Best Paper 'Sheng Yu' Award at the 29th International Conference on Implementation and Application of Automata, 2025
Taste of Time Award, 33rd Symposium on Advanced Database Systems
ICDT 2025 Test-of-Time Award
2025 IEEE CS Computer Pioneer Award in Honor of the Women of ENIAC
ATVA'23 Best-Paper Award
Quantum-Graph Best-Paper Award
Skolem Award
Background
University Professor and Karen Ostrum George Distinguished Service Professor in Computational Engineering at Rice University
Professor of Computer Science, member of the Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology
Fellow for Science and Technology Policy at the Baker Institute for Public Policy
Leads the Initiative on Technology, Culture, and Society at Rice University
Research interests focus on automated reasoning (a branch of AI) with applications in machine learning, database theory, computational complexity, multi-agent systems, computer-aided verification, and teaching logic across the curriculum
Miscellany
Active in public discourse on antisemitism, AI ethics, and global tech governance
Frequently featured in media on topics like TikTok, U.S. AI strategy, and Holocaust remembrance
Maintains public profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Mastodon
Personal mottos include: 'Truth, Justice, and the Jewish Way!', 'Theorems are forever!', 'The proof, the whole proof, and nothing but the proof!', and 'Sapere aude!'
Known for 'The Vardi Amendment' and 'Vardi's Principle of Emotional Intelligence'