Following a national search, Georgia Tech’s own Vivek Sarkar has been named dean and John P. Imlay Jr. Chair of the College of Computing, effective June 1.
Sarkar brings experience and expertise to the role, having made significant contributions to computing in academia and industry throughout his distinguished career. Most recently, he has served as chair of the School of Computer Science and held the Stephen Fleming Chair for Telecommunications at Georgia Tech.
"We are thrilled to announce Vivek Sarkar as the new dean of the College of Computing," said Steven W. McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. "He is an outstanding leader in the School of Computer Science and will bring that leadership to the entire College. He provides the strongest support for our faculty, staff, and students. I am confident Vivek will bring the College to even greater heights and usher in the next era of computing at Tech.”
As a pioneer in his field, Sarkar's work has advanced academic understanding of high-performance computing systems and influenced the development of technologies that shape modern society. His research has led to breakthroughs in parallel computing, making complex computations more efficient and easier to program. In addition to his academic achievements, Sarkar has a passion for mentoring the next generation of computer scientists and engineers. He is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion within the field of computing, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to succeed.
"It will be an honor and a privilege to serve as the next dean of the College of Computing," said Sarkar. “We have a great community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and I look forward to all of us pulling together with the rest of the campus and our external partners to further advance our mission of addressing critical challenges related to computing and its impact on society.”
Before joining Georgia Tech, Sarkar served as the E.D. Butcher Chair in Engineering at Rice University, where he was also chair of the Department of Computer Science. Prior to that, he was at IBM Research as a senior manager and a member of the IBM Academy of Technology. Sarkar earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University and has received numerous awards and honors for his groundbreaking research. He is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He has served as a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Advisory Committee since 2009, on the Computing Research Association’s board of directors from 2015 to 2022, and as a member of the ACM Council since 2022.
Georgia Tech’s College of Computing is the largest computing program in the country, and one of the most highly ranked: No. 6 in undergraduate and No. 7 in graduate computing education, according to U.S. News & World Report. In the past five years, its enrollment has doubled, and its research budget has risen 83% to $44 million. The College has also added two new schools in the past five years, both the first of their kind: the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy and the School of Computing Instruction.
As dean, Sarkar will oversee the College of Computing’s extensive portfolio of schools, degree programs, research initiatives, and strategic partnerships, further solidifying Georgia Tech as a global leader in computing education and research.
