Rob A. Rutenbar

Rob A. Rutenbar is an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he has made significant contributions to the field of integrated circuit design over his extensive career. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1984 and spent 25 years on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University before joining Illinois in 2010 as the Head of the Computer Science Department. His research focuses on design tools for integrated circuits, encompassing synthesis, optimization, formal verification, simulation, and geometric layout. Rutenbar co-founded Neolinear Inc. to commercialize innovative analog circuit design tools and served as Chief Scientist until its acquisition by Cadence in 2004. His expertise has earned him numerous accolades, including being named a Fellow of both the IEEE and ACM, and receiving prestigious awards such as the Semiconductor Research Corporation Aristotle Award and the IEEE CAS Industrial Pioneer Award. In addition to his research, Rutenbar has been actively involved in education, launching MOOCs on chip design tools that have attracted over 60,000 learners globally. His work continues to influence both academic and industry practices in integrated circuit design and technology innovation.