University of Iowa Computer Science Professor Tianbao Yang granted NSF CAREER Award

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Tianbao YangUniversity of Iowa Computer Science Professor Tianbao Yang has been granted the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his proposal titled, “Advancing Constrained and Non-Convex Learning.”

Yang proposes to advance machine learning without incurring bias and without unnecessary energy use. He plans to complete this by designing and analyzing efficient and effective optimization algorithms to address computational challenges in new machine learning paradigms. The project will enhance the ability to solve large-scale, real-world problems from more diverse and broad applications. Furthermore, it will strive to communicate the significance of machine learning and optimization and provide excellent research experience to students at all levels.

The CAREER award is the most prestigious NSF honor for early-career faculty who demonstrate the potential to serve as role models in research and education. These highly competitive grants, presented to engineers and scientists across the country, help establish a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research in their department and university.

Yang joined the University of Iowa faculty in 2014. His current research interests include machine learning and optimization and its applications to big data analytics.


The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.