In a significant recognition of excellence in artificial intelligence and computing research, the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing has announced its first-ever endowed professorships awarded to distinguished faculty members Dina Katabi and Aleksander Madry from the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department.
"These prestigious endowed positions celebrate the remarkable accomplishments and forward-thinking potential of our faculty members," stated Daniel Huttenlocher, who serves as the dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and holds the Henry Ellis Warren Professorship in EECS. "It brings me great pleasure to confer these honors upon Dina and Aleksander, acknowledging their substantial contributions to MIT, our college, and EECS. Their pioneering work continues to push boundaries in computer science, electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, and machine learning education and research."
Dina Katabi now holds the newly established Thuan (1990) and Nicole Pham Professorship. This recognition highlights her exceptional teaching and dedication to student mentorship. Katabi's innovative research encompasses computer networking, wireless technology, applied machine learning applications, and digital health solutions. She has gained particular acclaim for developing a breakthrough wireless system capable of tracking human movement through walls—a revolutionary technology with significant medical applications.
As an EECS faculty member, Katabi serves as a principal investigator at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), directs the Networks at MIT research group, and co-directs the MIT Center for Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing. Her numerous accolades include a MacArthur Fellowship, the prestigious ACM Prize in Computing, the ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award, two ACM SIGCOMM Test of Time Awards, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and a Sloan Research Fellowship. Katabi's distinction as an ACM Fellow and election to the National Academy of Engineering further underscore her significant impact on the field.
Aleksander Madry has been appointed as the inaugural Cadence Design Systems Professor. This position, established by Cadence Design Systems, aims to support exceptional faculty advancing research and education in artificial intelligence, machine learning, or data analytics. Madry's cutting-edge research bridges algorithmic graph theory, optimization techniques, and machine learning innovations. His primary focus involves enhancing existing machine learning methodologies to create a reliable decision-making framework that can be safely and ethically implemented in real-world scenarios.
Madry contributes his expertise as an EECS faculty member, participates in CSAIL and the Theory of Computation Group, and directs MIT's Center for Deployable Machine Learning. This center brings together diverse expertise and specialized focus required for effectively implementing machine learning systems in practical applications.
