Shree K. Nayar

Shree K. Nayar

T.C. Chang Professor of Computer Science

Shree K. Nayar is the T. C. Chang Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University.

He heads the Columbia Vision Laboratory (CAVE), which develops advanced computer vision systems. His research is focused on three areas - the creation of novel cameras that provide new forms of visual information, the design of physics-based models for vision and graphics, and the development of algorithms for understanding scenes from images. His work is motivated by applications in the fields of digital imaging, computer vision, computer graphics, robotics, and human-computer interfaces.

Nayar received a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, an MS degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from North Carolina State University, and a PhD degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. For his research and teaching he has received several honors including the David Marr Prize (1990 and 1995), the David and Lucile Packard Fellowship (1992), the National Young Investigator Award (1993), the NTT Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award (1994), the Keck Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching (1995), the Columbia Great Teacher Award (2006), the Carnegie Mellon Alumni Achievement Award (2009), the Helmholtz Prize (2019), and the IEEE PAMI Distinguished Researcher Award (2019). For his contributions to computer vision and computational imaging, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2008, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011, and the National Academy of Inventors in 2014.

Research Areas

  • Computational cameras and the physics of computer vision.
  • Emphasis on the creation of cameras that provide new forms of visual information, the design of physics-based models for the interaction of light with materials, and the development of algorithms for the recognition of objects from images.
  • Applications include digital photography, machine vision, scientific imaging, computer graphics, robotics, and human-computer interactions.

Additional Information

  • Professional Experience
    • T. C. Chang Professor, Computer Science, Columbia University, July 2002 – Present
    • Department Chair, Computer Science, Columbia University, July 2009 – June 2012
    • Professor, Computer Science, Columbia University, December 1996 – June 2002
    • Acting Chair, Computer Science, Columbia University, July 2000 – December 2000
    • Associate Professor, Computer Science, Columbia University, January 1995 – December 1996
    • Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Columbia University, January 1991 – December 1994
    • Research Assistant, Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, July 1986 – December 1990
    • Visiting Research Scientist, Hitachi, Ltd. Yokohama, Japan, Summer 1989
    • Research Engineer, Taylor Instruments Ltd. New Delhi, India, July 1984 – November 1984
  • Professional Affiliations
    • National Academy of Inventors
    • American Academy of Arts and Sciences
    • National Academy of Engineering
  • Honors & Awards
    • IEEE PAMI Distinguished Researcher Award, ICCV, Seoul, 2019.
    • Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award. Columbia Engineering Alumni Association, New York, 2015.
    • Election to the National Academy of Inventors, Tampa, FL, 2014.
    • Honor for Seminal Contributions to Digital Imaging , Sony Corporation, Tokyo, 2014.
    • Election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston, MA, 2011.
    • Carnegie Mellon Alumni Achievement Award, Pittsburgh, PA, 2009.
    • Election to National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC, 2008.
    • Great Teacher Award, Columbia University, New York, 2006.
    • T. C. Chang Endowed Chair, Columbia University, New York, 2003.
    • Engineering Teaching Excellence Award, W. M. Keck Foundation, Los Angeles, 1995.
    • NTT Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, NTT Basic Research Laboratory, Japan, 1994.
    • Fellow of the Packard Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Los Altos, 1992.
    • National Young Investigator Award, National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C. 1991.