LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., 12 March 2025 – The IEEE Computer Society (CS) today announced the recipients of the 2025 Computer Pioneer Award, which recognizes and honors those whose long-standing efforts have resulted in the advancement and continued vitality of the computer industry. This year, the “IEEE Computer Society Computer Pioneer Award in honor of the Women of ENIAC” recognized two individuals: Gurindar (Guri) Sohi, Vilas Research Professor, John P. Morgridge Professor, and E. David Cronon Professor of Computer Sciences, Computer Science Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis., U.S.A.; and Moshe Y. Vardi, University Professor and the George Distinguished Service Professor in Computational Engineering at Rice University, Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Specifically, with the 2025 award, IEEE CS called out Sohi’s contributions to the microarchitecture of instruction-level parallel processors and his impact on the computer architecture community. His initial research efforts in instruction-level parallel processors were conducted at a time when it went against the mainstream of thought in processor architecture. Today, results from his research can be found in almost every high-end microprocessor in the market.
In addition, this year, the Computer Pioneer Award honored Vardi’s seminal work on the development of logic as a unifying foundational framework and a tool for modeling computational systems. A celebrated author of more than 800 papers and a highly acclaimed engineering leader, Vardi focuses on automated reasoning, a branch of AI with broad applications in computer science, including database theory, computational-complexity theory, multi-agent systems, computer-aided verification, constraint solving, and teaching logic across the curriculum.
“The diversity of the work in computing helps advance all areas of the field,” said Hironori Washizaki, 2025 IEEE Computer Society President. “Drs. Sohi and Vardi and their respective efforts demonstrate that, and each has uniquely provided a lasting impact that both pushes advancements in computing and benefits society at large. Their work exemplifies excellence in computer science and engineering, and we are thrilled to honor their important contributions.”
The “IEEE Computer Society Computer Pioneer Award in Honor of the Women of ENIAC” was established in 1981 by the IEEE CS Board of Governors to recognize and honor the vision of those whose efforts resulted in the creation and continued vitality of the computer industry. The award acknowledges outstanding individuals for significant contributions to concepts and developments that have, over the course of 15 or more years, clearly advanced the state of the art in computing. Past recipients of the award include Fei-Fei Li, Leonard Kleinrock, Scott Shenker, Daniel Bricklin, Daphne Koller, Jack Dongarra, Demetri Terzopoulos, Laura Haas, Jitendra Malik, Barbara Liskov, Bjarne Stroustrup, Michael Flynn, Peter Kogge, and Linus Torvalds. Further information about the award, including a complete list of past recipients, can be found at https://www.computer.org/volunteering/awards/pioneer.
About IEEE Computer Society
Engaging computer engineers, scientists, academia, and industry professionals from all areas and levels of computing, the IEEE Computer Society (CS) serves as the world’s largest and most established professional organization of its type. IEEE CS sets the standard for the education and engagement that fuels continued global technological advancement. Through conferences, publications, and programs that inspire dialogue, debate, and collaboration, IEEE CS empowers, shapes, and guides the future of not only its 375,000+ community members, but the greater industry, enabling new opportunities to better serve our world. Visit computer.org for more information.
