Runzhou Tao to Join University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science

Runzhou Tao will join the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science as an assistant professor in August 2024. Tao's research focuses on the intersection of programming languages, operating systems and quantum computing.

"I am very excited to join the prestigious Department of Computer Science at UMD," Tao said. "I look forward to collaborating with talented colleagues and contributing to cutting-edge research."

Tao earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree from Tsinghua University, where he conducted research on theoretical computer science. His work uses formal methods to enhance the trustworthiness of quantum computing software.

"Quantum computing can revolutionize our society by solving critical challenges from healthcare and finance to environmental sciences that are intractable for classical computers," Tao said. "However, quantum software systems face significant threats from both natural noise and human bugs. By ensuring these quantum computing software operate correctly, we can build a more secure and efficient technological foundation for the future."

As Tao begins his role at UMD, he is expected to engage with both undergraduate and graduate students, offering courses and mentoring students interested in quantum computing and system software. His presence is anticipated to enhance the department's academic offerings and research output, fostering a dynamic learning environment for students and faculty alike.

In the future, Tao plans to build full-stack quantum software systems. This includes designing and implementing new programming languages and operating systems at various levels of abstraction.

"My future research plan is to build future full-stack quantum software systems that make quantum computing accessible, secure, fast, and scalable for future mass adoption," Tao shared.

Tao's contributions to the field have been recognized with several awards, including best paper awards from notable conferences. He won the Jay Lepreau Best Paper Award at the 15th USENIX Symposium on Operating Systems Design and Implementation (OSDI 2021) and has also received recognition at the IEEE Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (FOCS).

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications