Machine Learning Seminar Series Fall 2026 | Session III

Abstract:

Bio: Dr. Navid Azizan is the Alfred H. (1929) and Jean M. Hayes Associate Professor at MIT, where he holds dual appointments in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (in Control, Instrumentation & Robotics) and the Schwarzman College of Computing's Institute for Data, Systems & Society (IDSS) and is a Principal Investigator in the Laboratory for Information & Decision Systems (LIDS). He is also a core faculty member of the Statistics and Data Science Center and the Center for Computational Science and Engineering. His research interests broadly lie in machine learning, systems and control, and mathematical optimization. His research lab focuses on various aspects of reliable AI systems, with applications to high-stakes and safety-critical settings. He obtained his PhD in Computing and Mathematical Sciences (CMS) from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 2020, his MSc in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California in 2015, and his BSc in electrical engineering and physics from Sharif University of Technology in 2013. Prior to joining MIT, he completed a postdoc at Stanford University in 2021. Additionally, he was a research scientist intern at Google DeepMind in 2019. He is a recipient of several awards, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, research awards from Amazon, Google, and MathWorks, among others, and the inaugural Information Theory and Applications (ITA) “Sun” (Gold) Graduation Award. His work has been recognized with Best Paper awards at several venues, including the Learning for Dynamics and Control (L4DC), INFORMS JFIG, and ACM Greenmetrics. He was named in the list of Outstanding Academic Leaders in Data by the CDO Magazine for two consecutive years in 2024 and 2023. His teaching and mentorship have been recognized with the Joseph A. Martore (1975) Excellence in Teaching Award in 2026, the Frank E. Perkins Award for Excellence in Graduate Advising (MIT Institute Award) in 2025, and the UROP Outstanding Mentor Award in 2023.

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