Ishfaq Ahmad (computer scientist)

Ishfaq Ahmad
Alma mater	Syracuse University University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore
Scientific career
Fields	Computer Science
Institutions	The University of Texas at Arlington Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Ishfaq Ahmad is a Pakistani-American computer scientist, IEEE Fellow ^[1] and Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). ^[2] He is the Director of the Center for Advanced Computing Systems (CACS) ^[3] and has previously directed IRIS (Institute of Research in Security) at UTA. His research focuses on parallel and distributed computing, scheduling techniques, and video coding. ^[1]

Research

Ahmad's research focuses on the broader areas of parallel and distributed computing systems and their applications. This spans research areas including optimization algorithms, multimedia systems, video compression, assistive technologies, smart power grid s, and energy-aware sustainable computing. His work has been published in multiple articles, books, peer-reviewed journals, and conference proceedings ^[4] .

Ahmad's current research is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), National Science Foundation (NSF), ^{[5] [6]} the Department of Education (GAANN Project), ^[7] Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), Adobe Inc., and Texas Instruments.

Ahmad's recent work has focused primarily on green computing. This includes the launch of a new journal with Elsevier, Sustainable Computing: Informatics and Systems (SUSCOM), ^[8] of which he is the founding editor-in-chief, and the launch of the International Green Computing Conference.

Awards

Ahmad has received several research awards, including:

• IEEE Circuits and Systems Society: 2007 Circuits and Systems for Video Technology Transactions Best Paper Award ^[9]
• IEEE Service Appreciation Award
• Outstanding Area Editor Award: 2008 IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology
• Honoree in Pride of Pakistan, Hall of Fame, and also a Fellow of IEEE

Other appointments

In addition to being a full-time professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, ^[10] Ishfaq Ahmad has held the following academic appointments.

• Visiting Scientist at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, New York
• Visiting Scientist at the Institute of Computing Technology (ICT) in Beijing, China
• Honorary Professor at the University of Electronic Sciences and Technology of China in Chengdu
• Honorary Professor at the Amity University in India and UAE
• Certified Evaluator for ABET ( Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology )
• Member of the Advisory Board for the European Commission on Energy Efficiency in Information and Communication Technologies.
• Fellow of the IEEE
• Distinguished Life Fellow of the Institute of Doctors, Engineers, and Scientists (IDES), India
• Member of the supercomputing advisory board ^[11] for Lifeboat Foundation
• Founding Editor-in-Chief of the journal Sustainable Computing: Informatics and Systems
• Co-founder of the International Green and Sustainable Computing (IGSC) Conference

In addition, he has served as editor of IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems , IEEE Distributed Systems Online, Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, and IEEE Transactions on Multimedia .

Notable publications

• [BOOK] Handbook of Energy-Aware and Green Computing. Ishfaq Ahmad and Sanjay Ranka, Chapman and Hall/CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group LLC, Jan. 2012, two volumes, over 1,200 pages.
• [BOOK] Handbook of Exascale Computing. Sanjay Ranka and Ishfaq Ahmad. Under publication, Chapman and Hall/CRC Press, expected mid-2018.
• Static scheduling algorithms for allocating directed task graphs to multiprocessors. YK Kwok, Ishfaq Ahmad, ACM Computing Surveys 31 (4), 406-471.
• Dynamic critical-path scheduling: An effective technique for allocating task graphs to multiprocessors. YK Kwok, Ishfaq Ahmad, IEEE transactions on parallel and distributed systems 7 (5), 506-521.   
• Benchmarking and comparison of the task graph scheduling algorithms. YK Kwok, Ishfaq Ahmad, Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing 59 (3), 381-422. 
• Video transcoding: an overview of various techniques and research issues. Ishfaq  Ahmad, X Wei, Y Sun, YQ Zhang, IEEE Transactions on multimedia 7 (5), 793-804.       
• Power-rate-distortion analysis for wireless video communication under energy constraints. Z He, Y Liang, L Chen, Ishfaq Ahmad, D Wu, IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology 15 (5), 645-658.   
• On exploiting task duplication in parallel program scheduling. Ishfaq Ahmad, YK Kwok, IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems 9 (9), 872-892. 
• Optimal task assignment in heterogeneous distributed computing systems. M Kafil, Ishfaq Ahmad, IEEE concurrency 6 (3), 42-50.
• Efficient scheduling of arbitrary task graphs to multiprocessors using a parallel genetic algorithm. YK Kwok, Ishfaq Ahmad, Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing 47 (1), 58-77.    
• A cooperative game theoretical technique for joint optimization of energy consumption and response time in computational grids. SU Khan, Ishfaq Ahmad, IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems 20 (3), 346-360.      
• An integrated technique for task matching and scheduling onto distributed heterogeneous computing systems. MK Dhodhi, I Ahmad, A Yatama, I Ahmad, Journal of parallel and distributed computing 62 (9), 1338-1361.   
• Semi-distributed load balancing for massively parallel multicomputer systems. Ishfaq Ahmad, A Ghafoor, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 17 (10), 987-1004.      
• A fast adaptive motion estimation algorithm. Ishfaq Ahmad, W Zheng, J Luo, M Liou, IEEE Transactions on circuits and systems for video technology 16 (3), 420-438.   

References

1. "IEEE Fellows Directory - Search Results". IEEE . Retrieved 5 May 2018.
2. "Ishfaq Ahmad | Explore University Of Texas At Arlington". mentis.uta.edu. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
3. "Ishfaq Ahmad". ranger.uta.edu. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
4. Publications, Ishfaq Ahmad
5. Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Assistive Technologies for People with Disabilities Summer 2023
6. "GridPac: A Resource Management System for Energy and Performance Optimization on Computational Grids (funded by the National Science Foundation)". ranger.uta.edu. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
7. "Department of Education Project". ranger.uta.edu. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
8. "Sustainable Computing Editorial Board" . Retrieved 23 March 2023.
9. "CAS Society Awards". cassnewsletter.org. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
10. "Ishfaq Ahmad | Explore University Of Texas At Arlington". mentis.uta.edu. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
11. "Lifeboat Foundation Bios: Professor Ishfaq Ahmad". lifeboat.com. Retrieved 15 May 2018.