Communication Fellow
Graduate Student
Rafa is a fourth-year PhD student at MIT advised by Carl V. Thompson. Her research focuses on enhancing the reliability of materials for advanced semiconductor packaging, with an emphasis on copper–copper direct bonding for 3D heterogeneous integration. This approach plays a critical role in scaling integrated circuits and developing more robust, high-performance interconnects for next-generation devices.
She is passionate about learning from others’ research and helping them communicate their work effectively to different audiences. She especially enjoys brainstorming how to tell a compelling story in technical settings. Rafa was a MathWorks Fellow and an MIT Presidential Fellow. She is actively involved in several organizations within and beyond MIT, and has led initiatives to promote women in STEM and improve the graduate student experience.
Originally from Bangladesh, Rafa earned her S.M. in electrical engineering at MIT, specializing in power electronics. Outside the lab, you can often find her in front of 77 Mass Ave having deep conversations with strangers, hiking up Mt. Washington, road-tripping, or vibing at a concert.