Dr. Salman Avestimehr

Professor

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Biography

Salman Avestimehr is a Dean's Professor and inaugural director of the Information Theory and Machine Learning (vITAL) research lab at the University of Southern California. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. Prior to his current role, he served as an Assistant Professor at Cornell University from 2009 to 2013 and as a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology. His research interests include information theory, machine learning, distributed computing, secure private learning/computing, and federated learning. Avestimehr has received several prestigious awards, including the IEEE Information Theory Society James L. Massey Research & Teaching Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and has been recognized as a Fellow of the IEEE. He has also served in various editorial and leadership roles, including as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory and as General Co-Chair for the International Symposium on Information Theory. Avestimehr is actively involved in mentoring students and has received multiple innovation and teaching awards.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2009-01-01 — 2013-01-01

Cornell University • Ithaca, NY

Served as an Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department.

Postdoctoral Scholar

2008-01-01 — 2009-01-01

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) • Pasadena, CA

Conducted research in the Center for Mathematics and Information.

Awards

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IEEE Information Theory Society James L. Massey Research & Teaching Award

2019-01-01
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Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)

2011-01-01
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National Science Foundation CAREER Award

2010-01-01

Requirements for University of Southern California

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
GRE General
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, or Hard Science
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume/CV
  • Letters of Recommendation (not required for MS CS, but allowed)
Specialization Notes

GRE is NOT required for Master's applicants for 2025-2026.