Michael Franklin

Michael J. Franklin is the Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Chicago. He previously served as the Liew Family Chair of Computer Science until September 2023 and is a leading authority in databases, data analytics, data management, and distributed systems. Franklin also holds administrative roles as Senior Advisor to the Provost on Computation and Data Science and Faculty Co-Director of the Data Science Institute.

• Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin (1993)
• Master of Software Engineering from the Wang Institute of Graduate Studies (1986)
• B.S. in Computer and Information Science from the University of Massachusetts (1983)

Franklin's research spans Big Data, Databases, Distributed and Streaming Database Technology, and Systems Research, with applications in AI and machine learning. His work focuses on creating data-centric models for predictions and decisions, scalable data management systems, and computing architecture innovations.

He has received numerous accolades, including multiple ACM SIGMOD Test of Time Awards, AAAS Fellowship, and the NSF CAREER Award. Franklin contributes to academic governance through roles on the NSF CISE Advisory Committee, Computing Research Association Board, and ACM Fellows Committee.

• Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Truviso (acquired by Cisco)
• Technical advisor to Databricks and Ocient

Franklin collaborates with labs like ChiDATA, the Systems Group, and the Machine Learning Group, advancing research in large-scale data processing, quantum computing, and AI foundations.