and Computer Engineering) has been accepted into the University of California, Davis, Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Ph.D. program. Congratulations to Randall!

1/14/2022 – Andrew Romero presented our research titled "Comparing Deep Learning Models using the Grad-CAM Heat-map Algorithm and Augmented OCT Images for Early-Stage Dental Caries Diagnosis" at the CSU Annual Biotechnology Symposium on January 14, 2022. Congratulations to the team! 

11/9/2021 – Our research funded by CSU ARI was presented at 2021 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting: A Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, held 9 November in Salt Lake City, UT. Congratulations to the team! 

• “Towards Development of a Digital Image Analysis Tool for Characterization of Legumes Nodules,” 2021 ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting: A Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

10/10/2021 – Our research work was presented at the 2021 IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference. For this study, two of Dr. Salehi's students, Andrew Romero (B.S. Candidate in Electrical/Electronic Engineering) and Andreina Granados (Engineer at GE Healthcare, Medical Imaging Division), have significantly contributed to the development of deep learning/AI models for image analysis and classification. Congratulations to the team! 

7/27/2021 – Our paper titled “Hierarchical CNN-based occlusal surface morphology analysis for classifying posterior tooth type using augmented images from 3D dental surface models,” has been published in Elsevier Journal of Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. Congratulations to the team!

7/12/2021 – Dr. Hassan S. Salehi was recognized as an "SPIE Community Champion" by a leading scientific community for his multitudinous contributions as an author, researcher, and reviewer. The Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) recently gave Dr. Salehi the honor awarded to approximately 10% of its members each year.  

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves 257,000 constituents from 173 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library.

5/14/2021 – Majd Barchini (B.S. in Electrical/Electronic Engineering) has been accepted into the University of California, Davis, Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) graduate program. In our lab, Majd has significantly contributed to deep learning/AI model development to analyze and classify Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images. Majd presented our research at 2019 IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference. Congratulations to Majd!

5/1/2021 – Andreina Granados (B.S. Candidate in Computer Engineering) has been employed by General Electric (GE) Healthcare as Edison Software Engineer in Medical Imaging. In our lab, Andreina has significantly contributed to the development of deep learning models and image processing methods for image analysis and classification of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images. Congratulations to Andreina! 

4/28/2021 – Dr. Salehi has been awarded an Exceptional Service Assigned Time (ESAT) Award from Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, California State University, Chico,  for his proposal titled “Mentoring and Advising Undergraduate Students on Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Imaging and Deep Learning Processing for Healthcare Applications.”

2/15/2021 – Our paper has been published at SPIE Medical Imaging Conference! Congratulations to the team!

• “Toward development of automated grading system for carious lesions classification using deep learning and OCT imaging,” Proc. SPIE 11600, Medical Imaging 2021: Biomedical Applications in Molecular, Structural, and Functional Imaging. 

8/4/2020 – Dr. Salehi has been invited to serve as Guest Editor for Journal of Applied Sciences, Special Issue "Photoacoustic Effects for Biomedical Imaging and Diagnostics." Read More

6/30/2020 – Dr. Zakeri (Principal Investigator) and Dr. Salehi (Co-Principal Investigator) have been awarded a three–year ARI Grant in the amount of $277,269, with the total budget of $644,612 including matching funds. In this research, Dr. Salehi will develop a digital image analysis system for legume nodule characterization.

6/11/2020 – Our paper titled “3D Distribution of dental plaque on occlusal surface using 2D-fluorescence-image to 3D-surface registration,” has been accepted by Elsevier Journal of Computers in Biology and Medicine! Congratulations to the team!

5/18/2020 – Two papers have been published at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing! Congratulations to the team!

• “Electromyography signal analysis with real-time support vector machine,” Proc. SPIE DCS 11423, Signal Processing, Sensor/Information Fusion, and Target Recognition XXIX.

• “Vision system with deep learning classifiers for automatic quality inspection,” Proc. SPIE DCS 11400, Pattern Recognition and Tracking XXXI.

4/15/2020 – Majd Barchini received the EECE Faculty Award! Congratulations to Majd!

2/19/2020 – Three papers have been published at SPIE Photonics West! Congratulations to the team!

• “Optimization methods for deep neural networks classifying OCT images to detect dental caries,” Proc. SPIE BIOS 11217, Lasers in Dentistry XXVI.

• “Classification of pit and fissure for caries risk based on 3D surface morphology analysis of tooth,” Proc. SPIE BIOS 11217, Lasers in Dentistry XXVI.

• “Design and implementation of low-cost linear laser scanning system for photoacoustic imaging,” Proc. SPIE BIOS 11240, Photons Plus Ultrasound: Imaging and Sensing.

2/5/2020 – Majd Barchini presented our research titled "Development of Digital Image Analysis Tool for Legume Nodule Characterization" at 2020 California Plant and Soil Conference, Fresno, CA.

12/19/2019 – Our research sponsored by iDevices, has been published at IEEE International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications (ICMLA)! Congratulations to the team!

• “IoT Environmental Analyzer using Sensors and Machine Learning for Migraine Occurrence Prevention,” 2019 18th IEEE International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications (ICMLA), Boca Raton, FL, USA.

10/12/2019 – Majd Barchini presented our research on OCT imaging and deep learning at IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference, Cambridge, MA.

8/22/2019 – Dr. Hassan Salehi (Principal Investigator) and Dr. Ghang-Ho Lee (Co-Principal Investigator) along with their collaborators Dr. Mina Mahdian at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, and Dr. Patrick Donnelly at Oregon State University, have been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant in the amount of $110,375 for their proposal titled “MRI: Acquisition of OCT Imaging System and Deep Learning Workstation for Interdisciplinary Healthcare Research and Education.”

5/10/2019 – John Schad received the EECE Chair Award! Congratulations to John!

4/8/2019 – Dr. Salehi has received Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (RSCA) Grant–California State University for his proposal titled “Low-Cost Photoacoustic Imaging System with Advanced Digital Processing Techniques for Cancer Detection.”

2/28/2019 – Our paper has been published at SPIE Photonics West! Congratulations to the team!

• “Deep learning-based quantitative analysis of dental caries using optical coherence tomography: an ex vivo study,” Proc. SPIE BIOS 10857, Lasers in Dentistry XXV.

9/5/2018 – Dr. Hassan Salehi along with his collaborator Dr. Mina Mahdian of the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine have received Early-Stage Faculty Innovative Research Award (AAOMR-XDR Grant) for their proposal titled “Optical Coherence Tomography for the Detection and Grading of Dental Caries: A Pilot Study.”

6/7/2018 – Our research sponsored by iDevices, has been published at IEEE Green Technologies Conference (GreenTech)! Congratulations to the team!

• “Development of Smart Interior Environmental Mobile App for Health Monitoring,” 2018 IEEE Green Technologies Conference (GreenTech), Austin, TX, USA.