Raffi Khatchadourian

Raffi Khatchadourian is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Hunter College and a member of the Doctoral Faculty of The Graduate School and University Center's Ph.D. Program in Computer Science at the City University of New York (CUNY). He leads the PONDER Lab @ CUNY and is a member of the CUNY Institute of Computer Simulation, Stochastic Modeling, and Optimization (CoSSMO).

His research lies at the intersection of software engineering, programming languages, and reliable machine learning systems. He investigates how program analysis, automated refactoring, and type theory can ease the burden of correctly, efficiently, and securely evolving large and complex software. His work spans several key areas including automated refactoring of Java programs, empirical studies of software development practices, migration of imperative Deep Learning programs to graph execution, and the application of software engineering methodology to improve statistical programs and artificial intelligence. His research has been externally supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Amazon Web Services (AWS), and the Verizon Foundation.

Dr. Khatchadourian's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on improving Deep Learning systems through automated refactoring techniques, analyzing technical debt in machine learning systems, and addressing concurrency challenges in modern programming languages. His work frequently appears in top-tier conferences including ICSE, ASE, ESEC/FSE, and FASE.

His scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous awards including the EAPLS Distinguished Paper Award at FASE '25, EAPLS Best Paper Award at FASE '20, and a Distinguished Paper Award at IEEE SCAM '18. He has also received fellowships from JSPS and NSF EAPSI, along with the Eleanor Quinlan Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching.

As an advisor, Dr. Khatchadourian has mentored numerous PhD, Master's, and undergraduate students, including Tatiana Castro Vélez who recently accepted a tenure-track Assistant Professor position at University of Puerto Rico. He has served on multiple program committees for major conferences including ICSE, ASE, ECOOP, and GPCE, and has organized events such as the New York Seminar on Programming Languages and Software Engineering (NYPLSE). He also mentors students through NYU GSTEM and ACM SIGPLAN-M programs.

Dr. Khatchadourian maintains active research collaborations across institutions and leads the PONDER Lab @ CUNY, which focuses on programming, optimization, and novel development environments for reliable software. The lab provides opportunities for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students interested in programming languages and software engineering research.