Raghu Meka, a 2011 doctoral graduate, was awarded with one of the highest research awards by the IEEE Computer Society, an organization under IEEE that works to improve computer technology for humanity.
The W. Wallace McDowell Award is given for outstanding contributions in the fields of theoretics, design, education or practical applications. It is considered one of the field’s highest awards and will be presented this November at the computer society’s annual ceremony.
“Receiving this award is a profound honor, particularly considering the distinguished list of past recipients,” Meka, who now works in the computer science department at the University of California, Los Angeles, said. “It's greatly pleasing to see my field—theoretical computer science, complexity theory in particular—acknowledged by an award recognizing contributions across all computing disciplines.”
Meka’s work focuses on learning theory, complexity theory, and algorithm design as well as probability and combinatorics, a method of counting and arranging large amounts of data. His work has been recognized by two best paper awards — first in 2023 by IEEE and most recently in 2024 at the Conference on Learning Theory.
Meka joins dozens of other career professionals and innovative researchers in this award, which has been recognized since 1966.
“I'm excited to tackle a set of challenging problems that previously seemed unapproachable, now with new perspectives and interdisciplinary connections,” Meka said. “Honestly, the best research happens when you find those connections you didn't see coming until they basically hit you in the face. While I have my plans, I'm also really looking forward to being surprised.”
While receiving his Ph.D, Meka was advised by Professor David Zuckerman and mentored by Professor Adam Klivans. Meka’s time at UT has been “instrumental” in his professional success, he said.
“Our collaborations continued on many fruitful research projects even after graduation,” Meka said. “Their guidance, both professional and personal, has been invaluable throughout my career.”