Valerie E. Taylor
Argonne Distinguished Fellow, Argonne National Laboratory, Division Director, Mathematics and Computer Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory
BS CEE 1985, MSEE 1986
For her significant technical contributions to high-performance computing, and leadership in broadening participation of minorities and people with disabilities in the IT workforce, the College of Engineering is proud to present the Distinguished Engineering Alumna Award to Valerie E. Taylor.
Valerie Taylor was bitten by the research bug while pursuing her master’s degree at Purdue. She recalls working on a project related to systolic arrays and, while presenting her first paper at a conference, was asked several questions.
“I found that I was able to answer them with ease and express the joy I had working on the project. I have been hooked on research ever since,” she said.
Taylor spent 26 years in academia before moving into her current role as director of the Mathematics and Computer Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory, where she has been a Distinguished Fellow since 2019. Concurrently, she serves as a senior scientist in the Consortium for Advanced Science and Engineering at the University of Chicago. Her research, which has produced more than 100 papers, is in high-performance computing, with a focus on performance analysis and modeling of parallel scientific applications. Her current work is focused on energy efficient computing.
The predominant advice she offers undergraduates is to explore research ventures.
“Pursue opportunities to work on research, either as an independent study or through a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer internship,” Taylor advises current students. “Try research at least once to determine whether you enjoy working on open-ended problems.”
She understands the need for student preparation when leaving the academic environment. For this reason, Taylor instituted the Industrial Affiliates Program at Texas A&M University, which allows students to engage with industry partners.
While serving in administrative positions (Department Head and Senior Associate Dean) at Texas A&M University, she was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association for Computing Machinery. Taylor also is the co-founder, CEO, and president of the Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT (CMD-IT), which, through inclusive activities focused on underrepresented communities, strives to address the national need for an effective computing and IT workforce.
Taylor’s years at Purdue were positively affected by the leadership of Marion Blalock, who led the Minority Engineering Program for three decades. Calling her a “true inspiration for excellence,” Taylor first met Blalock when she attended the Multiethnic Introduction to Engineering (MITE) summer program after her junior year.
“She made certain that all the students participated in the hands-on sessions. She also was very welcoming when I came for the invitational program for students accepted to Purdue Engineering. Marion continued to inspire excellence throughout my time at Purdue.”
To this day, she feels proud to have been selected as the student speaker at her 1985 commencement at Purdue.
“I was so nervous,” Taylor remembered. “After the first laughter from the audience for something that I planned to be funny, I relaxed and just enjoyed giving the speech. The experience was wonderful. That was my first major public speaking event, and one that I remember fondly.”
In 2018, Taylor was recognized with Purdue’s Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineering Award, and in 2020 Taylor was named a Distinguished Alumna by the University of California at Berkeley’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, where she earned her PhD in 1991.
Career Highlights
| 2019-present | Argonne Distinguished Fellow, Argonne National Laboratory |
|---|---|
| 2017-present | Division Director, Mathematics and Computer Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory |
| 2018-present | Chief Operating Officer and President, Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT, CMD-IT |
| 2017-present |
Senior Scientist, Consortium for Advanced Science and Engineering, University of Chicago |
| 2013-2017 | Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University |
| 2013-2017 | Regents Professor, Texas A&M University |
| 2010-2018 | Executive Director, Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT, CMD-IT |
| 2004-2017 | Royce E. Wisenbaker Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University |
| 2003-2012 | Department Head, Computer Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University |
| 2002-2003 | Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University |
| 1997-2002 | Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University |
| 1991-1997 | Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University |
Education
| 1985 | BS Computer and Electrical Engineering, Purdue University |
|---|---|
| 1986 | MS Electrical Engineering, Purdue University |
| 1991 | PhD Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley |