معرفی
Nate Foster is a Professor of Computer Science at Cornell University's Bowers Computing and Information Science college. He also serves as a Visiting Professor at EPFL's Data Center Systems Laboratory during the 2023-24 academic year and as a Visiting Researcher at Jane Street. His research focuses on developing languages and tools that make it easy for programmers to build secure and reliable systems, with particular emphasis on software-defined networking.
Dr. Foster's educational background includes:
- PhD in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania
- MPhil in History and Philosophy of Science from Cambridge University
- BA in Computer Science from Williams College
Nate Foster's research spans multiple areas within programming languages and systems. His current work focuses on the design and implementation of languages for programming software-defined networks. He has also made significant contributions to bidirectional languages (also known as "lenses"), database query languages, data provenance, type systems, mechanized proof, and formal semantics. His interdisciplinary approach combines theoretical foundations with practical systems building, seeking to bridge the gap between formal methods and real-world network programming.
An analysis of Foster's recent publications reveals a strong focus on network programming languages, particularly NetKAT and P4. His work consistently applies formal methods to networking problems, with increasing emphasis on verification, equivalence checking, and symbolic execution techniques. The research trajectory shows progression from foundational language design to practical verification tools, demonstrating how theoretical programming language concepts can solve real-world networking challenges.
Dr. Foster has received numerous prestigious awards for his contributions:
- Sloan Research Fellowship
- NSF CAREER Award
- ACM SIGPLAN Robin Milner Young Researcher Award (2023)
- Most Influential POPL Paper Award
- Tien '72 Teaching Award
- Google Research Award
- Yahoo! Academic Career Enhancement Award
- Cornell Engineering Research Excellence Award
- Morris and Dorothy Rubinoff Award
- ACM SIGCOMM Rising Star Award
As an active member of the programming languages community, Foster has advised numerous graduate students and secured significant research funding through his NSF CAREER award and Google Research Award. He has served in leadership roles for major conferences including PLDI, POPL, and ICFP, demonstrating his commitment to mentoring the next generation of researchers through programs like PLMW@PLDI. His collaborative approach is evident in his extensive co-authorship network across academia and industry.
Foster leads research in the area of programming languages for networking, with particular focus on the NetKAT framework for network verification. His work bridges the gap between formal methods and practical networking systems, creating tools that have influenced both academic research and industry practice in software-defined networking. His collaborations with institutions like EPFL and industry partners like Jane Street demonstrate the real-world impact of his research agenda.
