Arjun Guha

Arjun Guha is an Associate Professor at Northeastern University's Khoury College of Computer Sciences, where he also serves as the Area Chair for Software. He conducts research in programming languages with a focus on program synthesis for low-resource programming languages and understanding how computer science education is impacted by large language models. His work spans multiple domains including WebAssembly, software-defined networking, and serverless computing.

Guha's research interests center around programming language design, implementation, and application. He has made significant contributions to understanding JavaScript through formal semantics (LambdaJS), developing functional reactive programming for web applications (Flapjax), and creating tools for software-defined networks (NetKAT, Frenetic). His recent work focuses on leveraging large language models for code generation in specialized programming languages and understanding their impact on programming education.

His publications reveal a strong trend toward applying AI and machine learning techniques to programming language problems, particularly in code generation and understanding. The research spans from foundational programming language theory to practical applications in education and software development tools, with increasing focus on the intersection of programming languages and large language models.

Guha has received several prestigious awards including the OOPSLA Most Influential Paper Award in 2019 for his work on Flapjax, an ACM SIGPLAN Research Highlight for his work on NetKAT, and a Best Student Paper Award. His research has been recognized for its foundational contributions to programming language theory and practical impact on software development.

• OOPSLA Most Influential Paper Award (2019) for Flapjax
• ACM SIGPLAN Research Highlight for A Fast Compiler for NetKAT
• Best Student Paper Award for Flapjax paper

Guha advises numerous PhD, MS, and undergraduate students, with several alumni now at leading tech companies and academic institutions. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research, and industry partners including Google, JPMorgan Chase, MathWorks, Meta, Oracle, and Roblox. He leads the Programming Research Laboratory at Northeastern and is actively involved in major research collaborations like the BigCode Project.

Guha is a member of the Programming Research Laboratory at Northeastern and leads several major research initiatives including the BigCode Project's evaluation working group. His lab develops practical software systems like MultiPL-E (a polyglot benchmark for Code LLMs) and WasmFX (bringing effect handlers to WebAssembly), with applications in education, software development, and high-performance computing.