Sandy Irani is an assistant professor in the theory group of the Information and Computer Science Department at the University of California, Irvine. Her research involves designing algorithms to solve problems on computers and determine how costly (in terms of time and resources) it will be to solve them. According to Sandy, "I was drawn to computer science theory because it involves solving abstract mathematical problems with real-world applications. My job entails surprisingly little time in front of a computer and a lot of time lecturing, talking to students and colleagues, and puzzling over research problems."
Sandy works in an area called "online algorithms," which explores ways of making decisions with partial information. Typically, a computer program receives its input, computes for a while, and then produces an answer. However, often all the information about a problem is not available before a decision must be made. For example, what if you have to take a certain course before you graduate in three years but not knowing who will be teaching the course each semester. You could take it now, from a teacher you don't like, or plan to take it later on the chance someone you like better will be teaching it." Areas in computer science in which online algorithms arise include memory management, multiprocessor scheduling, network routing, management of data structures, and robot motion planning.
"In high school," says Sandy, "I enjoyed courses in science and math the most, and I wanted to choose a career in which I would have some impact on society. That's why, as an undergraduate at Princeton University, I chose to major in electrical engineering and computer science with an emphasis on electrical engineering. I sometimes wish I had majored in math because it would have better prepared me for my current work. But what is an undergraduate education for if not to find out what you really want to do? I took a graduate seminar in data structures and network algorithms, almost on a whim, and found myself spending most of my spare time thinking about the problems from that seminar."
When Sandy went to Berkeley for her Ph.D. in computer science, she decided to study theory. She says, "Graduate school is challenging, because you have to figure out the right questions to ask, rather than having problems handed to you. My advisor, Richard Karp, was always available to help me and at the same time allowed me latitude in choosing what I wanted to work on." Sandy met many of her closest friends and thoroughly enjoyed the "countless informal discussions I had with other students in offices and cafes."
After graduate school, Sandy had a one-year postdoctoral research appointment, split between Princeton University and the University of California, San Diego, and then joined the faculty at UC Irvine. According to Sandy, "One of the most exciting aspects of an academic career is the synergy that takes place between research and teaching. Research provides the substance and material for new courses, while the dialogue in the classroom often provides the catalyst for new research ideas. And of course, it's motivating to have interested students to work with."