About

“Γνωθι Σαυτον (Know thyself)”
Ancient Greek aphorism

Biography

I am Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor with the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina State University. I served as Director of Graduate Programs for the department from January 2014 to June 2024. I received an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, and MS and PhD degrees in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. During the 2000-2001 academic year, I spent a sabbatical term at Vitesse Semiconductor, Morrisville, NC. I have been an invited Professor at King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, Paris VI University, France, and University of Evry, France, on several occasions.

My research interests are in the broad field of computer networking — specifically, optical networks, Internet architectures and protocols, network design and optimization, performance modeling, and scheduling. My research has received funding from federal and defense agencies as well as industry. As of 2020, 25 PhD students and 12 Masters thesis students have graduated under my supervision. I am author of the monograph “Internet Tiered Services: Theory, Economics and Quality of Service” (Springer, 2009), co-editor of the book “Next-Generation Internet: Architectures and Protocols” (Cambridge University Press, 2011), and co-editor of the book “Traffic Grooming for Optical Networks: Foundations, Techniques and Frontiers” (Springer, 2008).

I have served the research community in multiple roles. I currently serve as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Networking Letters and as a Steering Committee Member of the OFC conference. I co-founded and served as co-Editor-in Chief of the Elsevier journal Optical Switching and Networking from 2004-2017. In 2016-17 I served as Chair of the IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Lecturer Selection Committee, as Chair of the Optical Networking Technical Committee (ONTC), and as Vice-Chair of the IEEE Communications Society Technical and Educational Activities Council. As an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer in 2010-2011, I completed four tours in the US, Caribbean, and Sri Lanka. I was the TPC or General chair for: NETWORKS 2018, IEEE MASS 2018, IEEE ICC ONS 2017, IEEE ICNP 2014, ICCCN 2013 and 2011, IEEE GLOBECOM ONS 2010, BROADNETS 2007, IEEE LANMAN 2005 and 2004, and IFIP NETWORKING 2004.

My awards include an IEEE ONTC Outstanding Service Award (2019), an IEEE GLOBECOM Outstanding Service Award (2010), an IBM Faculty Partnership Award (2007), an ALCOA Foundation Engineering Research Achievement Award (2004, NC State College of Engineering), an Alumni Outstanding Research Award (2003, NC State), an NSF CAREER Award (1997), an Outstanding New Teacher Award (1995, NC State Department of Computer Science). I was inducted in the NC State University Academy of Outstanding Teachers in 2004.

I was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 2012 for “contributions in algorithms, protocols, and architectures of optical networks.” I was presented with the 2023-24 Department of Computer Science Person of Exceptional Performance (PEP) Award for “contributing significantly to the department’s success as role model for what it means to ‘think and do the extraordinary’.”

Education

1994 PhD, Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

1991 MS, Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

1989 BS, Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (Εθνικο Μετσοβειο Πολυτεχνειο), Athens, Greece

Awards

2023-24 CSC Person of Exceptional Performance (PEP) Award
2019 IEEE ONTC Outstanding Service Award
2018 Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor
2015 Joyce Hatch Service Award, NC State Chapter of ACM/AITP
2014 Most Receptive Graduate Professor Outside the Classroom Award, NC State Chapter of ACM/AITP
2012 IEEE Fellow
2012 Carol Miller Graduate Lecturer Award, NC State Chapter of ACM/AITP
2010/11 IEEE Distinguished Lecturer
2010 Outstanding Service Award, IEEE Globecom
2007 IBM Faculty Award
2007 Best Paper Award, EVGM Workshop
2006 Best Paper Award, CSNDSP Symposium
2004 ALCOA Foundation Engineering Research Achievement Award, College of Engineering, NC State
2004 Academy of Outstanding Teachers, NC State
2003 Alumni Outstanding Research Award, NC State
1998 Best Paper Award, SPIE Conference on All-Optical Networking
1997 CAREER Award, National Science Foundation
1995 Outstanding New Teacher Award, Department of Computer Science, NC State
1994 Graduate Research Award, College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Techology