Michael E. Papka
Collegiate Warren S. McCulloch Professor of Computer Science
Department of Computer Science
Deputy Associate Laboratory Director, Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences, Argonne National Laboratory
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Contact
Building & Room:
ERF 2028E
Address:
842 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60607
Email:
CV Link:
Related Sites:
Argonne National Laboratory
Building & Room:
Building 240 Room 4134
Address:
9700 South Cass Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439
About
I am a professor of computer science and a member of the Electronic Visualization Laboratory, the SPEAR Lab and Honors College at the University of Illinois Chicago.
I hold a joint appointment with Argonne National Laboratory, where I am the deputy associate laboratory director for Computing, Environment and Life Sciences, the director of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, and a senior research scientist. In 2024, I became the founding co-director of the George Crabtree Institute for Discovery and Sustainability.
Before UIC, I was the Presidential Research, Scholarship, and Artistry Professor of Computer Science at Northern Illinois University (NIU) where I founded the data, devices, and interaction Laboratory (ddiLab), a joint research lab between NIU’s School of Art and the Department of Computer Science.
I have an M.S. and Ph.D. from The University of Chicago, an M.S. from the University of Illinois Chicago, and a B.S. from Northern Illinois University.
My teaching and research interests include high-performance computing, large-scale data analysis, and visualization. Extending from the analysis of output from traditional supercomputers to the data produced by large-scale scientific instruments and sensor networks to the integration of edge and high-performance computing (HPC) across the computing continuum. I’m interested in harnessing operational data to optimize HPC facilities and broadening the use of supercomputers beyond conventional batch computing. This includes a strong interest in enhancing the accessibility of HPC to foster real-time interactions and enable autonomous data generation. I seek to translate complex data into visually compelling results while dedicating my efforts to mentoring the next generation of scientists. These contributions form part of a larger, collective initiative that resonates with my commitment to deepening our understanding of the world by integrating computing with all things.
Education
Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Chicago (2009)
M.S., Computer Science, University of Chicago (2002)
M.S., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago (1994)
B.S., Physics, Northern Illinois University (1990)
Professional Memberships
ACM Distinguished Member
IEEE Senior Member
AAAS Member