Gul Agha (computer scientist)
Encyclopedia
Gul Agha is a Professor
in the Department of Computer Science
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
, and Director of the Open Systems Laboratory. He is known for his work on the Actor model
of concurrent computation
, and was also Editor-in-Chief of ACM Computing Surveys
from 1999 to 2007.
Agha received his Ph.D.
in Computer and Communication Science from the University of Michigan
in 1986, under the supervision of John Holland. However, much of his doctoral research was carried out in Carl Hewitt
's Message-Passing Semantics Group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT). Agha's dissertation was published by the MIT Press
as Actors: a model of concurrent computation in distributed systems, a book which, according to the ACM Guide to Computing Literature, has been cited over 300 times. Agha was born and completed his early education in Pakistan
.
(IEEE) in 2002. He is also a Golden Core Member of the IEEE Computer Society, and a recipient of the IEEE Computer Society Meritorious Service Award, and was an International Lecturer for the ACM from 1992 to 1997.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in the Department of Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, and Director of the Open Systems Laboratory. He is known for his work on the Actor model
Actor model
In computer science, the Actor model is a mathematical model of concurrent computation that treats "actors" as the universal primitives of concurrent digital computation: in response to a message that it receives, an actor can make local decisions, create more actors, send more messages, and...
of concurrent computation
Concurrent computing
Concurrent computing is a form of computing in which programs are designed as collections of interacting computational processes that may be executed in parallel...
, and was also Editor-in-Chief of ACM Computing Surveys
ACM Computing Surveys
ACM Computing Surveys is a peer reviewed scientific journal published by the Association for Computing Machinery. The journal publishes survey articles and tutorials related to computer science and computing. It was founded in 1969; the first editor-in-chief was William S...
from 1999 to 2007.
Agha received his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Computer and Communication Science from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1986, under the supervision of John Holland. However, much of his doctoral research was carried out in Carl Hewitt
Carl Hewitt
Carl Hewitt is Board Chair of the International Society for Inconsistency Robustness. He has been a Visiting Professor at Stanford University and the University of Keio. In 2000, he became emeritus in the EECS department at MIT....
's Message-Passing Semantics Group at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT). Agha's dissertation was published by the MIT Press
MIT Press
The MIT Press is a university press affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts .-History:...
as Actors: a model of concurrent computation in distributed systems, a book which, according to the ACM Guide to Computing Literature, has been cited over 300 times. Agha was born and completed his early education in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
Awards
Agha became a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is a non-profit professional association headquartered in New York City that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence...
(IEEE) in 2002. He is also a Golden Core Member of the IEEE Computer Society, and a recipient of the IEEE Computer Society Meritorious Service Award, and was an International Lecturer for the ACM from 1992 to 1997.
External links
- Agha's official webpage at the UIUC Open System Laboratory