Find Academic Supervisors

• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Science
• +5 more

Gordon Geoffrey J. is a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, specializing in Machine Learning , Artificial Intelligence , and Computer Science . His research spans Reinforcement Learning , Domain Adaptation , Graph-based Planning , and Relational Learning , with significant contributions to Adversarial Learning , Deep Learning Dynamics , and Mobile Sensor Networks . He has pioneered algorithms like ARA* and Anytime Dynamic A* for efficient planning under constraints. Key research areas: Transfer Learning , Bayesian Knowledge Tracing , Multi-agent Systems , Database Optimization His work has been cited thousands of times across foundational topics in AI and robotics, demonstrating sustained impact in algorithm design and applications to complex systems.

David ChurchillView profile

Associate Professor

• Artificial Intelligence
• Real-Time Strategy Games
• Game Design
• +5 more

David Churchill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Real-Time Strategy (RTS) Game AI. He holds a PhD from the University of Alberta and has been actively involved in AI research since 2009. His work focuses on AI for RTS games like StarCraft, emphasizing heuristic search, combat simulation, and build order optimization. He organizes the annual AIIDE StarCraft AI Competition and maintains open-source projects like UAlbertaBot and SparCraft. Education: BSc in Pure Mathematics and Computer Science (MUN) MSc in Computer Science (MUN, 2009) PhD in Computing Science (University of Alberta, 2016) Research Interests: AI in video games, heuristic search algorithms, RTS game strategies, multi-agent systems, and robotics. His work bridges theoretical AI with practical applications in competitive gaming and robotics. Publications & Awards: Notable contributions include Search Ordering for StarCraft Build Order Optimization (2024) and Hierarchical Portfolio Search in Prismata (2017, Best Student Paper Award). His research has advanced combat simulation (SparCraft) and build-order planning (BOSS) in RTS games. Awards: Best Student Paper Award (2017) Best Paper Award (2013, 2022) Advising & Labs: Supervised over 20 graduate and undergraduate theses at MUN. Leads the StarCraft AI Competition and contributes to open-source projects like UAlbertaBot and STARTcraft. Currently not accepting new graduate students due to funding constraints.

• Large-Scale Data Management
• Data Systems
• Big Data Analysis
• +5 more

Nick Koudas is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on large-scale data management, integrating machine learning into data systems, and developing efficient query processing techniques for unstructured and streaming data. He holds a PhD from the University of Toronto, an MSc from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a Bachelor's from the University of Patras in Greece. Research interests include data systems, big data analysis, video query processing, and natural language interfaces for databases. He leads projects like ReDD (Relational Deep Dive), SVQ (Streaming Video Queries), and Reliable Text-to-SQL, aiming to bridge human-readable queries with database execution. His work emphasizes scalability, intelligence, and real-world applicability. Recipient of the University of Toronto's Inventor of the Year Award (2011), he translates research into startups like Sysomos, Aislelabs, and Workorb. His contributions span over 200 publications in top venues such as SIGMOD, VLDB, and ICDE. Courses taught include advanced data systems, database design, and system internals. Current projects explore schema extraction from unstructured data, video query optimization, and cost-effective machine learning pipelines. Collaborations with industry and academic partners drive innovations in both theory and practical applications.

Stephen BrownView profile

Professor

• Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)
• Computer Architecture
• CAD Algorithms
• +4 more

Stephen Brown is a Professor at the University of Toronto within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering under the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. He earned his B.A.Sc and M.A.Sc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto and New Brunswick, respectively, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto (1992). His career spans over two decades in academia and industry collaboration. Education : B.A.Sc, University of New Brunswick M.A.Sc, University of Toronto Ph.D, University of Toronto Professor Brown’s research focuses on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) , CAD algorithms , and computer architecture , with applications in machine learning and high-level synthesis . He is a principal investigator in the LegUp project , an open-source high-level synthesis framework that bridges software and hardware design. His work also extends to optimizing FPGA interconnect delays, physical synthesis, and logic block architectures. Key trends in his publications include advancements in high-level synthesis tools, FPGA architecture evaluation, and timing-driven design methodologies. His contributions often intersect with design automation , resource sharing , and embedded systems . Scientific Awards : NSERC 1992 Doctoral Prize Hart Professorship for Innovation in Teaching (2017) Multiple teaching excellence awards Best Paper Award at ICCAD 1990 Best Paper Award nomination at Canadian Conference on VLSI (1989) As Director of the FPGA University Program at Intel Corporation, he leads industry-academia initiatives. His teaching portfolio includes courses like ECE253 (Digital Logic) and ECE1733F (Switching Theory).

• Heuristic Search
• Combinatorial Search
• Artificial Intelligence
• +2 more

Nathan Sturtevant is a Professor at the University of Alberta's Department of Computing Science, an Amii Fellow, and Canada CIFAR Chair. His research spans heuristic and combinatorial search problems, with applications in game AI and pathfinding algorithms. He collaborates with the games industry to implement his research in commercial products. Dr. Sturtevant's research explores search algorithms for single and multiple agents, covering areas such as bidirectional search, meta-learning for game theory, procedural content generation, and multi-agent pathfinding. His work integrates machine learning techniques with classical search algorithms to solve complex problems in game environments. Recent publications demonstrate innovations in search optimization, including novel frameworks for suboptimal bidirectional search, new puzzle difficulty metrics, and applications of transformer models to card game planning. His FarmQuest player telemetry dataset provides resources for studying player behavior in farming simulations.

Gary GrewalView profile

Associate Professor

• Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Tools
• Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)
• Machine Learning
• +5 more

Gary Grewal is an Associate Professor at the School of Computer Science , University of Guelph. His research focuses on developing intelligent Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools for Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) , integrating classical optimization techniques with machine learning and deep learning to address challenges in placement and routing for heterogeneous devices. He has received the Michal Servit Award (2017, 2018) for outstanding FPGA research and the University of Guelph Faculty Association Distinguished Professor Award for Excellence in Teaching (2017) . Grewal has held NSERC Discovery Grants annually from 1999 to 2023. Co-founder of the Guelph FPGA CAD Group Key collaborator with institutions like Ryerson University , University of Toronto , and University of British Columbia His work extends to health technology through the IronTracker mobile app , developed with Andrew Hamilton-Wright and students (A. D'Angelo, J. Carter, F. Liu, R. Pattison) to manage Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HHC) . The app, available in four languages and adopted in 100+ countries, was recognized at Parliament Hill and the Ontario Legislature. Scientific Awards : Michal Servit Award (2018) Michal Servit Award (2017) Distinguished Professor Award for Teaching (2017) NSERC Discovery Grants (1999-2023) His recent publications highlight trends in machine learning for FPGA CAD , including reinforcement learning for partitioning, deep learning for congestion estimation, and adaptive algorithms for placement. Grewal remains active in teaching courses like Discrete Optimization (CIS*6070) and Digital Systems I (CIS*3120).

Malcolm HeywoodView profile

Professor

• Genetic Programming
• Coevolution
• Reinforcement Learning
• +12 more

Dr. Malcolm Heywood is a Professor in the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. He leads the Network Information Management and Security (NIMS) Lab and is actively involved in research on genetic programming, coevolution, reinforcement learning, and big data analytics. His research interests span: Genetic Programming and Evolutionary Computation Coevolution and Competitive Learning Problem Decomposition and Hierarchical Models Streaming Data Analysis and Anomaly Detection Network Security and Insider Threat Detection Reinforcement Learning in Games (Atari, ViZDoom, Dota 2) Dr. Heywood's recent publications focus on emergent behaviors in reinforcement learning using Tangled Program Graphs (TPG), benchmarking genetic programming for streaming data, and applications in cybersecurity and computational finance. His work demonstrates a strong trend toward scalable, efficient evolutionary models for complex, real-world problems. His scientific awards include: Silver placed at Human-Competitive (Humies) Competition (2018) Best Paper at EuroGP (2017) Best Paper at DETA track, ACM GECCO (2017) Best Paper at RWA track, ACM GECCO (2018) Nomination for Best Paper at DETA track, ACM GECCO (2019) He has supervised numerous graduate students, including PhD and Master's candidates, many of whom have continued research in evolutionary computation. His lab has developed open-source code distributions for Tangled Program Graphs and Symbiotic Bid-Based GP. Dr. Heywood teaches courses in Computer Organization, Introduction to AI with Gaming Applications, and Genetic Algorithms and Programming.

Sandra ZillesView profile

Professor

• Computational Learning Theory
• Artificial Intelligence
• Machine Learning
• +3 more

Sandra Zilles is a Professor and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Computational Learning Theory at the University of Regina's Department of Computer Science. She holds adjunct appointments at the University of Waterloo and collaborates with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii). Her research focuses on theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence, particularly interactive learning models, formal language theory, and heuristic search algorithms. Her research integrates computational learning theory, formal language theory, and discrete artificial intelligence structures. Key interests include: Machine teaching with limited data Learnability of pattern languages and automata Graph-theoretic approaches in AI Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with applications in medical imaging, bioinformatics, and game theory. Zilles has received numerous honors including: NSERC Canada Research Chair (Tier 1, 2022-2029) Royal Society of Canada College membership Best Paper Awards (KI 2012, ALT 2003, COLT 2002) She mentors over 50 students and postdocs through her research group. Current projects explore symbolic automata, collaborative learning, and geometric teaching models. Her lab maintains international collaborations with institutions in Germany, Canada, and the US.

Roberto Solis-ObaView profile

Professor

• Algorithm Design
• Approximation Algorithms
• Data Structures
• +9 more

Overview Roberto Solis-Oba is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Western Ontario. He holds a Ph.D. from Purdue University (supervised by Prof. Greg Frederickson) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics under Prof. Kurt Mehlhorn. His research focuses on algorithm design, particularly approximation algorithms for NP-hard optimization problems, with applications in networks, scheduling, packing, and computational biology. Education & Background Ph.D., Computer Science, Purdue University (1990s) Postdoctoral Fellowship, Max Planck Institute for Informatics Research Interests His work spans algorithm design, including approximation algorithms, data structures, parallel/distributed/online/randomized algorithms. Key application areas include networks, scheduling, packing optimization, computational biology, and data mining. He co-founded the Workshop on Approximation and Online Algorithms (WAOA), held annually since 2003. Awards & Recognition Faculty Scholar Award, University of Western Ontario USC Teaching Award, University of Western Ontario Professional Contributions Prof. Solis-Oba has served on program committees for major algorithm-focused conferences and contributed to research in scheduling, packing, and graph theory. His work emphasizes practical and theoretical advancements in algorithmic efficiency and optimization.

• Heuristic search
• Program synthesis
• Deep learning for sound

Vadim Bulitko is a Professor in the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta, affiliated with the Department of Computing Science. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Research Interests: His work spans heuristic search, program synthesis, and deep learning applications for sound. Recent projects focus on AI-driven puzzle generation, pathfinding in dynamic game environments, and neural network classification. Publications: His 15 most recent articles explore AI advancements in puzzle design, video-game navigation, and bioacoustic classification, emphasizing heuristic optimization and explainable AI techniques.

Lucas LehnertView profile

Assistant Professor

• Reinforcement Learning
• Sequential Decision Making
• Generative AI
• +4 more

Lucas Lehnert is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Saskatchewan, specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Reinforcement Learning (RL). His research focuses on how intelligent systems can learn to solve complex decision-making tasks through representation learning, abstraction mechanisms, and lifelong learning strategies. He also explores applications of AI/RL in scientific and engineering domains. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Brown University, 2021), MSc (McGill University, 2016), BSc (McGill University, 2014). Postdoctoral positions included Meta's FAIR team (2022–2024) and the Mila Quebec AI Institute (2021–2022). Research interests include reinforcement learning fundamentals, generative AI reasoning, exploration strategies, and reward-predictive representations. His work bridges model-based and model-free RL paradigms, emphasizing scalable and generalizable solutions. Awards include the Best Student Workshop Paper Award (2017) and an NIMH training grant in cognitive neuroscience. His research has been published in top conferences like NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR. He advises graduate students in RL and collaborates on projects involving transformer-based planning, exploration algorithms, and multi-agent systems. Current work includes developing SearchFormer for efficient planning tasks and exploring maximum entropy exploration methods.

Michael GruningerView profile

Professor

• Ontologies
• Semantic Integration
• Process Modelling
• +6 more

Michael Gruninger is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, serving as Associate Chair of Undergraduate Studies. He holds a PhD and MSc in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Alberta. His research focuses on semantic integration, process modeling, and mathematical logic applications in manufacturing and enterprise engineering. He contributed to the ISO 18629 standard for Process Specification Language. Research interests include ontologies, semantic web technologies, knowledge representation, and formal methods. He leads the Semantic Technologies Laboratory, advancing theories in mereotopology, spatiotemporal ontologies, and ontology engineering. Recent work emphasizes automated spatial reasoning in robotics and standards-based ontology development. Publications span ontology validation, mereological foundations, and applied semantic technologies. His work bridges theoretical computer science with practical enterprise systems and smart city applications. No awards are explicitly listed, though his contributions to ISO standards reflect industry impact. Advising and grants: No specific students/grants detailed here. His lab focuses on semantic technologies with applications in manufacturing and urban systems. Collaborations include NIST and the Industrial Ontologies Foundry.

Haoxiang LangView profile

Associate Professor

• Mechatronics
• Autonomous Robotics
• Visual Servoing
• +3 more

Haoxiang Lang serves as Department Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Automotive and Mechatronics Engineering at Ontario Tech University's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. His laboratory, GRASP Lab, focuses on advanced robotics and intelligent systems research. Education: PhD in Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia (2013) MASc in Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia (2008) BSc in Marine Engineering, Ningbo University (2003) Dr. Lang's research spans mechatronics, autonomous robotics, visual servoing, and machine learning. His work focuses on developing advanced control systems for robotic manipulation, autonomous vehicle navigation, and sensor fusion techniques. Recent projects include vision-based combat vehicle control, deep learning for aerial image processing, and thermal management for robotic systems. His publications demonstrate strong emphasis on robotic perception-control integration, with recurring themes in visual servoing, sensor fusion, autonomous navigation, and machine learning applications in robotics. Recent works increasingly incorporate deep neural networks for complex tasks like object manipulation and environment mapping. Dr. Lang leads the GRASP Lab, which develops experimental platforms including autonomous combat vehicles and robotic manipulators. The lab focuses on practical implementations of control theories and collaborates on industrial applications.

• Theoretical Computer Science
• Algorithms
• Logic
• +3 more

Michael Soltys is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Computing and Software at McMaster University. His work bridges theoretical computer science, algorithms, and practical applications in cybersecurity and education. Research interests include logic, circuit complexity, and pairwise comparisons. Publications span 2002–2021, with recent focus on cloud computing education, digital forensics, and graph theory. Active in academic service through editorial contributions (e.g., Foreword for Franco-Canadian workshop proceedings). His scholarly activity maps to subdisciplines such as Computer Systems Theory, Logic, Discrete Applied Mathematics, and Operations Research. Dr. Soltys' work on pairwise comparisons and clique covers provides foundational insights for decision systems and graph optimization. He has also contributed to cloud curriculum development and malware analysis frameworks. As an educator, he co-authored An Introduction to the Analysis of Algorithms (2018, 2012, 2009), a textbook exploring algorithmic foundations. Current affiliations include the McMaster Experts database, with collaborations across theoretical computer science and applied cybersecurity research.

• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Games
• Heuristic Search
• +4 more

Jonathan Schaeffer is a Professor in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Alberta. He previously served as Dean of Science (2012–2018), Vice Provost and Associate Vice President (Information Technology) (2008–2012), and Chair of Computing Science (2005–2008). His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence and Computer Games, particularly heuristic search algorithms (A*, alpha-beta) with applications in path-finding, game AI scripting, and optimization. He collaborates with companies like Electronic Arts and BioWare, working on role-playing, sports, and real-time strategy games. As co-founder of Onlea.org, the world's first MOOC production company, he emphasizes engagement-driven online learning. Education: B.Sc. (Computer Science, University of Toronto, 1979), M.Math (Computer Science, University of Waterloo, 1980), Ph.D. (Computer Science, University of Waterloo, 1986). His research spans advanced search algorithms, game theory, and AI applications in entertainment. Notable contributions include solving checkers via endgame databases and pioneering work in minimax search optimization. His recent articles analyze trends in computer game competitions and the evolution of AI strategies in chess and bridge. Awards: None explicitly listed. Grants and advising details not provided in text. Collaborations include industry partnerships and academic initiatives like Onlea.org.