President Carol Folt launched the School of Advanced Computing on Feb. 1 as part of her Frontiers of Computing initiative. The school will focus on advanced computing technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing, teaching students to be technologically fluent and ethical when using such technologies.

Professor Gaurav Sukhatme will take on the role of inaugural director of the school. In an interview with the Daily Trojan, Sukhatme said that he is driven with optimism and hope for the new school because of an initiative to attract diverse students. 

“Our real thrust is computing for all,” said Sukhatme, a professor of computer science and electrical and computer engineering. “We want to draw students from all kinds of backgrounds into computing and into AI and robotics, which obviously, for me, is going to be very exciting.”

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Sukhatme has led numerous careers in the fields of technology and computing. Not only is he a professor at USC, but he has served as the executive vice dean of the Viterbi School of Engineering since 2017. Moreover, his passion for technology and computing can be traced back to earlier experiences. 

He has published a diverse range of papers pertaining to robot networks, artificial intelligence and motion planning, highlighting his interests in forming algorithms and tools to help understand the growth of technology and its effect on the environment. Additionally, his work has around 39,269 citations in total.  

Sukhatme received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in 1991, and he earned his master’s degree and doctorate in computer science from USC. 

After school, Sukhatme founded the USC Robotic Embedded Systems Laboratory in 2000 and continued to build his career in the field. He even served as a mentor to doctoral, master’s and undergraduate students at USC, revealing his attitude as an individual and leader. 

Folt said Sukhatme is internationally respected among his peers and students due to his determination in the field. Rather than being satisfied with what he already has, she said he is committed to performing great research as well as inventing more products, emphasizing his optimism and vision for success. 

“He is honestly one of our most esteemed faculty members, and he is a pioneer in robotics, just to begin, he’s been working on things that people are just starting to work on,” Folt said during a student media briefing Thursday. “What he represents for us is inside talent that is connected to everybody. Everybody respects him. He’s a person with a huge vision, completely dedicated to it.”

Sukhatme said computing mediates people’s lives and has spread across all areas of human endeavor. SAC will aim to address the growth of computing to create a program that is accessible to all. 

“One of the things we thought about when we decided to create the school is to build out within the school a set of programs that really make it clear that there are educational and creative opportunities for all students,” Sukhatme said. “This is going to be one of the central tenets of the school. You can almost think of it as computing for all.”

Sukhatme said he wants to make SAC a place where students of all disciplines can study computing, a means to learn about the topic itself and their own core disciplines together. Moreover, Sukhatme said he is excited to draw students from all kinds of backgrounds into computing and technology, putting emphasis on creativity and promoting his belief that computing is for everyone. 

Jerry Zhang, a freshman majoring in computer science and business administration, said he is excited about SAC’s opening and the change it will bring to students involved in technology and computing. He said he is interested in being a part of SAC and hopes Sukhatme will lead the school to success. 

“I’m really hoping that this new director is someone who understands the direction that computing is heading in, and what is the best path for students to be able to learn and understand the new technology,” Zhang said. “I’m looking at a leader who understands the technical aspect, but is also great at creating programs and opportunities for students.” 

Sukhatme said he understands both the benefits and dangers of technology, which led him to create a program that will teach students to use technology and computing professionally and ethically. 

“We want to be able to encourage students to not just learn how to use technology and deploy it and make advances in it, but really to learn what its limits are, what needs to be done to make it safer,” Sukhatme said. “We think that part of a broad education in computing is to understand what it can do, but to also understand how to embed it in society in a way that is fair, in a way that is safe, in a way that helps people.”