Biography:
Daniela L. Rus is a renowned roboticist and computer scientist, currently serving as the Director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). She holds the prestigious Andrew and Erna Viterbi Professorship in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Born and raised in Romania, Daniela L. Rus later immigrated to the United States with her parents. Her father, Teodor Rus, is an emeritus professor of computer science at the University of Iowa. She began her academic journey by earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science in 1985 from the University of Iowa. Determined to further her knowledge and expertise, she pursued a Ph.D. in 1993 at Cornell University under the guidance of John Hopcroft.
After completing her doctoral studies, Rus embarked on her academic career as a Professor in the Computer Science Department at Dartmouth College. In 2004, she joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she has since made significant contributions to the field of robotics and computer science.
Since 2012, Daniela L. Rus has served as the Director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), one of the largest interdepartmental research labs at the university. During her tenure as the director, she has spearheaded various research programs and initiatives, including the AI Accelerator program, the Toyota-CSAIL Joint Research Center, Communities of Research (CoR), the METEOR DEI postdoctoral program, Future of Data Trust and Privacy, Machine Learning Applications, Fintech, and Cybersecurity.
With her expertise and visionary leadership, Rus has played a crucial role in advancing the science and engineering of autonomy. Her research focuses on developing robotic systems that seamlessly integrate into people’s lives to support them in cognitive and physical tasks. As the head of CSAIL’s Distributed Robotics Lab, she has made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of soft robotics, self-reconfigurable modular robots, swarm robotics, and 3D printing.
Daniela L. Rus is widely recognized for her outstanding contributions to the field of robotics and computer science. She is a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). Additionally, she is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Throughout her career, Rus has received numerous accolades and awards. She has been the recipient of an NSF Career award and an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation fellowship. In 2002, she was honored with the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.
With her groundbreaking research, pioneering spirit, and dedication to the advancement of robotics and computer science, Daniela L. Rus continues to shape the future of technology and inspire future generations of scientists and engineers.
Awards:
– NSF Career Award
– Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship
– 2002 MacArthur Fellowship