1986/BT/EE Walter N. Munster Professor and Chair, University of Virginia, USA
Prof. Sandhya Dwarkadas, an esteemed computer scientist, has made groundbreaking contributions to computer architecture, parallel and distributed computing, with a focus on hardware-software interaction, sharing, and concurrency control.
After earning her B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras in 1986, she pursued an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rice University, laying the foundation for her pioneering research in shared memory, reconfigurability, and concurrency control. She is also a recipient of 34 research grants.
Throughout her illustrious career, Prof. Dwarkadas has held pivotal roles in academia, including serving as the Walter N. Munster Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia and previously as the Albert Arendt Hopeman Professor of Engineering and Chair of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Rochester.
Her groundbreaking research has resulted in over 100 refereed publications and 11 patents in computer architecture and memory systems, significantly advancing the field.
Her impact has been widely recognized through prestigious honors, including being named an ACM Fellow (2018) and an IEEE Fellow (2017) for her transformative work in shared memory and system reconfigurability. She has also been awarded the Edmund A. Hajim Outstanding Faculty Award (2020) for excellence in teaching, research, and service.
Beyond research, Prof. Dwarkadas has played a crucial role in professional leadership. She has served on the Computing Research Association (CRA) board, contributed as a Selection Committee Member for IEEE Fellows, and taken on leadership roles in organizing some of the top international computing conferences in her field. Committed to nurturing future innovators, she has mentored numerous Ph.D. students, shaping the next generation of computer scientists.
For her outstanding achievements in computer systems research, leadership in academia, and dedication to mentoring, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and its alumni proudly confer upon Prof. Sandhya Dwarkadas, the Distinguished Alumni Award for the year 2025.
