Dr. Timothy Pinkston

Professor

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Biography

Timothy M. Pinkston holds the George Pfleger Chair in Electrical Computer Engineering and the Louise L. Dunn Endowed Professorship at the University of Southern California (USC). As Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, he has a rich academic background, earning his B.S.E.E. degree from Ohio State University in 1985, followed by his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1986 and 1993, respectively. His professional journey includes impactful roles such as a Member of Technical Staff at Bell Laboratories and a visiting researcher at IBM T. J. Watson Research Laboratory. Dr. Pinkston founded the SMART Interconnects Group at USC, focusing on research in computer systems architecture. His work has significantly advanced the field, particularly in deadlock-free adaptive routing and energy-efficient data movement within multicore multiprocessor systems. He has over one hundred peer-reviewed technical publications, received numerous awards including the NSF Minority Research Initiation Award and the NSF CAREER Award, and served as an NSF Program Director. Dr. Pinkston's contributions extend to editorial roles and leadership in various professional organizations, where he promotes diversity and inclusion in the computing and engineering fields. He is a recognized fellow of several prestigious organizations including AAAS, ACM, and IEEE.

Research Interests

Experience

Vice Dean Faculty Affairs

— Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Oversees faculty affairs within the Viterbi School of Engineering.

Professor

1993-01-01 — Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Teaching and research in Electrical Computer Engineering.

Member Technical Staff

— 1993-01-01

Bell Laboratories • Location Unknown

Worked on advanced research in telecommunications.

Visiting Researcher

— Present

IBM T. J. Watson Research Laboratory • Location Unknown

Engaged in research collaboration on 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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IEEE Fellow

2009-01-01
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Distinguished Alumnus Award for Academic Excellence

2020-01-01

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.