Adrian Sampson

Adrian Sampson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University, where he is part of the Computer Systems Laboratory and the programming languages group. He joined Cornell in 2016 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022. Prior to Cornell, he was a Visiting Researcher at Microsoft Research (2015-2016). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2015 under advisors Luis Ceze and Dan Grossman, with a dissertation on Hardware and Software for Approximate Computing.

His research focuses on breaking down abstraction barriers and rethinking the hardware-software interface. He is particularly known for his work on approximate computing, which explores how computers can be more efficient by allowing them to make controlled mistakes. He leads the Capra research group at Cornell, which investigates programming languages and computer architecture.

Sampson's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on hardware acceleration, FPGA programming, compiler design, and programming language theory. His work often bridges the gap between high-level programming abstractions and low-level hardware implementation, with particular attention to predictability, verification, and energy efficiency. He has made significant contributions to geometry types for graphics programming, timeline types for modular hardware design, and virtual machines for FPGA programming.

Among his notable recognitions are the IEEE TCCA Young Computer Architect Award (2021), NSF CAREER award (2019), and multiple Distinguished Artifact Awards at major conferences. He has advised numerous Ph.D. students who have gone on to positions at institutions like Wellesley College, Northwestern University, and Amazon.

Sampson is actively involved in academic service, serving on program committees for major conferences including PLDI, ASPLOS, and ISCA. He has also held leadership roles such as ACM SIGARCH Board of Directors (2023-2025) and SIGPLAN Information Director. His teaching at Cornell includes courses on computer systems, programming languages, and advanced compilers.