- Nvidia co-founder and UF graduate Chris Malachowsky created an endowed professorship for the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.
- The professorships were awarded to Ivan Ruchkin, Ph.D., Yingying Wu, Ph.D., and Alina Zare, Ph.D.
- The professorships will provide support for advancing impactful research and student mentoring.
The Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering awarded three faculty members with endowed professorships this month thanks to Nvidia co-founder and University of Florida engineering graduate Chris Malachowsky.
Professor Alina Zare, Ph.D., director of UF’s Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Research Institute, was named the inaugural Malachowsky Family Endowed Professor. The role will enhance her research and mentorships.
“I can’t wait to continue to explore new avenues in AI research across different disciplines. I am also excited about the opportunity to mentor and engage more students in research in applied and foundational AI,” Zare said.
ECE Assistant Professors Yingying Wu, Ph.D., and Ivan Ruchkin, Ph.D., were named Malachowsky Family Rising Star Endowed Professors. As Rising Stars, they, too, will expand their research.
“These professorships represent a strong commitment to excellence in research, education and service within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida,” Wu said. “They provide vital support for advancing impactful research, mentoring students at all levels and strengthening the college’s role in addressing emerging technological challenges.”
Ruchkin agreed, noting the professorships will have real-world impacts for the department and its students.
“This generous support will further the ECE department’s mission to spearhead research into reliable, effective and efficient AI,” he said. “Keeping in mind the responsibility and expectations that accompany this distinction, I look forward to translating this support into rigorous, impactful scholarship.”