10/06/2017
10:30 am - 11:30 am
OCCC W320 Chapin Theater

Objective: Inspiration
Audience Level: All
Session Type: Presentation

Hitting the Nail on the Head: Interdisciplinary Research in Computer Networking

This is an exciting time in computer networking. The Internet is one of the most influential inventions of all time--a research experiment that, within our own lifetimes, escaped from the lab to become a global communications infrastructure. We see seemingly non-stop innovation in compelling services delivered over the Internet, end-host devices connected to the Internet, and communication media underlying the Internet, constantly giving our networks new challenges to address. In turn, computer networks arise in increasingly diverse settings, including data-center networks, cellular networks, vehicular networks, ad hoc networks, overlay networks, and more. Designing and operating computer networks that offer good performance, reliability, security, and more lead to a wealth of fascinating and important research problems---"nails" in search of a good hammer. Yet, to *solve* these big, hairy problems we often need to look beyond the field of computer networking to other established disciplines---sources of good "hammers". In this talk, I share my experiences conducting interdisciplinary research in computer networking, through example collaborative projects with great colleagues and a few hard-won lessons along the way.

Speaker

Dr. Jennifer Rexford, Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering and Chair of Computer Science, Princeton University