Analog design is foundational – an invisible but essential part of modern electronics all the way from consumer devices to communication infrastructure.
Preethi Ashwath, our next pathbreaker, Senior Analog Design Engineer at Analog Devices (Boston), designs analog circuits — the building blocks inside semiconductor chips.
Preethi talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about beginning her career at Intel, where she worked on circuits that were a part of optical transceivers now used in hyperscale data centers that carry global internet traffic.
For students, find the subject that makes you forget to check the time — not the one with the highest salary or the most social approval, but the one that genuinely absorbs you.
Preethi, Your Background
I grew up in Bengaluru and am now settled in the United States. My mother got married very young, at 16, and that experience shaped how she raised us — with a strong belief in independence and self-reliance. My older sister became a Computer Science Engineer before me, which gave me both inspiration and confidence that a technical career was achievable.
Growing up I trained in Hindustani classical music — a discipline that taught me patience and precision without me realising it at the time. The real spark came in 10th grade through a physics tutor who made electronics feel alive. That led me to choose Electronics in 11th and 12th grade, which set the entire course of my career.
What did you do for Graduation / Post Graduation?
I completed my B.E. in Electronics and Communication Engineering from SJBIT, Bengaluru — affiliated with VTU. I graduated with three Gold Medals and 2nd University Rank across more than 10,000 students. I then moved to the US for my M.S. in Electrical Engineering from UC Irvine, focusing on Circuits and Devices.
What Made You Choose This Career?
Three things — my physics tutor in 10th grade who made me fall in love with electronics, my sister who showed me what a technical career looked like, and my internship at Intel during my Master’s. That internship was the clearest turning point. I was working on real circuits for real products and knew this was the field I wanted to build my career in.
What was your career path like?
After my Intel internship, I joined full-time as Component and Analog Design Engineer, working on timing circuits, voltage regulators, and process monitors for advanced semiconductor programs. Currently I work as a Senior Analog Design Engineer in the Greater Boston Area.
Each company added something different. Intel gave me depth in advanced process nodes. Analog Devices gave me ownership — leading designs end to end through to silicon.
Tell us about your first break
My internship at Intel during my Master’s at UC Irvine. I applied directly and got into an analog design team. I worked hard, learned as much as I could, and at the end of the Internship was offered a full-time role. That was my first real break.
What are some of the challenges you faced and how did you address them?
Being a woman in IC design — Analog IC design is heavily male-dominated. I learned to let the work speak. Competence is the most effective response to any room that makes you feel like an outsider.
Time demands of the field — This work does not stop at 5pm. Circuits fail at inconvenient hours and deadlines don’t move. Learning to sustain that intensity without burning out is something I am still working on.
Choosing quality of work over convenience — Early on I had to choose between higher-paying roles doing routine work and more challenging roles doing genuinely interesting work. I consistently chose the harder, more meaningful work. It took longer to pay off but built something no shortcut could have.
Where Do You Work Now?
I am a Senior Analog Design Engineer at Analog Devices in Greater Boston. I design analog circuits — voltage regulators, ESD protection structures, timing circuits — the building blocks inside semiconductor chips that determine whether the chip actually works. These circuits are invisible to most people but without them there are no digital functions.
I also review papers for IEEE ISCAS, MWSCAS, and IEEE Connect, and have represented Analog Devices as a technical presenter at CES and NAMM. What I love most is that the work is tangible — a circuit I design from scratch eventually ends up in a real product, and that never gets old.
How Does Your Work Benefit Society?
The circuits I design end up in chips in Consumer Electronics, hearing aids and communication infrastructure. When I was at Intel, circuits I worked on went into optical transceivers now used in hyperscale data centers that carry global internet traffic. Analog design is foundational — invisible but essential.
Any Memorable Work?
The first process monitor I designed from scratch at Intel. A process monitor is a diagnostic circuit embedded on a wafer that tells engineers whether the transistors on a chip will work as intended. It was one of my first fully independent design tasks. When the silicon came back and the measurements matched what I had predicted in simulation, I understood for the first time what it really means to be an engineer. That small, invisible circuit is still the one I am most proud of.
Advice to Students
Find the subject that makes you forget to check the time — not the one with the highest salary or the most social approval, but the one that genuinely absorbs you. Get comfortable being the person in the room who knows the least — that feeling is growth, not failure. And if you are a young woman considering engineering — walk in anyway. The field needs people who think differently.
Future Plans?
Keep building things that matter in analog IC design as AI and edge computing push circuits into new territory. Give back through university talks, IEEE chapter engagements, and mentorship. And keep showing, simply by doing good work, that this field is open to anyone willing to put in the effort.