BEARS 2020 Speakers

Prof Asanović’s main research areas are computer architecture, VLSI design, parallel programming and operating system design. He is the Director of the new ASPIRE lab tackling the challenge of improving computational efficiency now that transistor scaling is ending. ASPIRE builds upon the earlier success of the Par Lab, whose goal was to make parallel programming accessible to most programmers. He is also an Associate Director at the Berkeley Wireless Research Center, and holds a joint appointment with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Previously at MIT, he led the SCALE group, investigating advanced architectures for energy-efficient high-performance computing.

Prof. Bokor’s current research activities include nanomagnetics/spintronics, carbon nanotube and graphene electronics, nanophotonics, and nano-electromechanical systems. He is known for his breakthrough research co-developing the FinFET multigate transistor.  He currently holds a joint appointment with LBNL as Senior Scientist in the Materials Science Division, and formerly held a joint appointment as Deputy Director for Science at the Molecular Foundry, a nanoscale science research center at LBNL.  He won the EDS Paul Rappaport Award in 2002 and the DARPATech Significant Technical Achievement Award in 2000.  He is a fellow of the AAAS, EDS, IEEE, APS, and OSA.

Prof. Darrell’s group develops algorithms to enable visual recognition across a variety of platforms and applications. His interests include computer vision, machine learning, computer graphics, and perception-based human computer interfaces. Prof. Darrell was on the faculty of the MIT EECS department from 1999-2008, where he directed the Vision Interface Group. He was a member of the research staff at Interval Research Corporation from 1996-1999, and received the S.M. and Ph.D. degrees from MIT in 1992 and 1996, respectively. He obtained the B.S.E. degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1988, having started his career in computer vision as an undergraduate researcher in Ruzena Bajcsy’s GRASP lab.

Much of Prof. Mahoney’s work focuses on the theory and practice of big data, including developing algorithmic and statistical methods for matrix, graph, regression, optimization, and related problems. He applies a range of matrix, graph, and optimization algorithms to a range of problems in internet and social media analysis, social networks analysis, as well as genetics, mass spec imaging, astronomy, climate, and a range of other scientific applications. He is a professor in the Department of Statistices and also works at the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI).

Prof. Nguyen’s research interests include integrated vibrating micromechanical signal processors and sensors, merged circuit/micromechanical technologies, RF communication architectures, and integrated circuit design and technology. He managed many DARPA programs including Micro Power Generation (MPG), Chip-Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC), and MEMS Exchange (MX), and is the recipient of the 2017 IEEE Robert Bosch Micro and Nano Electro Mechanical Systems Award. He founded Discera, Inc., in 2001, to commercialize communication products based upon MEMS technology, with an initial focus on the vibrating micromechanical resonators pioneered by his research.

Prof. Nikolic’s research activities include digital and analog integrated circuit design and VLSI implementation of communications and signal processing algorithms. He is co-author of Digital Integrated Circuits: A Design Perspective (2nd ed, Prentice-Hall, 2003), a book which addresses compelling industry topics like the impact of interconnect, design for low power, issues in timing and clocking, design methodologies, and the tremendous effect of design automation on the digital design perspective. In collaboration with students and colleagues, Prof. Nikolic has received best paper awards at the IEEE ISSCC, VLSI Symposia, IEEE International SOI Conference, ESSDERC, and the ACM/IEEE ISLPED.

Prof. Pister developed Smart Dust, a project with the goal of putting a complete sensing/communication platform inside a cubic millimeter. For this project, he was awarded the second annual Alexander Schwarzkopf Prize for Technological Innovation, in 2006, from the I/UCRC Association, for developing and successfully commercializing Smart Dust. He has also focused his energies on synthetic insects, which he has characterized as “basically Smart Dust with legs.” Prof. Pister was award the Alfred F. Sperry Founder Award in 2009 for his “contributions to the science and technology of instrumentation, systems, and automation.”

Dr. Yang is the Executive Director of the Center for Augmented Cognition and the FHL Vive Center, and is a visiting lecturer in the EECS department. His primary research areas include high-dimensional pattern recognition, computer vision, image processing, and applications in motion segmentation, image segmentation, face recognition, and sensor networks. He co-founded Grafty, Inc. and served as CTO and Acting COO of Atheer Inc. He has published four books/chapters, 14 journal papers and more than 30 conference papers, and holds 12 US patents/applications.