Alan Sussman

Alan Sussman is a Professor and Associate Chair of Undergraduate Education in the Computer Science department at the University of Maryland. His research focuses on databases, high-performance computing, parallel systems, and educational curriculum development for computing disciplines. He holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University (1991) and a B.S.E. from Princeton University (1982).

His educational contributions include integrating parallel and distributed computing concepts into early undergraduate courses, supported by NSF-funded initiatives like the CyberTraining program. He has advised students such as Harshit Soora (Master's) and Xiaolong Tian (PhD). His research spans compiler optimizations for parallel programs, distributed data management systems, and scientific workflow frameworks like DYFLOW. He collaborates with UMIACS and contributes to interdisciplinary projects like the TASCS center.

Key innovations include VeloxDFS for distributed dataset streaming, compiler techniques for irregular memory access in PGAS programs, and NetCDFaster for geospatial data optimization. His work emphasizes productivity improvements for high-performance applications and curriculum modernization to address emerging computational challenges.

• Awards: No individual awards explicitly listed; however, collaborator Jik-Soo Kim received a best paper award in 2006.
• Grants: NSF CyberTraining, TCPP Curriculum Initiative, and Center for Technology for Advanced Scientific Component Software (TASCS).
• Labs/Teams: Active in UMIACS and interdisciplinary collaborations, including the TASCS center and InterComm framework development.