Tarek Abdelzaher
Department of Computer Science
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
About Professor Tarek Abdelzaher
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a world-renowned public research university, consistently ranked among the top institutions for computer science and engineering. Its Department of Computer Science is a powerhouse of innovation, known for a collaborative academic environment that fosters groundbreaking research at the intersection of theory and practical systems development. This prestigious setting provides an ideal foundation for leading scholars like Professor Tarek Abdelzaher, the Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Professor and a Willett Faculty Scholar, to pursue transformative work in complex networked systems.
🧬Research Focus
Professor Abdelzaher’s research is centered on the performance, timeliness, and reliability of next-generation cyber-physical systems (CPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT). His work spans foundational areas including real-time computing, distributed systems, and intelligent networked sensing, with a focus on integrating machine learning for CPS, sensor networks, and social or crowdsensing platforms. This research is critical for developing resilient smart infrastructure, autonomous systems, and large-scale sensing applications that can reliably interact with the physical world, driving innovations in areas from intelligent transportation to environmental monitoring and beyond.
🎓Student Fit & Career
Graduate students seeking to work with Professor Abdelzaher should possess a strong foundation in systems thinking, with interests in real-time computing, distributed algorithms, or networked embedded systems. Ideal candidates are motivated by solving complex, cross-disciplinary problems at the confluence of control theory, machine learning, and systems design. Through dedicated academic mentorship, PhD students and graduate researchers in his group develop deep expertise that prepares them for impactful careers as innovators in both industry—such as in leading tech companies focusing on IoT and autonomous systems—and in academia, continuing the advancement of reliable cyber-physical computing.
Research Areas
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