May 10th, 2012 –
Richard Karp, Professor of Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Industrial Engineering & Operations Research, and Mathematics, will be the the first leader of Berkeley’s new Simmons Institute for the Theory of Computing.
The new research center was founded by a $60 million award from the Simmons Foundation, aimed at establishing UC Berkeley as the worldwide center for theoretical computer science. The center will act as a place where top computer researchers can explore the mathematical foundations of computer science and their application in such diverse fields as mathematics, health care, climate modeling, astrophysics, genetics, economics and business.
The new institute will be a focus for collaborative inquiry on big questions, encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation among departments and institutes across and outside of the campus. The new endeavor has already attracted several companies, such as IBM and Google, who are looking to collaborate with the new program.