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Nina BalcanView profile

Professor

• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Theoretical Computer Science
• +12 more

Nina Balcan is a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and holds the Cadence Design Systems Professorship in Computer Science. She is affiliated with the School of Computer Science, specifically the Machine Learning Department (MLD) and Computer Science Department (CSD). Her research spans foundational aspects of machine learning, artificial intelligence, theoretical computer science, algorithmic game theory, and interdisciplinary connections in learning theory. Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Theoretical Computer Science Algorithmic Game Theory Multi-Agent Systems Data-Driven Algorithm Design Her recent work focuses on advancing algorithm design through machine learning, robustness in adversarial environments, and economic modeling. Key contributions include Learning to Branch (JACM 2024), Regret Minimization in Stackelberg Games (NeurIPS 2024), and Learning Accurate Decision Trees (UAI 2024, Outstanding Student Paper Award). She has pioneered novel approaches to data-driven optimization, semi-supervised learning, and privacy-preserving clustering. Nina has received prestigious accolades including ACM Fellow AAAI Fellow Simons Investigator 2019 ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award Her teaching at CMU includes graduate courses on machine learning, advanced machine learning, and specialized topics like algorithmic game theory.

Amit KumarView profile

Professor

• Combinatorial Optimization
• Online Algorithms
• Clustering Algorithms
• +5 more

Amit Kumar is the Jaswinder and Tarwinder Chadha Chair Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Delhi. His research focuses on combinatorial optimization, online algorithms, and algorithmic fairness. He has taught courses such as Approximation Algorithms (COL 754), Design and Analysis of Algorithms (COL 351), and Numerical Analysis (COL 726). His work spans theoretical computer science with applications to clustering, scheduling, and fairness in evaluation processes. Research Interests Kumar's research emphasizes developing efficient algorithms for online and dynamic settings, particularly in constrained optimization and biased evaluation systems. He explores theoretical foundations of clustering, load balancing, and resource allocation, with recent contributions to fair food delivery systems and coreset constructions. Publications His recent work includes advancements in online convex paging (STOC 2025), consensus clustering (SODA 2025), and fairness-aware algorithms (AAAI 2024). Over 70 papers across top venues like STOC, SODA, and ICML reflect his expertise in algorithm design and analysis. Awards Best Paper Award at ISAAC 2023 for 'Clustering What Matters in Constrained Settings' Teaching & Mentorship Kumar instructs graduate and undergraduate courses in algorithms, data structures, and numerical methods. He advises students through these courses and collaborates with researchers on NSF-funded projects related to approximation algorithms and streaming systems.

Jan DreierView profile

Research Fellow

• Structural Graph Theory
• Algorithmic Meta-theorems
• Computational Complexity
• +1 more

Jan Dreier is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Logic and Computation at Vienna University of Technology. His research centers on structural graph theory and algorithmic meta-theorems, particularly exploring the boundaries of tractability for model checking problems. Dreier's work bridges theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics, focusing on graph decompositions, parameterized complexity, and logical expressiveness. Key research themes include monadic stability in graph classes, applications of model theory to computer science, and efficient algorithms for logical queries on structured graphs. His publication record shows consistent focus on graph sparsity concepts and algorithmic applications of logic, with recent work expanding into approximation methods for counting queries. Research demonstrates sophisticated applications of combinatorial methods to fundamental problems in computational complexity.

• Combinatorics
• Graph Theory
• Discrete Mathematics
• +3 more

Sophie Spirkl is an Associate Professor (with tenure) in the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization at the University of Waterloo. Previously, she held postdoctoral positions at Princeton University (as an NSF postdoc and instructor, supervised by Maria Chudnovsky) and at Rutgers University (under Jeff Kahn). She earned her PhD from Princeton University under the guidance of Maria Chudnovsky and Paul Seymour. Her research focuses on graph theory and combinatorics, with notable contributions to induced subgraphs, tree decompositions, chromatic number properties, and structural graph theory. She is a recipient of the 2023 Sloan Research Fellowship and co-founded the diamond open-access journal Innovations in Graph Theory . Education: PhD in Mathematics, Princeton University (2016–2020) Postdoctoral Fellowships: Princeton (2020–2022), Rutgers (2018–2020) Research Interests: Dr. Spirkl’s work spans multiple areas of combinatorics, including structural graph theory, extremal graph theory, and algorithmic graph theory. She has published extensively on topics such as induced subgraph obstructions, χ-boundedness, tree decompositions, and the Erdős–Hajnal conjecture. Her research often intersects with theoretical computer science, particularly in parameterized complexity and graph colorings. Awards & Recognition: 2023 Sloan Research Fellowship Contributions to the Innovations in Graph Theory journal Academic Contributions: Her articles address foundational problems in graph theory, such as the Erdős–Hajnal conjecture for C₅, logarithmic treewidth in even-hole-free graphs, and induced saturation for cycles. She collaborates with leading researchers like Maria Chudnovsky and Paul Seymour, advancing the field through rigorous combinatorial analysis. Community Engagement: She coordinates the Women in Math Directed Reading Program at Waterloo, supporting underrepresented groups in mathematics. Her spouse, Logan Crew, is a Research Assistant Professor at the same institution.

Lars RohwedderView profile

Associate Professor

• Algorithms
• Approximation Algorithms
• Online Algorithms
• +3 more

Lars Rohwedder is an Associate Professor in the Algorithms Group at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) in Odense. He previously held positions as an Assistant Professor at Maastricht University (Netherlands) and postdoc researcher at EPFL, Lausanne (Switzerland). He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from CAU Kiel (Germany), advised by Klaus Jansen, and is a recipient of the 2019 PhD of the year award from Förderverein der TF of Kiel University. His research focuses on algorithms for combinatorial optimization, including approximation algorithms, online algorithms, parameterized algorithms, and integer programming. He has contributed to solving scheduling problems, resource allocation, and optimization under uncertainty. Rohwedder has served on program committees for conferences like MAPSP, SODA, STACS, and ICALP. He is funded by NWO's Open Competition M1 project on quasi-polynomial time algorithms. His teaching includes courses on advanced algorithms, operations management, and optimization at SDU and Maastricht University. Key achievements include a quasi-polynomial approximation for the restricted assignment problem, FPT algorithms for scheduling, and contributions to the Submodular Santa Claus problem. His work bridges theoretical foundations and practical applications, with a focus on algorithmic efficiency and robustness.

Jonathan M. BakerView profile

Assistant Professor

• Quantum Computing
• Quantum Computer Architecture
• Quantum Error Correction
• +4 more

Jonathan M. Baker is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, holding the Advanced Micro Devices Chair in Computer Engineering. His research centers on quantum computer architecture with emphasis on practical quantum error correction implementation across the quantum computing stack. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Chicago (advised by Fred Chong) and dual B.S. degrees in Mathematics and Chemistry and Computer Science from the University of Notre Dame. Baker's research spans quantum compilation, logic synthesis, multi-radix architectures, and error mitigation for both near-term and fault-tolerant quantum systems. His work addresses critical challenges in quantum hardware-software co-design, with particular focus on optimizing quantum circuits for real-world hardware constraints and noise characteristics. Current projects emphasize qudit-based computing, neutral atom architectures, and efficient error correction implementations. His publication record shows strong focus on quantum architecture innovations, with recent work exploring qudit advantages, modular chiplet designs, and dynamic noise adaptation. Key trends include hardware-aware compilation techniques, communication optimization across quantum systems, and practical approaches to fault tolerance. Best Paper Award Runner Up, MICRO 2020 IEEE Micro Top Pick, 2020 (Virtualized Logical Qubits) IEEE Micro Top Pick, 2020 (Extending Frontier with Qutrits) IEEE Micro Top Pick, 2021 (Emerging Technologies) Best Poster Award, MICRO 2018 Baker actively mentors graduate students in quantum computing architecture research and serves on conference review committees including MICRO and ASPLOS. His teaching includes specialized quantum systems courses at UT Austin and online EdX modules covering quantum computation fundamentals and architecture. He collaborates with the Duke Quantum Center and maintains strong industry connections through the AMD Chair position, focusing on bridging academic research with practical quantum computing implementations.

Oscar P. BrunoView profile

Professor

• Partial Differential Equations
• Computational Science
• Numerical Analysis
• +5 more

Oscar P. Bruno is a Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He holds a Licenciado from the University of Buenos Aires (1982) and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from New York University's Courant Institute (1989). Since 1998, he has been a Professor at Caltech, previously serving as Associate Professor (1995–98) and Executive Officer for Applied Mathematics (1998–2000). His research focuses on developing high-performance numerical methods for solving partial differential equations (PDEs), addressing challenges in complex geometries, singularities, and high-frequency phenomena. Key contributions include the Fourier Continuation (FC) method and integral-equation techniques, enabling solutions to previously intractable PDE problems in science and engineering. Prof. Bruno's expertise spans computational electromagnetics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), solid mechanics, and mathematical physics. His work integrates numerical analysis, multiphysics modeling, and computational science to solve real-world problems in geophysics, optics, and fluid dynamics. He has received numerous awards, including membership in the National Academy of Sciences of Argentina (2020), the Vannevar Bush National Security Science and Engineering Fellowship (2016), and SIAM Fellow (2013). Bruno serves on editorial boards for journals like SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing and SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, and participates in national science advisory roles. His teaching includes advanced courses on applied mathematics methods (ACM/IDS 101 ab), emphasizing theoretical foundations and numerical techniques for PDEs. His research group develops cutting-edge solvers with applications in shock dynamics, optical tomography, and geophysical fluid dynamics.

• Theoretical Computer Science
• Graph Algorithms
• Dynamic Algorithms
• +7 more

Nicole Wein is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Division of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the University of Michigan, College of Engineering. Her research lies in theoretical computer science, focusing on graph algorithms, dynamic algorithms, parameterized algorithms, distributed algorithms, online algorithms, and fine-grained complexity. She is part of the Theory of Computation Lab and advises both PhD and undergraduate researchers. PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), advised by Virginia Vassilevska Williams Postdoctoral Fellow, DIMACS Research Fellow, Simons Institute, UC Berkeley MS, Stanford University BS, Computer Science/Math, Harvey Mudd College Her research explores fundamental algorithmic questions in combinatorial settings, particularly how algorithms handle dynamic data, extract information efficiently (e.g., in linear time), and understand shortest path structures in graphs—especially directed ones. She investigates problems in distance estimation, spanners, hopsets, dynamic graph algorithms, and hardness of approximation. Her work combines theoretical depth with practical implications for algorithm design. The recent publications reflect a strong trend in fine-grained complexity and graph algorithm design, with a focus on proving tight bounds, developing efficient approximations, and understanding structural limitations in directed and dynamic graphs. Her work frequently appears in top venues such as STOC, FOCS, SODA, and ICALP, often in collaboration with leading researchers in the field. Scientific Awards and Recognition: Invited to special issue of SIAM Journal on Computing (SICOMP) (FOCS 2022 paper) Invited to Highlights of Algorithms (HALG) (FOCS 2022 paper) Invited to minisymposium at CANADAM (ESA 2022 paper) Work featured in Quanta Magazine Nicole Wein actively mentors students, including current PhD student Jubayer Nirjhor and former undergraduate researchers like Sam Hiken (now pre-doc at MIT). She has served on program committees for major conferences including SODA, FOCS, ICALP, and ITCS, and co-organized the DIMACS workshop on Modern Techniques in Graph Algorithms (2023). She also contributes to the academic community through outreach, such as her article offering reassurance to early-stage PhD students in theoretical computer science. She leads and participates in collaborative research groups and workshops, emphasizing supercollaboration and interdisciplinary communication in algorithms. Her lab fosters a strong research environment in theoretical computer science at the University of Michigan.

Jason LiView profile

Assistant Professor

• Fast Graph Algorithms
• Algorithm Design
• Minimum Cut Problems
• +6 more

Jason Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. He teaches advanced algorithms courses including 15-754 Spectral Graph Theory (Spring 2025), 15-451 Design and Analysis of Algorithms (Fall 2024), and 15-850 Advanced Algorithms (Spring 2024). His research focuses on fast graph algorithms , particularly solving longstanding open problems through modern algorithmic techniques. Key research themes include preconditioning and locality , which serve as reductions from worst-case to well-behaved and local instances respectively. His work has produced breakthroughs in deterministic global minimum cut algorithms, all-pairs minimum cut (Gomory-Hu trees), and near-optimal parallel shortest path algorithms. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent trend toward almost-linear time algorithms for fundamental graph problems, with significant contributions to dynamic graph algorithms, minimum cut variants, and parallel computation. His work frequently appears in top venues including STOC, FOCS, and SODA, often with multiple best paper recognitions. EATCS Distinguished Dissertation Award (2021) Best Paper Award at SODA 2024 Invited to HALG 2024 Invited to TALG and JACM for SODA 2024 paper Machtey Best Student Paper at FOCS 2019 Professor Li actively advises graduate students including Henry Fleischmann and George Li. His research is supported by collaborations with leading institutions and frequent invitations to present at major conferences. He maintains an open-door policy for CMU students and collaborators, though notes the high volume of research inquiries he receives weekly.

David EppsteinView profile

Professor

• Graph Algorithms
• Computational Geometry
• Graph Theory
• +3 more

David Eppstein is a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), affiliated with the Donald Bren School of Information & Computer Sciences. He holds academic leadership roles as director of the Center for Algorithms and Theory of Computation and associate director of the Center for Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization. His research focuses on graph algorithms, computational geometry, discrete mathematics, and geometric graph theory. Eppstein earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Stanford University (1984) and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Columbia University (1989). Research Interests: Graph drawing, information visualization, dynamic graph algorithms, mesh generation, optimal triangulation, K-shortest paths, subgraph isomorphism, data depth, exponential-time algorithms for NP-hard problems. Awards: ACM Fellow (2012), AAAS Fellow (2017), Distinguished Professor (2020), Best Paper Awards (2023, 2022), and SIAM recognition. Grants: Co-PI on a $1.2M NSF grant (2022) for geometric graph research, and previous NSF grants for algorithm studies (2016). His work bridges theoretical computer science and practical applications, including contributions to graph visualization, geometric algorithms, and combinatorial optimization. Notable recent achievements include resolving open questions in graph biplanarity and authoring the book Forbidden Configurations in Discrete Geometry (2018).

Gioele ZardiniView profile

Assistant Professor

• Co-design of complex systems
• Autonomous systems
• Transportation systems
• +4 more

Gioele Zardini is the Rudge (1948) and Nancy Allen Assistant Professor at MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), with affiliations to the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS) and the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). He holds a PhD from ETH Zurich and previously worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. His research focuses on co-design of complex systems, autonomous systems, and game-theoretic modeling of transportation networks. Education: BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics from ETH Zurich (2017–2019), PhD in 2023. He has held visiting roles at nuTonomy Singapore, Stanford, and MIT. Research interests include co-design methodologies, autonomous vehicle systems, compositionality in engineering, and strategic interactions in mobility networks. Recent work emphasizes scalable fleet coordination, safety-critical robotics, and user-centric transportation solutions. Notable awards include the 2024 ETH Doctoral Dissertation Award (Silver Medal), Best Paper at ITSC 2021, and federal grants for enhancing urban transit equity. He leads the Zardini Lab, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in systems engineering and autonomy. Grants and advising: Received federal grants for transit accessibility projects. His work on Autonomy Talks has produced over 180 recorded lectures, promoting knowledge exchange in autonomous systems. Labs/Teams: Principal Investigator at LIDS, affiliate at IDSS, and founder of the Zardini Lab, focusing on systems co-design, mobility innovation, and game-theoretic frameworks.

Vadim LozinView profile

Professor

• Graph theory
• Combinatorics
• Discrete Mathematics
• +4 more

Vadim Lozin is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick, affiliated with the Department of Mathematics within the School of Mathematics. His research interests span graph theory, combinatorics, and discrete mathematics, focusing on areas such as clique-width, Ramsey numbers, and structural graph theory. He has held visiting positions at institutions including the Université Paris-Dauphine, EPFL, and KAUST. Lozin has received several accolades, including the Best Paper Award for 'Linear Ramsey numbers' in 2018 and a 2024 award at the International Symposium on Algorithms and Computation. His work involves collaborations with global researchers and contributions to conferences like IWOCA and WG. Lozin serves on editorial boards for journals such as Discrete Applied Mathematics and Electronic Notes in Discrete Mathematics . His research explores foundational problems in graph theory, with applications in algorithm design and complexity analysis. Lozin’s publications include studies on union-closed sets, functional graph properties, and algorithmic approaches to graph parameters. He has also contributed to books like Words and Graphs , bridging formal language theory with graph structures. His grants focus on clique-width and stability in graphs, reflecting his commitment to advancing theoretical and applied discrete mathematics.

• Algorithms on Discrete Structures
• Parameterized Algorithms
• Structural Graph Theory
• +4 more

Michał Pilipczuk is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics of the University of Warsaw. His research focuses on theoretical computer science, particularly algorithms on discrete structures, parameterized algorithms, structural graph theory, and logic in computer science. He leads the ERC-funded project "BOBR: Decomposition Method for Discrete Problems" and previously led a grant on optimality in parameterized complexity funded by the Polish National Science Center. His research interests include parameterized algorithms , structural graph theory , graph algorithms , and computational complexity . He has made significant contributions to the understanding of problems such as Independent Set in restricted graph classes, graph editing problems, and structural decompositions. The recent publications highlight a strong focus on structural graph theory and exact algorithms . Key themes include quasi-polynomial time algorithms for Independent Set in claw-free graphs, diameter computation in bounded genus graphs, and kernelization in trivially perfect graphs. His work often bridges combinatorial insights with algorithmic applications, particularly in the context of parameterized complexity. Principal Investigator, ERC Grant BOBR: Decomposition Method for Discrete Problems (2021–2026) Principal Investigator, Polish National Science Center Grant on Optimality in Parameterized Complexity (2014–2017) He has advised or collaborated with several researchers, including Marcin Wrochna and Marcin Pilipczuk. His work is published in top venues such as STOC, SODA, ESA, and ICALP.

Euiwoong LeeView profile

Assistant Professor

• Approximation Algorithms
• Hardness of Approximation
• Discrete Optimization
• +3 more

Euiwoong Lee is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Division at the University of Michigan. He holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University, advised by Venkatesan Guruswami, and has held postdoctoral positions at New York University and the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing. His research focuses on approximation algorithms, hardness of approximation, and parameterized complexity. **Education:** PhD in Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University (2017), advised by Venkatesan Guruswami Postdoctoral Fellowships: NYU (2017–2020), Simons Institute (2017–2020) **Research Interests:** Approximation Algorithms & Hardness of Approximation Convex Hierarchies (e.g., Sum-of-Squares) Clustering Algorithms (e.g., Correlation Clustering) Parameterized Complexity Facility Location & Metric Optimization **Awards:** Edmund M. Clarke Doctoral Dissertation Award (2017) Simons Award for Graduate Students in Theoretical Computer Science **Advising & Grants:** PhD Students: Anthony Della Pella, Aditya Anand, Amatya Sharma, Ian DeHaan Co-organizes the Michigan Theory Seminar **Labs/Teams:** Collaborates with researchers in approximation algorithms, optimization, and theoretical computer science at the University of Michigan and beyond.

Maria ChudnovskyView profile

Professor

• Graph Theory
• Applied Mathematics
• Combinatorics
• +3 more

Maria Chudnovsky is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Princeton University. Her research focuses on structural graph theory, particularly in areas such as graph decomposition, induced subgraphs, and algorithmic applications of graph structure. She is renowned for her contributions to understanding perfect graphs, even-hole-free graphs, and the Erdős–Hajnal conjecture. Her work often explores the interplay between graph structure and algorithmic efficiency, with applications in combinatorial optimization and theoretical computer science. Notable contributions include foundational results on tree decompositions, chromatic number bounds, and the structure of metrizable graphs. Recent research trends include investigations into induced subgraph obstructions, tree independence numbers, and the properties of sparse graphs. She has published extensively on topics such as clique-stable set separation, rainbow matchings, and the complexity of graph coloring problems in restricted graph classes. Chudnovsky has been involved in significant collaborative projects, including work funded by the DMS-EPSRC grant 'The Power of Graph Structure' (2021). Her research frequently bridges theoretical insights with practical algorithm design, contributing to both fundamental and applied areas of discrete mathematics.