Dr. Timothy Pinkston

Professor

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Biography

Timothy M. Pinkston is the George Pfleger Chair of Electrical Computer Engineering and a professor in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC). He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State University in 1985, and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1986 and 1993, respectively. Prior to joining USC, he was a Member of the Technical Staff at Bell Laboratories and held several prestigious research fellowships. He founded the SMART Interconnects Group at USC, focusing on research in computer systems architecture. Dr. Pinkston has published numerous peer-reviewed papers and has made significant contributions in areas such as deadlock-free adaptive routing and router microarchitecture in interconnection networks. He has received several esteemed awards including the NSF CAREER Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Ohio State University. In addition, he has held leadership roles in several key professional organizations and conferences. Dr. Pinkston is an elected Fellow of the AAAS, ACM, and IEEE, reflecting his contributions to the field of computer engineering.

Research Interests

Experience

Vice Dean Faculty Affairs

1993-01-01 — Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Oversees faculty affairs and academic initiatives in the Viterbi School of Engineering.

Professor

1993-01-01 — Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Teaches and conducts research in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Awards

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ACM SIGARCH Alan D. Berenbaum Distinguished Service Award

2024-01-01
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AAAS Fellow

2020-01-01
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Ohio State University College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus Award for Academic Excellence

2020-01-01
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ACM Fellow

2019-01-01
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IEEE Fellow

2009-01-01

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.