Jim Kurose

Jim Kurose is a Distinguished University Professor in the College of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has been a faculty member since earning his PhD in computer science from Columbia University. He currently serves as Associate Chancellor for Partnerships and Innovation at UMass Amherst and is an invited researcher at Sorbonne University in Paris (2023–2026). Previously, he held leadership roles including Chair of Computer Science and Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at UMass.

His research centers on computer network architecture, protocols, network measurement, sensor networks, and multimedia communication. He is widely known for co-authoring the best-selling textbook Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, now in its 8th edition. His work bridges theoretical and applied networking, with implications for education, policy, and infrastructure.

From 2015 to 2019, Kurose served as Assistant Director for the Directorate of Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) at the US National Science Foundation, where he oversaw an annual budget of nearly $1 billion and led national initiatives in AI, data science, quantum computing, and cyberinfrastructure. In 2018, he also served as Assistant Director for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), contributing to the development of the Executive Order on Maintaining American Leadership in AI and the OECD AI Principles.

His scientific honors include the IEEE INFOCOM Award, the ACM SIGCOMM Lifetime Achievement Award, the ACM SIGCOMM Test of Time Award, and the IEEE Taylor Booth Education Medal. He is a Fellow of the ACM and IEEE and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

• IEEE INFOCOM Award
• ACM SIGCOMM Lifetime Achievement Award
• ACM SIGCOMM Test of Time Award
• IEEE Computer Society Taylor Booth Education Medal
• Fellow of the ACM
• Fellow of the IEEE
• Member of the National Academy of Engineering

Kurose has mentored numerous students and has been deeply involved in national science policy and academic-industry partnerships. He played a key role in public-private collaborations with Amazon, Intel, VMware, and others, focusing on foundational research in AI, edge computing, and wireless technologies. He has also championed initiatives such as Computer Science for All, Smart and Connected Communities, and Broadening Participation in Computing. His leadership extends to interagency coordination through the Networking and Information Technology R&D (NITRD) program and the Subcommittee on Machine Learning and AI.

He remains an active contributor to the computing research community, advocating for sustained federal investment in basic research, openness in academia, and robust research and education ecosystems.