Informatics' Alessandro Vespignani named Rudy Professor
At its meeting on Dec. 12, the Indiana University Board of Trustees honored School of Informatics' professor Alessandro Vespignani, conferring upon him the title of Rudy Professor.
A preeminent scholar with an international reputation, Vespignani joined the School of Informatics in 2004. He teaches and conducts research in the school's complex systems program. His recent research focuses on the study of epidemics, and includes a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop EpiC, a computational infrastructure supporting the study of biological and social contagion.
Alessandro Vespignani
Vespignani is among a group of outstanding faculty members who now bear the title of Rudy Professor. This distinguished rank professorship is named for James H. Rudy, a 1932 IU graduate who donated the bulk of his estate to Indiana University. The Board of Trustees used the estate to establish funding for the Rudy Professors, to recognize outstanding faculty. The first award of a Rudy Professorship was made in 1959 to Edwin Cady of the English department.
Vespignani obtained his doctorate degree in physics at the University of Rome La Sapienza. After holding research positions at Yale University and Leiden University, he joined the condensed matter research group at the International Center for Theoretical Physics (UNESCO) in Trieste, where he ran research and teaching activities for more than five years. Just prior to coming to IU, he worked at the French National Council for Scientific Research, carrying on his academic activities at the Laboratoire de Physique Theorique of the University of Paris-Sud.
"Professor Vespignani is an outstanding researcher and a wonderful teacher and mentor. He's a leading light in his field and an invaluable asset to both the School of Informatics and the whole IU community," said IU Bloomington Provost Karen Hanson. "He is a most appropriate recipient of this honor. We are very proud to have Professor Vespignani on our faculty."
Bobby Schnabel, dean of the School of Informatics, said complex systems and networks group led by Vespignani is one of the leading research groups in its field.
"The school is delighted by this highly deserved recognition of Professor Vespignani and the recognition it brings to this important scientific area," Schnabel said.
About the School of Informatics
Founded in 2000 as the first school of its kind in the United States, the Indiana University School of Informatics is dedicated to research and teaching across a broad range of computing and information technology, with emphases on science, applications and societal implications. The school includes the departments of Computer Science and Informatics on the Bloomington campus and Informatics on the IUPUI campus. The school administers a variety of bachelor and master's degree programs in computer science and informatics, as well as doctorate degree programs in computer science and the first-ever doctorate in informatics. The school is dedicated to excellence in education and research, to partnerships that bolster economic development and entrepreneurship, and to increasing opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities in computing and technology. For more information, visit www.informatics.indiana.edu.
