Biography:
Jennifer Tour Chayes is a renowned mathematician, computer scientist, and leader in the field of data science. She currently serves as the Dean of the College of Computing, Data Science, and Society at the University of California, Berkeley. Born and raised in New York City, Chayes grew up in White Plains, New York, as the child of Iranian immigrants. She demonstrated exceptional academic aptitude from a young age and graduated first in her class at Wesleyan University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Physics in 1979.
Chayes then proceeded to pursue her passion for mathematical physics, earning a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1983. Following her doctoral studies, she completed postdoctoral work in the Mathematics and Physics departments at Harvard and Cornell. Chayes quickly established herself as a leading scholar in her field, focusing her research on phase transitions in discrete mathematics and computer science, structural and dynamical properties of self-engineered networks, and algorithmic game theory.
In 1987, she embarked on an impressive academic career, joining the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a tenured mathematics professor. During her tenure at UCLA, Chayes made significant contributions to the development of methods to analyze the structure and behavior of various networks, the design of auction algorithms, and the design and analysis of algorithms for solving complex computational problems.
In 1997, Chayes received a life-changing opportunity when Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold invited her to join Microsoft Research Redmond to start and lead the Theory Group. The Theory Group, which Chayes co-founded, focuses on investigating fundamental questions in theoretical computer science using techniques from statistical physics and discrete mathematics. This marked the beginning of her impactful career at Microsoft Research, where she took on various leadership roles, including Managing Director of Microsoft Research New England in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which she founded in 2008, and Microsoft Research New York City, which she founded in 2012.
Chayes’s leadership and expertise in the modeling and analysis of dynamically growing graphs have solidified her status as one of the world’s foremost experts in her field. Her interdisciplinary approach to research has allowed her to bring together core computer scientists and social scientists to understand, model, and enable future computing and online experiences. She has authored nearly 120 scientific papers and holds more than 25 patents, demonstrating her commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation.
Throughout her career, Chayes has been recognized for her exceptional contributions. In addition to her numerous accolades, she was awarded the John von Neumann Prize by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) in 2012. Her pioneering work in the field of data science and her dedication to promoting interdisciplinary collaboration have made a lasting impact on both academia and industry.
Awards:
– John von Neumann Prize, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (2012)