November 5, 2024
Nate Foster, professor of computer science, has been named the next associate dean for research for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, beginning Nov. 18. Foster succeeds Thorsten Joachims, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of computer science and information science, who first held this position in 2021.
“Nate’s deep understanding of the role, exceptional research achievements, and broad experience working with both corporate and government partners make him an excellent candidate for this position,” said Kavita Bala, dean of Cornell Bowers CIS. “I am confident the college will maintain its positive momentum under his leadership.”
In this role, Foster will coordinate new research initiatives as well as support various existing cross-college radical collaborations and centers. He will help elevate the college’s outstanding research to internal, federal, corporate and nonprofit audiences, help facilitate large scale research grants for the college, and partner with the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) and colleges and units across Cornell to support larger research initiatives
He will also continue to teach and conduct research in programming languages, networking, and security.
Foster served as interim in this role during the 2022-2023 academic year, while Joachims was on sabbatical.
“It's an honor to serve Bowers CIS in this role,” said Foster. “I look forward to growing our capacity for research in the college, and helping our amazing faculty, staff, and students achieve their goals.”
Foster joined the Cornell community in 2010 after receiving his Ph.D. in computer and information science from the University of Pennsylvania and completing his postdoctoral work at Princeton University. Working with his students and collaborators, he has received several awards, including the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, the Robin Milner Young Researcher Award, the SIGCOMM Rising Star Award, POPL's Distinguished Paper Award in 2020, and ICFP's Most Influential Paper Award in 2021, among others.
He is vice chair of DARPA's Information Science and Technology (ISAT) group, which studies emerging technology trends, and is chair of the P4 Language Consortium governing board.
“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Thorsten for his dedication and leadership in this role,” said Bala. “As the inaugural associate dean, Thorsten established the research office, creating a robust support system for research at the college, which continues to grow and thrive.”
Also under his leadership, the office established new research collaborations and corporate partnerships, and created staff support for proposal development and research management. Additionally, the office also created the Bowers Undergraduate Research Experience (BURE), an expansion of the popular summer research program Computer Science Undergraduate Research Program (CSURP).
Joachims is stepping away from this role to serve as interim dean of Cornell Bowers CIS beginning January 2025.