D. Brian Larkins

Dr. D. Brian Larkins is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Computer Science department at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He specializes in parallel computing, high-performance computing (HPC), and distributed systems. His research focuses on optimizing runtime systems, work stealing algorithms, and leveraging network offload hardware to enhance parallel application performance. He has been recognized with the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2021, reflecting his dedication to pedagogical innovation in computer science education.

Before joining Rhodes College in 2015, Larkins worked at Bell Laboratories and several startups, focusing on network security, machine learning, and video streaming technologies. He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University, with a focus on Parallel and Distributed Computing.

As the NSF-funded XSEDE Campus Champion at Rhodes, Larkins supports faculty and students in accessing large-scale HPC resources nationwide. He also leads the installation of a 2,112-node HPC cluster in Briggs Hall for institutional research use. His teaching philosophy emphasizes blending theory with practical problem-solving to cultivate analytical thinkers.

Key research contributions include frameworks for distributed data structures (e.g., Global Trees), scalable work stealing mechanisms, and GPU acceleration of scientific systems like the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS). His work has been published at top venues such as the International Conference on Parallel Processing (ICPP) and the ACM/IEEE Supercomputing Conference (SC).

Larkins has pioneered FPGA integration into computer science curricula and explored cognitive apprenticeship frameworks in robotics education. His current projects aim to repurpose network hardware for efficient distributed computing and dynamic load balancing.