Vincent Conitzer expects much to be the same when he returns to Carnegie Mellon University this coming fall.
It will still be the best place in the world for computer science and the technical expertise will still be unmatched. Many of the colleagues, professors and even his Ph.D. advisor will also still be around.
But don't be surprised if the renowned artificial intelligence researcher and ethicist appears lost in the corridors and hallways of the Gates and Hillman Centers. When Conitzer was finishing his graduate work in computer science in 2006, he spent his time in Wean Hall. Gates wasn't built yet.
"Once I'm in Gates, I'm lost," Conitzer said of recent returns to campus.
Conitzer, currently a professor of new technologies, computer science, economics and philosophy at Duke University, will join CMU's School of Computer Science, where he earned his master's and Ph.D. in computer science.
Tuomas Sandholm, the Angel Jordan University Professor in the Computer Science Department (CSD) and Conitzer's Ph.D. advisor, is excited to have his former student back on campus and looks forward to collaborating and teaching courses with him.
"Vince is a star, and I had a wonderful time working with him back in the early 2000s," Sandholm said. "Since then, he has had a meteoric rise to become one of the leaders in the field. I am thrilled that we were able to recruit him back to CMU."
Conitzer's rise to the top is evidenced by Duke granting him a double promotion in 2011, elevating him straight to full professor from assistant professor, without a stop at associate professor. At the time, he was the youngest full professor at the university.