Illinois
ILLINOIS
Computer Science
Computer Science
College of Engineering

Welcome to the Illinois Computer Science Department homepage!

  • About Us
    • History Timeline
    • Rising Stars in EECS
    • Statistics
    • Accreditation
    • Faculty Positions
    • Staff Positions
    • Directions
    • Awards
      • Faculty Awards
        • Chairs and Professorships
          • Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Professorship in Computer Science
          • Abel Bliss Professorship in Engineering
          • Richard T. Cheng Professorship in Computer Science
          • Fulton Watson Copp Chair in Computer Science
          • Michael Faiman Professorship in Computer Science
          • Ralph M. and Catherine V. Fisher Professorship
          • Founder Professor of Engineering
          • Donald B. Gillies Chair in Computer Science
          • Donald B. Gillies Professorship in Computer Science
          • Saburo Muroga Professorship in Computer Science
          • Paul and Cynthia Saylor Professorship in Computer Science
          • Thomas M. Siebel Chair in Computer Science
          • Donald Biggar Willett Professorship in Engineering
        • National & International Awards
        • University of Illinois Awards
          • 2017 C.W. Gear Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
      • Undergraduate Scholarships & Awards
      • Graduate Fellowships & Awards
      • Alumni Awards
        • Alumni Awards Past Recipients
        • National & International Awards
        • University of Illinois Awards
      • Staff Awards
  • Admissions
    • Undergraduate
      • Apply Now
      • Degree & Program Options
      • Application Deadlines
      • Applications Process & Requirements
      • Transfer Students
      • Housing
      • Accreditation
    • Graduate
      • Apply Now
      • Degree & Program Options
      • Application Deadlines
      • Applications Process & Requirements
        • Additional Required Application Materials for International Students
      • Application Checklist
      • FAQs
        • Online MCS FAQs
      • Check Application Status
    • Why Illinois Computer Science
    • Explore Courses
    • Student Life
    • Rankings & Statistics
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Financial Aid
      • Overview
      • Information for Applicants
      • Opportunities for Continuing Students
      • Graduate Fellowships & Assistantships
    • Tuition & Fees
    • Awards
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate
      • Degree & Program Options
        • B.S. in Computer Science (Engineering)
        • B.S. in Mathematics & Computer Science
        • B.S. in Statistics & Computer Science
        • CS + X Degree Programs
          • CS + X Degree Requirements & Planning Forms
          • Computer Science + Advertising
          • Computer Science + Anthropology
          • Computer Science + Astronomy
          • Computer Science + Chemistry
          • Computer Science + Crop Sciences
          • Computer Science + Economics
          • Computer Science + Geography & Geographic Information Science
          • Computer Science + Linguistics
          • Computer Science + Music
        • Minor in Computer Science
        • Software Engineering Certificate
        • CS Undergraduate Degree Options FAQ
      • Registration
        • CS Course Restrictions & Enrollment Caps
      • Undergraduate Advising
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Undergraduate Forms
      • Honors
    • Graduate
      • PhD Program
        • PhD Requirements
        • PhD Time Limits & Milestones
        • PhD Program of Study Process
        • Guidelines for Forming Ph.D. Committee
        • Qualifying Exam
        • Preliminary Exam
        • Final Exam (Thesis Defense)
        • Ph.D. Thesis Format Review Guidelines
      • MS Program
      • MS in Bioinformatics Program
      • Professional Master of Computer Science
        • On-Campus MCS
        • Online MCS
        • Online MCS in Data Science
      • Fifth Year Master's Programs
        • 5-year BS-MS Program
        • 5-year BS-MCS Program
        • Fifth Year Master's Degree Conferral & Commencement Policies
      • Non-degree Options
      • Graduate Forms & Advising Resources
        • Official Forms
        • Graduate Student Annual Evaluation Process
        • New Graduate Student Resources
          • PhD General Advising for Registration
          • MS General Advising for Registration
          • MCS General Advising for Registration
        • EPI Exam Requirements
        • CPT Training Process
        • OPT Training Process
        • Graduate Advising Contacts
      • CS Graduate Student Handbook
    • My.CS
    • Explore Courses
    • Student Life
    • Financial Aid
    • Conduct Research
    • Honor Code
    • Calendar
  • Research
    • Architecture, Compilers, and Parallel Computing
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
    • Computers and Education
    • Database and Information Systems
    • Graphics, Visualization, and HCI
    • Programming Languages, Formal Methods, and Software Engineering
    • Scientific Computing
    • Systems and Networking
    • Theory and Algorithms
    • Corporate Collaborations
  • Student Life
    • Overview of CS Student Life
    • Student Organizations
      • Computer Science Student Groups
      • Engineering Student Groups
      • Campus Student Groups
    • Department, College, and Campus Events
    • Student Resources
    • Career Services
  • Engage
    • Alumni
      • Alumni Awards
      • Stay Connected
      • Give
      • click! Magazine
      • E-News
      • Continuing Education
    • Corporate
      • Recruiting
      • Corporate Connection
      • For Startups
      • Meet Student Groups
      • Senior Design
      • Research Collaboration
    • K-12 Outreach
      • Chic Tech Visits
      • ChicTech Retreat
      • Gems Camp
      • Girls Who Code
      • Hour of Code
      • Illinois Computer Science Sail
      • NCWIT Aspirations
      • Parent and Teacher Resources
    • Get Involved
  • People
    • Faculty
      • Department Faculty
      • Adjunct Faculty
      • Affiliate Faculty
      • Emeritus Faculty
      • Faculty by Area
      • All Faculty
    • Staff
      • Office of the Department Head
      • Advancement Office
      • Undergraduate Advising Office
      • Graduate Advising Office
      • Business Office
      • Faculty Support Contacts
      • Facilities, Shipping and Receiving
  • News
    • Department News
    • Media Coverage
    • E-News
      • E-News Archive
    • Impact Report & Publications
    • Featured Lectures
      • Donald B. Gillies Memorial Lecture
      • Mueller-Thuns Lecture Series
  • Corporate
    • Recruit at the Campus-Level
    • Recruit in the College of Engineering
    • Recruit in CS and ECE
    • Corporate Connection
    • Startup Corporate Connection
    • Ad Hoc Events
    • Work with CS Student Groups
    • Research Collaborations
    • Contact Us
    • Senior Design
  • Contact Us
    • Directions to Siebel Center
  • Give
    • Give Now
    • Ways to Give
    • Donor Profiles
    • CS Visionary Scholarship Donors
  • Alumni
    • Join the Conversation
    • Stay Informed
    • Be Recognized
    • Stay Connected
    • Continuing Education and Professional Development
    • Contact the Advancement Team
  • MY.CS
  • Calendar
  • About Us
    • Rising Stars in EECS
    • History Timeline
    • Statistics
    • Accreditation
    • Faculty Positions
    • Staff Positions
    • Directions
    • Awards
      • Faculty Awards
        • National & International Awards
        • Chairs and Professorships
        • University of Illinois Awards
      • Undergraduate Scholarships & Awards
      • Graduate Fellowships & Awards
      • Alumni Awards
        • National & International Awards
        • Alumni Awards Past Recipients
        • University of Illinois Awards
      • Staff Awards
  • Admissions
    • Undergraduate
      • Apply Now
      • Degree & Program Options
      • Application Deadlines
      • Applications Process & Requirements
      • Transfer Students
      • Housing
      • Accreditation
    • Graduate
      • Apply Now
      • Degree & Program Options
      • Application Deadlines
      • Applications Process & Requirements
        • Additional Required Application Materials for International Students
      • Application Checklist
      • FAQs
      • Check Application Status
    • Why Illinois Computer Science
    • Explore Courses
    • Student Life
    • Rankings & Statistics
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Financial Aid
    • Tuition & Fees
    • Awards
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate
      • Degree & Program Options
        • B.S. in Computer Science (Engineering)
        • B.S. in Mathematics & Computer Science
        • B.S. in Statistics & Computer Science
        • CS + X Degree Programs
          • Computer Science + Advertising
          • CS + X Degree Requirements & Planning Forms
          • Computer Science + Anthropology
          • Computer Science + Astronomy
          • Computer Science + Chemistry
          • Computer Science + Crop Sciences
          • Computer Science + Economics
          • Computer Science + Geography & Geographic Information Science
          • Computer Science + Linguistics
          • Computer Science + Music
        • Minor in Computer Science
        • Software Engineering Certificate
        • CS Undergraduate Degree Options FAQ
      • Registration
        • CS Course Restrictions & Enrollment Caps
      • Undergraduate Advising
      • Policies and Procedures
      • Undergraduate Forms
      • Honors
    • Graduate
      • PhD Program
        • PhD Requirements
        • PhD Time Limits & Milestones
        • PhD Program of Study Process
        • Guidelines for Forming Ph.D. Committee
        • Qualifying Exam
        • Preliminary Exam
        • Final Exam (Thesis Defense)
        • Ph.D. Thesis Format Review Guidelines
      • MS Program
      • MS in Bioinformatics Program
      • Professional Master of Computer Science
        • On-Campus MCS
        • Online MCS
        • Online MCS in Data Science
      • Fifth Year Master's Programs
        • 5-year BS-MS Program
        • 5-year BS-MCS Program
        • Fifth Year Master's Degree Conferral & Commencement Policies
      • Non-degree Options
      • Graduate Forms & Advising Resources
      • CS Graduate Student Handbook
    • My.CS
    • Explore Courses
    • Student Life
    • Financial Aid
    • Conduct Research
    • Honor Code
    • Calendar
  • Research
    • Architecture, Compilers, and Parallel Computing
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
    • Computers and Education
    • Database and Information Systems
    • Graphics, Visualization, and HCI
    • Programming Languages, Formal Methods, and Software Engineering
    • Scientific Computing
    • Systems and Networking
    • Theory and Algorithms
    • Corporate Collaborations
  • Student Life
    • Overview of CS Student Life
    • Student Organizations
      • Computer Science Student Groups
      • Engineering Student Groups
      • Campus Student Groups
    • Department, College, and Campus Events
    • Student Resources
    • Career Services
  • Engage
    • Alumni
      • Alumni Awards
      • Stay Connected
      • Give
      • click! Magazine
      • E-News
      • Continuing Education
    • Corporate
      • Recruiting
      • Corporate Connection
      • For Startups
      • Meet Student Groups
      • Senior Design
      • Research Collaboration
    • K-12 Outreach
      • Chic Tech Visits
      • ChicTech Retreat
      • Gems Camp
      • Girls Who Code
      • Hour of Code
      • Illinois Computer Science Sail
      • NCWIT Aspirations
      • Parent and Teacher Resources
    • Get Involved
    GET INVOLVED
  • People
    • Faculty
      • Department Faculty
      • Adjunct Faculty
      • Affiliate Faculty
      • Emeritus Faculty
      • Faculty by Area
      • All Faculty
    • Staff
      • Office of the Department Head
      • Advancement Office
      • Undergraduate Advising Office
      • Graduate Advising Office
      • Business Office
      • Faculty Support Contacts
      • Facilities, Shipping and Receiving
  • News
    • Department News
    • Media Coverage
    • E-News
    • Impact Report & Publications
    • Featured Lectures
      • Donald B. Gillies Memorial Lecture
      • Mueller-Thuns Lecture Series
  • Corporate
    • Recruit at the Campus-Level
    • Recruit in the College of Engineering
    • Recruit in CS and ECE
    • Corporate Connection
    • Startup Corporate Connection
    • Ad Hoc Events
    • Work with CS Student Groups
    • Research Collaborations
    • Contact Us
    • Senior Design
  • Contact Us
    • Directions to Siebel Center
  • Give
    • Give Now
    • Ways to Give
    • Donor Profiles
    • CS Visionary Scholarship Donors
  • Alumni
    • Join the Conversation
    • Stay Informed
    • Be Recognized
    • Stay Connected
    • Continuing Education and Professional Development
    • Contact the Advancement Team
  • MY.CS
  • Calendar

You are here

Home » News
Rutenbar Named Senior Vice Chancellor for Research at University of Pittsburgh

Rutenbar Named Senior Vice Chancellor for Research at University of Pittsburgh

Apr 10, 2017 Colin Robertson, CS @ ILLINOIS

After serving as Head of the Department of Computer Science for nearly eight years, Rob A. Rutenbar will leave Illinois after the close of the semester. Rutenbar has been named by the University of Pittsburgh as its senior vice-chancellor for research, a newly created position responsible for leading that university’s long-term strategy for research and innovation. An interim department head for CS @ ILLINOIS will be announced in the near future.

CS Department Head Rob A. RutenbarAt Illinois, Rutenbar, who is also an Abel Bliss Professor of Engineering, has led a CS program that is ranked fifth in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and is home to 85 faculty researching and teaching on a vast range of topics. The department is also seeing rapidly rising demand, with more than 5,000 undergraduate applications submitted for fall 2017 admissions. Current enrollments exceed 2,400 students—including a fall 2016 freshman class in Engineering that is 46% female, a record high.

“Rob is an incisive and determined colleague who is willing to question and change the status quo,” said Andreas Cangellaris, Dean of the College of Engineering.  “He will be missed. I am certain that he will be a great asset to Pitt, as he has been here at Illinois.”

Rutenbar’s tenure as CS @ ILLINOIS department head has coincided with a time of tremendous growth for the discipline as well as new opportunities in higher education. By leading much of the University’s early engagement with Coursera, he helped make Illinois a leader in the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) movement; over 2.5 million registered learners have chosen Illinois MOOCs (nearly 1 million of those in CS).  Illinois now offers three degrees on the Coursera platform, including the Master of Computer Science in Data Science, which was launched last spring.

Building on CS’s long partnership with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in offering undergraduate degrees in Mathematics & CS and Statistics & CS, Rutenbar spearheaded the creation of the CS + X family of collaborative bachelor’s degree programs. CS + X allows students to pursue a program of study combining a strong grounding in CS with technical or professional training in the arts and sciences.

Initially launched with four degrees (CS + Anthropology, CS + Astronomy, CS + Chemistry, and CS + Linguistics), eleven additional CS + X programs are currently under discussion. These include CS + Crop Sciences, in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, as well as CS + Music, in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, which were both approved by the Faculty Senate earlier this year. Each is awaiting review by the University’s Board of Trustees and the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Several of Rutenbar’s other initiatives included establishing the CS @ ILLINOIS Alumni Awards, launching CLICK! Magazine, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Department and 10th anniversary of the Thomas M. Siebel Center for Computer Science, relaunching Gems Computer Science Camp for Girls, providing better career paths for specialized research and teaching faculty, and boosting the number of tenure-track faculty from 53 to 70—including doubling the number of tenure-track women.

One of the newer faces is Founder Professor of Engineering Tandy Warnow, who is Chair of CS’s Internal Advisory Committee. “Rob is a tremendous leader, constantly driving innovation in the department. His infectious energy and enthusiasm, along with the vibrant and open atmosphere that he has helped to foster within the department, are some of the big reasons why I joined Illinois,” said Warnow. “We’re sorry to see Rob go, but happy that he has such a tremendous opportunity at Pitt.”

Previously, Rutenbar was a faculty member within Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for 25 years.  In 2002, Rutenbar was named Carnegie Mellon’s Stephen J. Jatras Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering, an endowed professorship position he held until leaving that university in 2010.

As an entrepreneur, Rutenbar founded the tech firms Neolinear Inc. and Voci Technologies, Inc. in 1998 and 2006, respectively. He was the founding director for the Center for Circuit and System Solutions, a multi-university consortium that focused on next-generation chip design challenges. The recipient of 14 U.S. patent grants, his endeavors have been funded by such notable entities as AT&T, Google, IBM, the National Science Foundation and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance. Rutenbar is the author of eight books and 175 published research articles.

In recognition of his career accomplishments, Rutenbar was elected a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery. He has twice won the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ coveted Donald O. Pedersen Best Paper Award. He was recognized with distinguished alumnus awards from both the University of Michigan and Wayne State University.

Rutenbar earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Wayne State University in 1978. He earned master’s and doctorate degrees in computer, information and control engineering at the University of Michigan in 1979 and 1984, respectively.

  • ← Older
  • Newer →
  • About Us
  • Admissions
  • Academics
  • Research
  • Student Life
  • Engage
  • People
  • News
    • Department News
    • Media Coverage
    • E-News
    • Impact Report & Publications
    • Featured Lectures
  • Corporate
  • Contact Us
  • Give
  • Alumni
  • MY.CS
  • Calendar

Related Faculty

Department of Computer Science
Thomas M. Siebel Center for Computer Science
201 North Goodwin Avenue MC 258
Urbana, IL 61801-2302
ph: 217-333-3426 (general) | 217-333-4428 (advising) 
fax: 217-333-3501
General email: admin@cs.illinois.edu
Graduate Advising: academic@cs.illinois.edu
Undergraduate Advising: undergrad@cs.illinois.edu
Webmaster: engrit-web@illinois.edu
 
Engineering at Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Copyright 2018 The Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois
Privacy policy | Engineering Cookie Policy
CS is centrally located and close to regional travel options
  • About
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Corporate
  • Alumni
  • Store
  • Give
  • Contact
  • My.CS
Follow Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Twiitter
Follow Us on Youtube
Follow Us on LinkedIn
Follow Us on Instragram
CookieSettings
Scroll to Top