Dr. Risto Miikkulainen

Professor

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Biography

Risto Miikkulainen is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin and serves as Vice President of AI Research at Cognizant AI Lab. He received his M.S. in Engineering from Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University) in 1986 and his Ph.D. in Computer Science from UCLA in 1990. Miikkulainen's current research focuses on neuroevolution, neural networks, and their applications in natural language processing and computer vision. He has authored over 500 articles, showcasing his contributions to the fields of Cognitive Science and Computational Neuroscience. His work delves into the biological information processing underlying intelligent behavior, aiming to develop artificial systems that can learn and adapt through interaction with their environments. Key areas of focus include Decision AI particularly through neuroevolution and deep learning, models of cognition such as memory and language processing, and insights into disorders like schizophrenia and aphasia.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

1990-01-01 — Present

University of Texas at Austin • Austin, TX

Leading research and teaching in the Department of Computer Science.

Vice President of AI Research

— Present

Cognizant AI Lab •

Overseeing AI research initiatives and projects.

Awards

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Gold Award, Human-Competitive Results Competition

2025-01-01
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Best-Paper Award, Neural Networks Journal

2024-01-01
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College of Fellows, INNS

2024-01-01
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AAAI Fellow

2023-01-01
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Evolutionary Computation Pioneer Award, IEEE CIS

2020-01-01
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Deployed Application Award, AAAI

2018-01-01
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Gabor Award, INNS

2017-01-01
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Outstanding Paper Decade Award, ISAL

2017-01-01
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IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Distinguished Lecturer

2015-01-01
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IEEE Fellow

2016-01-01

Requirements for University of Texas at Austin

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:79
IELTS
Overall
Required:6.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.