Gruia  Calinescu

These days, it's all about the algorithm--the essential blueprint that tells computers what to do. For Professor Gruia Calinescu, the algorithm is his life work. His research expertise focuses on design and analysis algorithms, especially the design of approximation algorithms for graph and network optimization problems. In 2005, he received a coveted National Science Foundation grant for his research in network algorithms. Widely respected as an excellent instructor, Calinescu shares his work with the almighty algorithm with his students. Last year he initiated participation and led an undergraduate student team to the world final of the Association of Computing Machines (ACM) Programming Contest, earning his department's teaching award along the way.