Pavithra Prabhakar has been named the inaugural Cleve Moler and MathWorks Endowed Chair in Mathematical and Engineering Software at the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Engineering. The chairship recognizes the origins of MATLAB, which began at UNM in the mid-1970s when Cleve Moler, then a mathematics professor, developed the platform to help students access linear algebra libraries more easily. The Department of Computer Science was established in 1976 with support from mathematics faculty, and Moler became its chair in 1980 before co-founding MathWorks.
Donna Riley, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing, commented on the significance of this appointment: “As the birthplace of MATLAB, the UNM Computer Science Department is deeply grateful for MathWorks’ generous gift to establish this endowed professorship. This funding was essential in helping us to attract senior faculty candidates at the absolute top of the field.”
Prabhakar will join UNM in December from Kansas State University, where she is currently a professor and holds the Peggy and Gary Edwards Chair in Engineering. She recently served as a program director at the National Science Foundation’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate, managing a research portfolio worth over $100 million across more than 200 projects.
Shuang (Sean) Luan, acting chair of the Department of Computer Science, stated: “We are delighted to welcome Professor Pavithra Prabhakar as our inaugural MathWorks Endowed Chair in Mathematical and Engineering Software. Her expertise will further enhance the department’s strengths in artificial intelligence, AI-enabled autonomous systems, cyber-physical systems, and robotics.”
Prabhakar’s research centers on trust within AI-enabled autonomous systems as well as cyber-physical and robotic systems. She expressed enthusiasm about working with colleagues across disciplines at UNM and collaborating with experts at nearby national laboratories.
“UNM is an incredible place with excellent faculty. Given that I work at the intersection of computer science, engineering and math, I am looking forward to the collaborations I can build here,” Prabhakar said. “I’m particularly excited about the opportunity to build a strong research and education program in trustworthy AI and autonomy.”
The establishment of this endowed chair aims to strengthen ties between MathWorks and UNM for ongoing collaboration.
“It is a great honor to be named to a chair that recognizes Cleve Moler, the founder of MathWorks and a pioneer in mathematical and engineering software,” Prabhakar said. “His work has had a lasting impact on how we approach computing in science and engineering, and I’m proud to be associated with a position that reflects that legacy.”
Prabhakar holds advanced degrees from institutions including University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (master’s degree in Applied Mathematics; Ph.D. in Computer Science), Indian Institute of Science (master’s degree), and National Institute of Technology Warangal (bachelor’s degree).
