Indian-born engineering scholar R. Srikant is leading the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) as its new director, marking a new chapter for one of the world’s premier hubs for high performance computing and data science.
Srikant, the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign took over from NSCA’s previous director Bill Gropp on January 1, 2026. He is also co-director of the C3.ai Digital Transformation Institute that is managed alongside the University of California, Berkeley.
Srikant’s journey to the helm of NCSA began in India, where he laid his academic foundation at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. After earning his undergraduate degree there in 1985, he moved to the United States to pursue advanced studies at the University of Illinois, eventually joining the faculty in 1995.
His deep ties to both the institution and his formative education in India have shaped a career defined by bridging complex theoretical mathematics with practical technologiacal applications.
Srikant’s new role comes at a pivotal moment for the center. As artificial intelligence and massive data processing become central to global research, NCSA is tasked with providing the infrastructure that powers breakthroughs in everything from genomics to climate modelling.
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“I’m very excited to begin this new journey with NCSA,” said Srikant. “My focus is on supporting our excellent researchers and staff, strengthening collaboration across the center, and ensuring that NCSA continues to thrive in its research, service and impact missions.”
NCSA is a familiar place for Srikant. He previously served a stint as the acting director of operations at NCSA for several months in 2023, as well as countless research collaborations between his home department and the high-performance computing experts at NCSA.
His research interests include artificial intelligence, machine learning, communication networks, quantum computing and applied probability.
Srikant’s work on the mathematical analysis and design of algorithms for the internet, wireless networks and data centers has been recognized with major awards, including the IEEE Koji Kobayashi Field Award for Computers and Communications and the ACM SIGMETRICS Achievement Award. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)..
For Srikant, the move represents a full circle in a career that started with a degree in Chennai and has now reached the pinnacle of American computational research.