Tadesse Ghirmai, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Professor

Chair, Department of Engineering & Mathematics

Tadesse Ghirmai, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Professor

Chair, Department of Engineering & Mathematics

Dr. Tadesse Ghirmai is a professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington Bothell, where he currently serves as chair of the Department of Engineering & Mathematics. He received his Ph.D. from Stony Brook University in 2004. His research interests include statistical signal processing, particularly parameter estimation and detection using Bayesian methods, and their applications to wireless communications, biomedical systems, and target tracking. Ghirmai is a co-author of a paper on particle filtering that received the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine Best Paper Award in 2007. He is also the recipient of the 2021 UW Bothell Distinguished Teaching Award.

Education

  • Stony Brook University, NY, USA
    • Ph.D. – Electrical Engineering
  • University of South Florida, FL, USA
    • MSEE – Electrical Engineering
  • Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
    • B.Sc. – Electrical Engineering

 

Courses

 

 

Teaching Interests

  • B EE 341 Discrete-Time Linear Systems
  • B EE 417 Digital Communications
  • B EE 442 Digital Signal processing
  • B EE 447 Control Systems
  • B EE 511 Signal Processing I
  • B EE 512 Signal Processing II
  • B EE 517 Wireless Communications I
  • B EE 518 Wireless Communications II

 

Research and Scholarship Interests

His research interests include statistical signal processing — particularly parameter estimation and detection using Bayesian methods — and their applications to wireless communications, biomedical systems, and target tracking.

 

Creative Interests

 

 

① used to denote student authors

  • T. Ghirmai, “Comparison of Signal Denoising Methods with Effective Evaluation Techniques,” Sensors, 2025. (under review)
  • N. Mansourian①, S. Sarafan①, F. Torkamani-Azar, T. Ghirmai, H. Cao, “Fetal QRS extraction from single-channel abdominal ECG using Adaptive Improved Permutation Entropy,” accepted to appear in Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (APES) in 2024.
  • N. Mansourian①, S. Sarafan①, F. Torkamani-Azar, T. Ghirmai, H. Cao, “Novel QRS Detection Based on the Adaptive Improved Permutation Entropy,” Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, Elsevier, 80, 104270, 2023.
  • S. Sarafan①, T. Le①, M. P.H Lau, A. Hameed, T. Ghirmai, H. Cao. “Fetal Electrocardiogram Extraction from the Mother’s Abdominal Signal Using the Ensemble Kalman Filter,” Sensors, 22, 2788. https:// doi.org/10.3390/s22072788, 2022.
  • S. Sarafan①, H. H. Vuong①, D. Jilani, S. Malhotra, M. Lau, T. Ghirmai, H. Cao, “A Novel ECG Denoising Scheme Using the Ensemble Kalman Filter,” Proceedings of 2022 44th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBC), July 2022.
  • S. Sarafan①, T. Le①, F. Ellington①, Z. Zhang①, M. P. H. Lau, T. Ghirmai, A. Hameed and H. Cao, “Development of a Home-based Fetal Electrocardiogram (ECG) Monitoring System,” Proceedings of 43rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBC), Mexico, Nov. 1-7, 2021.
  • S. Sarafan①, T. Le①, A. M. Naderi, Q. D. Nguyen①, B-Y. Kuo, T. Ghirmai, H. D. Han, M. P. H Lau, H. Cao, “Investigation of Methods to Extract Fetal Electrocardiogram from the Mother’s Abdominal Signal in Practical Scenarios,” Journal of Technologies, Vol. 8, N0. 33, 2020.
  • E. D. Staley①, K. Flores①, and T. Ghirmai, “Comparison of Singular Value Decomposition and Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Independent Component Analysis for Single-Lead Fetal ECG Extraction” Undergraduate Research Honors Projects and Theses, Univ. Alabama, 599, 2020.
  • T. Le①, J. Fortunato①, N. Maritato①, Y. Cho①, Q-D. Nguyen①, T. Ghirmai, M. P.H. Lau, H-D. Han, C. K. Nguyen①, V. C. Nguyen①, H. Cao, “Home-based mobile fetal/maternal electrocardiogram acquisition and extraction with cloud assistance,” IEEE IMBioC, Nanjing, May 6-9, 2019.
  • M. Sharma①, K. Barbosa①, V. Ho①, D. Griggs①, T. Ghirmai, S. K. Krishnan, T. K. Hsiai, J-C Chiao and H. Cao “Cuff-Less and Continuous Blood Pressure Monitoring: A Methodological Review,” Journal of Technologies, Vol 5, No. 21, May 2017.
  • M. Sharma①, P. Ritchie①, T. Ghirmai, H. Cao and M. Lau, “Unobtrusive Acquisition and Extraction of Fetal and Maternal ECG in the Home Setting,” Proceedings of IEEE Sensors Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, UK, Oct. 2017.
  • D. Griggs①, M. Sharma①, A. Naghibi①, C. Wallin, V. Ho①, K. Barbosa①, T. Ghirmai, H. Cao, S. K. Krishnan, “Design and Development of Continuous Cuff-less Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices,” Proceedings of IEEE Sensors Conference, Orlando, FL, USA, Oct. 2016.
  • T. Ghirmai, “Distributed Particle Filter for Target Tracking: With Reduced Communications,” Sensors, Vol 16, Issue 9, No. 1454, pp. 1-17, Sept 2016.
  • T. Ghirmai, “Laplace Autoregressive Model for Cascaded Systems,” IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Vol. 46, No. 6, pp. 771-781, June 2016. DOI: 10.1109/TSMC.2015.2476487
  • T. Ghirmai, “Data detection in relay-based communication systems using Bayesian methods,” Digital Signal Processing Journal, Vol. 46, Issue C, pp. 108-119, Nov. 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.dsp.2015.07.011
  • T. Ghirmai, “A random-coefficient third-order autoregressive process,” Digital Signal Processing Journal, Vol. 38, Issue C, pp. 13-21, March 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.dsp.2014.12.010
  • T. Ghirmai, “Representing a Cascade of Complex Gaussian AR Models by a Single Laplace AR Model,” IEEE Signal Processing Letters, Vol.: 22, Issue: 1, pp. 110 – 114, 2015. DOI: 10.1109/LSP.2014.2349529

 

  • C. Hillyard, J. McLoud-Mann, Y. Pissan, and T. Ghirmai (Co-PI), “S-STEM: Bothell Engineering and Technology Scholars (BETS),” NSF-S-STEM, $2,000, 000, 2025-2030.
  • T. Ghirmai (PI), “Extraction of Fetal Electrocardiogram for Home-based Fetal Heart Monitoring,” UW Bothell Scholarship, Research, and Creative Practice (SRCP); $29,581, 2023-24.
  • T. Ghirmai (PI), and Geethapriya Thamilarasu, “REU Site: Next-generation health monitoring systems with flexible electronics, novel algorithms and secure communication” NSF-REU; $366, 565, 2018-2021.
  • K. S. Ali, T. Ghirmai, A. A. Eldek, G. Skelton, and K. Abed, “Acquisition of Equipment for RF Communication and Antenna Design Research Laboratory,” NSF-MRI, $210,000, 2006-2007.
  • A. Manzoul, T. Ghirmai, and K. Abed, “Establishment of FPGA-Based Design Laboratory,” Army Research Office (ARO), $273,181; 2006-2007.
  • T. Ghirmai (PI), K. Abed, and A. A. Eldek, “Hardware Implementation of Particle Filtering Algorithms using FPGA,” DoD High Performance Computational Design of Novel Materials (HCCDNM) program, $119, 000; 2006-2007.

 

  • 2021-2021 Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Washington Bothell
  • 2008-2007 IEEE signal processing magazine best paper of the year Award, ICASSP Conference, Las Vegas, NV, 2008
  • 1993-1995 Fulbright Fellowship to complete master’s degree

 

  • Member of the IAS Dean Review Committee: from Sept. 2025 to present.
  • Member of the Working Group on Teaching & Learning Quality from Dec. 2022 – May 2023.
  • Member of the Tri-Campus Royal Research Fund (RRF) Subcommittee from Sept. 2022 – December 2023.
  • Member of the Cabinet of the Chair of Faculty Senate from Sept. 2022 to June 2023.
  • Member of STEM Transfer Partnership Committee from 2022-2024.
  • Chair of the Division of E&M from June 2021 – present.
  • Member of University Faculty Senate from Sept. 2020 – June 2022.
  • Member of the School of STEM Dean’s Search committee from 2019-2020.
  • E&M Graduate Program Coordinator from 2018-2021.
  • Member of the Washington Council for Engineering and Related Technical Education (WCERTE) since 2017.
  • EE Program Coordinator: from 2016 to 2021.
  • Faculty Advisor to NSBE Student Chapter from 2015-2020.
  • Member of the Global Working Group, 2014.
  • Member of the UWB Diversity Council from 2012-2015.
  • Lead EE ABET Accreditation: 2011-2013.
  • Member Writing and Communication taskforce: 2010.

 

Senior Member of IEEE