The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University has expanded its computer science and data science faculty for the 2026–27 academic year, appointing researchers Gautam C. Kamath and Pratyusha Sharma to assistant professorships.
Kamath joins Courant’s Computer Science Department from the University of Waterloo, where he served as an assistant professor at the Cheriton School of Computer Science, a faculty member at the Vector Institute, and a Canada CIFAR AI Chair.
His research centers on theoretical foundations for trustworthy algorithms, machine learning, and statistics, specifically addressing the mathematical challenges of data privacy and algorithmic robustness.
Read: Dr. Neel Shah named new president of Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America (August 31, 2026)
Kamath holds a BS in Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering from Cornell University. He earned his master’s degree and PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was advised by Costis Daskalakis.
Pratyusha Sharma joins NYU as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Data Science. Her academic work investigates the intersection of natural language, sequential decision-making, and intelligence across artificial models and natural biological systems.
Sharma completed her Bachelor’s degree in Production and Industrial Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where she conducted research in robotics.
She subsequently earned her PhD in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from MIT under the supervision of Antonio Torralba and Jacob Andreas. Before her appointment at Courant, she served as a Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research.
Read: Anupa Shantaram named to Michigan Board of Pharmacy (August 31, 2026)
Founded in the 1930s by German mathematician Richard Courant, the Courant Institute serves as NYU’s flagship center for advanced research and education in mathematics and computer science.
Operating out of Warren Weaver Hall on NYU’s Washington Square campus, the institute established its dedicated computer science program in the 1960s.
Over the decades, Courant has grown into one of the world’s premier research institutions, consistently earning top national rankings in applied mathematics while maintaining major research divisions dedicated to scientific computing, theoretical computer science, machine learning, and data science.
Both appointments reflect Courant’s ongoing investment in advancing trustworthy systems, data privacy, and foundational machine learning.