Viktor K. Prasanna

Viktor K. Prasanna is an American computer scientist and engineer renowned for his pioneering contributions to parallel computing and reconfigurable computing. He is a Distinguished Professor and the Charles Lee Powell Chair in Engineering in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Southern California. His research has significantly advanced the use of FPGAs and specialized architectures for high-performance computing applications across domains such as signal processing, data analytics, and computational science.

Biography

Viktor K. Prasanna completed his undergraduate education at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, earning a Bachelor of Engineering degree. He subsequently pursued graduate studies in the United States, receiving his Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Pennsylvania State University. Following his doctoral work, he joined the faculty at the University of Southern California, where he has held various leadership roles and established major research initiatives. His career has been marked by sustained collaboration with industry leaders and national laboratories, including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to translate theoretical advances into practical computing systems.

Research and career

Prasanna's research career is centered on the intersection of parallel algorithms, computer architecture, and application-specific computing. He is a leading figure in the field of reconfigurable computing, where his work has focused on developing high-performance, energy-efficient systems using FPGAs and heterogeneous architectures. His group has made seminal contributions to parallel algorithms for graph processing, numerical linear algebra, and pattern matching, often targeting challenges in big data and scientific computing. He founded and directs the Center for Energy-Efficient Computing and Applications at USC, which conducts cross-disciplinary research spanning VLSI design, computer-aided design tools, and system software. His work has influenced the design of supercomputers and has been applied in projects funded by agencies like the DARPA and the National Science Foundation.

Awards and honors

In recognition of his technical leadership and research impact, Prasanna has been elected a Fellow of several prestigious professional societies. He was elevated to IEEE Fellow for his contributions to parallel processing and computer architecture. He is also an ACM Fellow, honored for his advancements in reconfigurable computing and high-performance computing. Additional honors include receiving the W. Wallace McDowell Award from the IEEE Computer Society, one of the field's highest technical awards. He has been recognized with the USC Associates Award for Creativity in Research and has served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society.

Selected publications

Prasanna has authored or co-authored over 500 research papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences, significantly shaping the literature in his fields. Key publications appear in premier venues such as the IEEE Transactions on Computers, the IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, and the ACM International Symposium on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays. His influential work includes early papers on systolic arrays, foundational algorithms for FPGA-based string matching, and scalable techniques for parallel graph algorithms. He has also edited several books on reconfigurable computing and parallel processing published by Springer and Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Professional service

Prasanna has provided extensive service to the global research community through leadership roles in major conferences and editorial boards. He has served as the General Chair and Program Chair for flagship events including the IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium and the International Conference on Field-Programmable Technology. He has been an editor for journals such as the Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing and the IEEE Transactions on VLSI Systems. Furthermore, he has contributed to program committees for the ACM/IEEE Supercomputing Conference, the International Conference on High Performance Computing, and the Design Automation Conference. His service also includes advisory roles for government panels and review boards for the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Energy.

Category:American computer scientists Category:University of Southern California faculty Category:IEEE Fellows Category:ACM Fellows