Durga Malladi M.S. ’95, Ph.D. ’98 is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Technology Planning, Edge Solutions & Data Center at Qualcomm Technologies Inc. He joined as a Senior Engineer in 1998.

He is responsible for technology product management and roadmap planning across all businesses in Qualcomm Technologies. This spans artificial intelligence (hardware, software, tools), connectivity (5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, satellite communications, positioning), processors (CPU, GPU, NPU), multimedia (computer vision, audio, video, sensors), central software, developer ecosystem, and data management and analytics platforms. In addition, he is responsible for Qualcomm’s cellular infrastructure and data center businesses.

Durga is a senior member of IEEE and holds 517 U.S. patents. He is a recipient of Qualcomm’s IP Excellence Award, Qualcomm Distinguished Contributor Award for Project Leadership, Qualcomm Upendra Patel Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions, and Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He serves on the CTIA Board of Directors and the AI Governance Alliance Steering Committee at the World Economic Forum.

Durga holds a B.T. ‘93 from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He earned both his M.S. ‘95 and Ph.D. ‘98 from UCLA and an AI Graduate Certificate from Stanford ‘23. His Ph.D. dissertation is on adaptive estimation and filtering techniques, and his research interests include artificial intelligence, signal processing, communication theory and quantum computing.

“In the end, public universities like UCLA depend on alumni support and philanthropy. Success breeds more success, and a shared goal amongst alumni like me is to ensure UCLA remains in the top echelons of academic institutions.” – Durga Malladi

Q: Why did you choose to pursue your M.S. and Ph.D. at UCLA Samueli? What drew you to UCLA specifically?
A: What attracted me to UCLA was a combination of four factors. First was the high-quality education and excellent engineering school ranking. Second, I was interested in UCLA’s cutting-edge research facilities. Third, there were opportunities to take interdisciplinary classes in my field of study (adaptive estimation and filtering techniques) across departments to complement my studies. Fourth, I was drawn to the location and quality of life outside of academics, including the vibrant campus life and sports teams.

Q: What do you currently do for work, and how did UCLA Samueli prepare you for your career?
A: I joined Qualcomm after graduating from UCLA and eventually led Wireless Research designing 4G & 5G systems, before taking on my current role. Today I run Technology IP and Roadmap Planning across all disciplines at Qualcomm spanning AI (hardware, software, tools), Processors (CPU, GPU), Connectivity (5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, UWB, SatCom), Multimedia (Camera, Audio, Video), Software (Linux) and Developer Relations. In addition, I run the Data Center business spanning AI and general-purpose Compute.

As an engineering student at UCLA, I had the opportunity to take a diverse set of classes across various departments. It gave me deeper insight into a broader range of topics, beyond my core Ph.D. dissertation focus. This proved to be very valuable later in my career, as I came to oversee a large technology portfolio.

Q: What inspired you to establish the Anu and Durga Malladi Engineering Scholarship, and why now?
A: I have always remained close to academia and had the privilege of studying at UCLA while being funded by research and teaching assistantships. Over the course of my career, I have seen young professionals come in from all walks of life. At this stage in my life, I felt like it was the right time for me to give back to UCLA, so that the next generation of students can have the same privileges that I did.

Q: What do you hope this scholarship helps students achieve academically, personally, and professionally? What kind of legacy would you like your scholarship to leave behind?
A: With this scholarship, students can focus on their academic goals and go on to have successful professional careers. I hope they give back to UCLA when the time is right for them. In terms of leaving a legacy, I didn’t really have that in mind. I was just doing what I think is right.

Q: What advice would you offer to fellow alumni considering starting a scholarship or making a philanthropic gift to UCLA Samueli?
A: Reach out to the UCLA Samueli team and see how they can help with this process. I was impressed with the number of flexible philanthropic gift options that were available for me.

Q: How do you view the role of philanthropy in supporting the next generation of engineers at UCLA Samueli?
A: In the end, public universities like UCLA depend on alumni support and philanthropy. Success breeds more success, and a shared goal amongst alumni like me is to ensure UCLA remains in the top echelons of academic institutions. It starts with attracting the best talent to join the university, and scholarships are key to ensuring there are no barriers for talented students.

Q: What excites you most about the future of engineering at UCLA Samueli?
A: UCLA Samueli has continued to attract talented young faculty and students and build new research centers, all while adapting with the times by establishing new departments. I like the interdisciplinary programs that allow students to have a broad engineering background, as they enter their professional careers later. The future is very promising and bright!