Dr. Dabbala Rajagopal “Raj” Reddy, born on June 13, 1937, in Katur, Andhra Pradesh, India, is a pioneering computer scientist renowned for his significant contributions to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.
Dr. Reddy earned his Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy (now part of Anna University, Chennai) in 1958. He later obtained a Master’s degree from the University of New South Wales, Australia, in 1960. He achieved his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University in 1966, under the mentorship of AI pioneer John McCarthy.
Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Reddy served as an Assistant Professor at Stanford University from 1966 to 1969. He then joined Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he has been a prominent figure for over five decades. At CMU, he held positions such as the founding director of the Robotics Institute and served as the Dean of the School of Computer Science.
Dr. Reddy is acclaimed for his pioneering work in AI, particularly in developing large-scale systems that demonstrate the practical applications of artificial intelligence technology. His research has significantly advanced the fields of speech recognition and human-computer interaction.
In 1994, Dr. Reddy became the first person of Asian origin to receive the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Turing Award, often regarded as the “Nobel Prize of computer science,” for his foundational contributions to AI.
His accolades also include the Legion of Honor (1984), the Padma Bhushan (2001), the Okawa Prize (2004), the Honda Prize (2005), and the Vannevar Bush Award (2006).
Dr. Reddy’s visionary work has not only shaped the trajectory of artificial intelligence research but has also inspired a generation of computer scientists and engineers. His dedication to education and innovation continues to influence the global technological landscape.
