Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellowship Program Honors Young Academics
Who Display Extraordinary Aptitude for Innovative Research
REDMOND, Wash., April 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Microsoft (Nasdaq:
MSFT) Research today named the five newest members of its highly
prestigious Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellowship Program. Because new
faculty members are essential to the future of academic computing,
Microsoft Research honors early-career professors who demonstrate the drive
and creativity to develop original research while continually advancing the
state of the art of computing.
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The five winners -- two women and three men -- were chosen from a pool
of more than 100 individuals representing universities in North America.
Each fellow will each receive a $200,000 (U.S.) cash award over a two-year
period to assist in his or her research. The recipients are also given the
opportunity to collaborate with some of the top researchers working in
their area of interest at Microsoft Research.
"Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellows represent the best new
professors in computing disciplines today," said Rick Rashid, senior vice
president of Microsoft Research. "The intellectual curiosity and capacity
that each fellow has demonstrated is inspirational, and we will watch their
careers develop with interest."
Projects that the Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellows will pursue
include analyzing the basic concepts of perception, searching for
connections in text, creating graphics that more accurately model human
motion, designing a more elegant human-computer interaction, and finding a
way to bring all these aspects together in a more refined framework for
both the designer and the operator.
"I was particularly impressed with the strength of all the applicants,"
said Jeannette Wing, a member of the application review committee and head
of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. "These
young faculty show passion for their research, have a clear vision of what
they want to achieve, and understand how their work contributes not just to
science, but to society."
The following professors are this year's Microsoft Research New Faculty
Fellowship winners:
-- Regina Barzilay, assistant professor of electrical engineering and
computer science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Barzilay
is up to the challenge. She is focusing her research on
computational modeling of linguistic phenomena. She is exploring the
ability of a computer to summarize information found in multiple
documents that contain related information, such as news articles
covering the same event. This will help readers find meaning in the
ever-increasing body of information available today.
-- Aaron Hertzmann, assistant professor of computer science at the
University of Toronto. Hertzmann is working on building simulated
models for computer animation. His work shows that realistic
physical models can be created from a small number of precise
physical measurements. These models can predict human motion in a
variety of circumstances, making them invaluable to animators.
Similarly, these methods may have an impact on biomechanics
research, ultimately aiding physicians and physical therapists in
their work.
-- Scott Klemmer, assistant professor of computer science, Stanford
University. Klemmer also is interested in how to make the computer
environment more significant and accessible by seeking ways to
bridge the gulf between the physical and digital worlds. He is
focusing on enhancing all aspects of human-computer interaction by
creating tools to enable a prototyping culture. As a former graphic
design major, Klemmer understands the need to use every available
space to create a great design, whether with Post-it Notes, scraps
of paper or collages, it all adds up to a way to organize
information and create a vision.
-- Eddie Kohler, assistant professor of computer science, University of
California, Los Angeles. Kohler hopes to make computer systems
easier to program. His vision is based on innovative synthesis of
basic systems research and component-based programming language
techniques. In application, his work aims to create a more
understandable, robust and secure foundation for systems
programming. Kohler is also hopeful that his designation as a
Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellow will help his university to
recruit the best and brightest students.
-- Fei-Fei Li, assistant professor of electrical and computer
engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Fei-Fei is
interested in vision: the task of making machines see like humans.
Just as the art lover's brain blends individual points of color in
an Impressionist painting to create a whole, Fei-Fei is developing
algorithms to enable computers to generate comprehensive digital
representations of complex objects and scenes. The desired result is
new tools for personal photo organization and image searches, and,
eventually, assistance for the visually impaired.
All the Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellows will focus on finding
solutions to challenging research problems that can change the way people
interact with and use computing devices. Each professor views computing as
a window into the next frontier of discovery -- for their vision, hopes and
aspirations to serve as a catalyst for other researchers.
Microsoft Research will formally recognize these individuals at the
annual Faculty Summit, on July 17, 2006, in Redmond, Wash.
Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellowship Awards Program
The External Research & Programs group established the Microsoft
Research New Faculty Fellowship Program in 2005 to identify and support
exceptional first-, second- and third-year professors who are advancing the
state of the art of computer science research. Microsoft Research
recognizes that until young professors can build a reputation, they
typically struggle to secure adequate funding for their research work.
The program accepts just one nominee per university; a rigorous
multiround selection process culminates in live interviews before a
distinguished panel of reviewers from Microsoft Research and the academic
community.
Additional information about the 2006 Microsoft Research New Faculty
Fellows, the Faculty Summit and the inaugural 2005 fellows is available at
http://research.microsoft.com/ur/us/nff/default.aspx .
About Microsoft Research
Founded in 1991, Microsoft Research is dedicated to conducting both
basic and applied research in computer science and software engineering.
Its goals are to enhance the user experience on computing devices, reduce
the cost of writing and maintaining software, and invent novel computing
technologies. Researchers focus on more than 55 areas of computing and
collaborate with leading academic, government and industry researchers to
advance the state of the art in such areas as graphics, speech recognition,
user-interface research, natural language processing, programming tools and
methodologies, operating systems and networking, and the mathematical
sciences. Microsoft Research employs more than 700 people in five labs
located in Redmond, Wash.; Silicon Valley, Calif.; Cambridge, England;
Beijing, China; and Bangalore, India. Microsoft Research collaborates
openly with colleges and universities worldwide to enhance the teaching and
learning experience, inspire technological innovation, and broadly advance
the field of computer science. More information can be found at
http://www.research.microsoft.com .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software,
services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full
potential.
NOTE: Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the
United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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