Ashwin Machanavajjhala
About Ashwin Machanavajjhala
Ashwin Machanavajjhala is the Chief Scientist and President at Tumult Labs, with a strong academic and research background in computer science. He has received multiple awards for his contributions to privacy enhancing technologies and has held various positions at prestigious institutions including Cornell University, Yahoo!, and Duke University.
Current Role at Tumult Labs
Ashwin Machanavajjhala serves as the Chief Scientist and President at Tumult Labs, a position he has held since 2019. In this role, he leads research initiatives and drives the development of innovative technologies. His expertise in computer science and privacy enhancing technologies informs the strategic direction of the organization.
Education and Academic Background
Ashwin Machanavajjhala earned his Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, from 1998 to 2002. He then pursued a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Cornell University, where he studied from 2002 to 2008. His academic journey laid the foundation for his research and professional career in computer science.
Professional Experience
Before joining Tumult Labs, Ashwin held various academic and research positions. He was an Associate Professor at Duke University from 2012 to 2024. He also worked at Yahoo! as a Research Scientist from 2008 to 2011 and as a Senior Research Scientist from 2011 to 2012. Additionally, he served as an Assistant Visiting Research Scientist at the University of Maryland for 11 months in 2011-2012.
Research Contributions and Awards
Ashwin Machanavajjhala has made significant contributions to the field of computer science, particularly in privacy enhancing technologies. He co-developed the first real-world deployment of differential privacy in collaboration with the US Census Bureau. His work has been recognized with several awards, including the ACM SIGMOD 2022 Best Paper Award and the 2023 Caspar Bowden Award for Outstanding Research in Privacy Enhancing Technologies.
Recognition and Honors
Ashwin has received multiple accolades for his contributions to computer science. He earned the ACM SIGMOD 2021 Test of Time Award and the IEEE ICDE 2017 Influential Paper Award. He is also recognized as an ACM Distinguished Member, highlighting his impact and contributions to the field.