From 2G to 6G: Jin Yang Brings Wireless and AI Expertise as Adjunct Professor

With three decades of industry experience working in wireless communications at NVIDIA, Verizon and AirTouch, Jin Yang has helped guide the evolution of wireless technology from 2G to 5G and is focused on what comes next with 6G and beyond.  

Now, as a new adjunct professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Davis, she is bringing her industry experience into the classroom and research lab. In this Q&A, Yang discusses how she aims to help prepare students to lead the next generation of wireless innovation.  

This interview was edited for clarity and length.  

What inspired your move into academia? 

I've spent my career in mobile communications. I joined the mobile industry when it was just beginning, and since then, I've been navigating and leading its evolution from 2G to 3G to 4G to 5G. Now we're moving toward 6G. Early in my career, I taught mobile wireless communications at Portland State University. Returning to the classroom now ​feels​ like coming full circle. 

I feel the industry and research are at an inflection point with AI and automation. Things that were previously done manually are becoming autonomous, and parameters that were once fixed can now be adjusted through AI. 

This is the time to pursue exciting research together, with faculty, industry partners and the broader academic community and bring that frontline industry experience into public higher education. 

How has your industry experience influenced your approach to research and teaching? 

I've worked at NVIDIA, Verizon and AirTouch, leading technology strategy, network planning and digital twin platforms. 

In academic research, modeling can provide a clear and controlled way to explore new ideas. In industry, there are continuous, unresolved trade-offs between performance, economics and scale. Translating theory and practice is very important, and that's what I can contribute to the university and its students. 

What are your plans for teaching and mentoring students? 

I'm currently mentoring graduate students and consulting on their research. I'm also developing a course on AI-native wireless communication that will explore how sensing, computing and wireless networks can work together to support intelligent, autonomous systems. 

The idea is to give students an end-to-end perspective. Can they use a digital twin to simulate a physical environment, use a wireless model to make predictions, and then take control actions to see how the system works? 

I'm also working with the department to develop a master's student project course where students can experience the entire lifecycle of designing an AI product. 

Can you tell us more about the projects students would work on in your AI-native wireless communication course? 

We're developing an AI-native wireless system with three pillars: data collection, control and modeling for prediction. 

We will use a digital twin to simulate a wireless network in a small area of San Francisco. Students can then study different algorithms and adjust parameters, such as transmission power, to optimize the system. 

It's not a real-world deployment, but it's close enough that students can investigate different configurations without relying on data collected in the field.  

How do you aim to help students who want to work in industry? 

I want to help students understand career paths in industry and connect them with my professional network. 

I also want to design projects that have real, physical and commercial meaning, from data collection to prediction and control. Students should experience the full lifecycle of an industry project so they're prepared from a technical perspective. 

But communication is equally important. That's why these projects will include not only coding but also writing and oral presentations. Students need to be able to communicate their skills, whether they pursue careers in industry or academia. 

What has your relationship with UC Davis been up to this point, and what does it mean for you to join the university?  

I’ve known professors at UC Davis, including Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Zhi Ding, and followed their research for decades. I’ve enjoyed mentoring interns from UC Davis. In past years, I was also involved in the Industrial Affiliates Program and have been invited to speak at the UC Davis Industrial Affiliates Symposium [that allowed students, faculty researchers and industry partners to network, exhibit research projects and lay foundations for future collaborative ventures]. 

I’m eager to work alongside Ding and other faculty, including Yubei Chen, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and support the next generation of researchers. I'm very excited to be in this research environment, to contribute and to mentor young people. It feels great to have that opportunity, and I look forward to building lasting partnerships with colleagues across academia and industry along the way.