Martin Odersky

Martin Odersky is a Full Professor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences, where he heads the Programming Methods Laboratory (LAMP1). He maintains dual teaching appointments in the Systems and Software Engineering (SIN) and Software and Systems Engineering (SSC) sections.

Education:

• Doctorate from ETH Zurich (1989)

Odersky's research fundamentally explores the unification of object-oriented and functional programming paradigms. His work spans language design, type theory, compiler construction, and semantic foundations, driven by the thesis that these paradigms are complementary facets of a single computational model. This vision materialized in the Scala programming language, engineered for seamless Java/.NET interoperability while advancing type-safe abstractions for modern software development.

His publication trajectory (1997-2005) reveals consistent innovation in bridging theoretical rigor with industrial applicability. Key themes include component-based modularity (Scalable Component Abstractions), dependent type systems for objects, and practical implementations of generics and functional constructs, all converging toward expressive yet safe programming models.

Advising and Funding:

Odersky has mentored 29 PhD students across his career, including 5 current candidates. His research sustains major funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, European Commission, and Hasler Foundation, enabling foundational work in language design and implementation.

Laboratory:

He directs EPFL's Programming Methods Laboratory (LAMP), which drives Scala's evolution and investigates next-generation programming abstractions for concurrency, modularity, and type-driven development.