The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has presented Sloan Research Fellowships to two computer engineers affiliated with the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering: Thatchaphol Saranurak and Andrew Owens.
They are part of a select group of 126 early-career researchers chosen from institutions across the United States and Canada, recognized for their creativity, innovation, and research achievements that set them apart as the forthcoming leaders in their fields. Sloan Research Fellowships represent one of the most competitive and esteemed honors accessible to early-career academics and are regarded as a testament to an institution’s ability to attract the most promising emerging researchers.
Recipients of the Sloan fellowship gain a two-year, $75,000 grant to propel their research forward. Applicants must possess a doctorate or an equivalent qualification in disciplines such as chemistry, computer science, earth system science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, or related areas.
Saranurak, the Morris Wellman Faculty Development Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, creates algorithms that compute graph networks of dynamic systems, including social networks, transportation networks, and the internet, more efficiently.
Standard algorithms typically require recalculating an entire network to account for new data; however, Saranurak’s novel algorithms enable networks to adjust to new information without the need to begin from scratch. His techniques could enhance any networkable system. For instance, they could aid emergency personnel in quickly identifying the fastest route through a city affected by a natural catastrophe.
“I feel genuinely privileged to be awarded the Sloan Research Fellowship,” Saranurak stated. “This acknowledgment is both thrilling and inspiring, and I eagerly anticipate further advancements in algorithm development moving forward. I am thankful for the incredible support I have garnered from my mentors, students, and peers.”
Owens‘ research centers on the development of machine perception systems that are capable of learning from unlabeled multisensory data. His studies emphasize the integration of synchronized audio and video, at times incorporating tactile inputs.
These foundations have various applications, including predicting audio from silent video content, employing speech techniques with puppets and animations, reconstructing the spatial dynamics between objects and the camera through audio input, object tracking, and enhancing robotic grasping by merging visual and tactile signals. Furthermore, Owens has pioneered techniques to identify counterfeit and altered images.
“I am immensely thankful to receive this honor, which will bolster my research group’s initiatives to develop computer vision systems that require diminished human supervision,” Owens remarked.
Since the inaugural fellowships were given in 1955, U-M faculty have claimed 183 Sloan Research Fellowships.