Leon Stok is a Dutch-American computer scientist and engineer who serves as Vice President of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) at IBM. He is recognized as an IEEE Fellow for his contributions to the development and application of high-level and logic synthesis algorithms. [1] [2] [3] Stok has been instrumental in the development of IBM's logic synthesis tools and has served as chair of the 48th Design Automation Conference in 2011.[ citation needed ] He is the recipient of Armenia's highest IT award, the Global IT Award. [4] [5]
Leon Stok studied electrical engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, graduating with honors in 1986 with a Master's degree. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the same university in 1991 with a thesis titled "Architectural synthesis and optimization of digital systems". [6] [7] Originally planning to return to the Netherlands after completing his education, Stok instead joined IBM and has remained with the company for over three decades.[ citation needed ]
Stok joined IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center in the early 1990s as part of the team that developed BooleDozer, IBM's well-publicized logic synthesis tool. [8] [9] BooleDozer became widely used within IBM for synthesizing processor and ASIC designs, representing a significant advancement in automated logic design. [10]
Subsequently, Stok managed IBM's logic synthesis group and led the development of PDS (Placement Driven Synthesis), IBM's innovative physical synthesis tool that integrated logic synthesis with placement optimization. [9] From 1999 to 2004, he served as Senior Manager of Design Automation at IBM Research, overseeing all of IBM's design automation research efforts during a critical period of advancement in electronic design automation. [9] [3]
Since 2005, Stok has served as Vice President of Electronic Design Automation at IBM. In this role, he leads IBM's EDA group, which develops world-class design and verification flows and tools used to design IBM's largest systems, including IBM Z mainframes, Power systems, and IBM's quantum computing systems.
Stok has published over 60 research papers on various aspects of high-level synthesis, architectural synthesis, logic synthesis, low-power design, and placement-driven synthesis. [9] His research has contributed significantly to the theoretical foundations and practical applications of automated design tools for integrated circuits.
Notable research areas include:
Stok holds 13 patents in the field of electronic design automation. [3]
Stok was elected as an IEEE Fellow for "the development and application of high-level and logic synthesis algorithms". [2] [3] This prestigious recognition is awarded to less than 0.1% of IEEE's total membership for extraordinary accomplishments in engineering fields.
He served as General Chair of the 48th Design Automation Conference (DAC) in 2011, a central conference in the electronic design automation field. Stok continues to serve on DAC's Strategy Committee. [13]
In 2022, Stok received Armenia's highest IT award, the Global IT Award, recognizing his extraordinary contributions to advancing information technology globally. [4] [5] The award highlighted his contributions to IBM's core technologies including automation, robotics, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and quantum computing. [4]
In recent years, Stok has expanded his focus to include quantum computing and its intersection with electronic design automation. He has delivered keynote presentations on quantum challenges for EDA at major conferences, including the International Symposium on Physical Design. [14] [15] His work addresses both how EDA can benefit from quantum computing technologies and how quantum computing might impact the future of electronic design automation.[ citation needed ]