the legacy Endowed professorship lures computer science pioneer Mohammad Hajiaghayi to expand his work while honoring its namesake What would happen if every smartphone user in New York City tried to simultaneously view this year’s Super Bowl halftime show? Absolutely nothing, says Mohammad Hajiaghayi, who addressed the problem of congested wireless networks as a senior research scientist at AT&T Labs. The solution, Hajiaghayi says, lies in identifying the intent of individual users; which are texting, sending photos, talking—or watching a live broadcast—and then directing their data to specific cell towers with enough capacity to meet their needs. He helped pioneer this concept, known as incentive-aware algorithm design, and he was lured to Maryland in 2010 to continue the work as the Jack and Rita G. Minker Professor in computer science. “I’ve always been driven to work on real, large-scale data problems that require practical solutions,” Hajiaghayi says. The chair at Maryland offers Hajiaghayi a platform to expand this quest for practical knowledge, providing funding for new research and support for graduate assistants and postdocs. He also has access to the university’s technology commercialization network to keep developing his ideas; Hajiaghayi already holds several patents from his work at AT&T. “Mohammad brings a strong background in network optimization and an entrepreneurial mindset that he readily shares with students and colleagues. We’re very fortunate to have him,” says Amitabh Varshney, director of
home of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation’s Master’s in Real Estate Development program. Robert A. Facchina ’77, CEO of
photo by John T. Consoli
yogurt and beverage maker Johanna Foods, establishes a $1.2M endowment to help create the Center for Food Safety and Security Systems in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Chevy Chase Bank (now Capital One) announces $2M to create endowment for scholarships for business students. Robert E. Fischell M.S. ’53, with
help from his three sons, donates $31M to establish the Fischell Department of Bioengineering and the Robert E. Fischell Institute of Biomedical Devices.
winter 2013 terp 25