This post highlights the selection of two University of Texas at Austin professors as 2025 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The recognition marks a lifetime honor for sustained scientific achievement and impact across engineering, earth sciences, and climate resilience.
Radu Marculescu and Dev Niyogi are cited for foundational work at the intersection of design automation, embedded computing, and climate-smart urban science.
Two UT Austin Professors Named 2025 AAAS Fellows
AAAS Fellows are elected by their peers for meritorious efforts that advance science or its applications.
This year’s recipients from the University of Texas at Austin exemplify leadership across technology and the environment.
The honor brings national visibility to ongoing UT Austin research in machine learning, cyber-physical systems, and climate-informed urban planning.
Radu Marculescu: Design Automation, Embedded Computing, and AI for Systems
Radu Marculescu holds the Laura Jennings Turner Chair in Engineering in the Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
He is cited for seminal contributions to design automation and embedded computing, fields that enable reliable, efficient operation of complex hardware and software systems.
His research advances machine learning and artificial intelligence methods to model, analyze, and optimize embedded systems, cyber-physical systems, and the Internet of Things.
This work helps developers design smarter devices and networks while reducing energy use and increasing resilience in real-world deployments.
- Key recognitions: 2019 IEEE Computer Society Edward J. McCluskey Technical Achievement Award
- Professional honors: named an ACM Fellow in 2022
His work has broad implications for industries ranging from consumer electronics to critical infrastructure, where autonomous optimization and robust performance are increasingly priorities.
Dev Niyogi: Hydroclimate Science for Climate-Resilient Cities
Dev Niyogi holds the William Stamps Farish Chair in Geology with appointments in Earth and Planetary Sciences and Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering.
He was recognized for advancing understanding of how urban and agricultural landscapes shape regional hydroclimatic extremes.
His research illuminates how patterns of land use, water, and climate interact to drive events such as urban heat, heavy rainfall, and hurricanes.
Niyogi leads the Texas Extreme Weather and Urban Sustainability (TExUS) Lab and co-leads the UT-City CoLab, translating scientific findings into decision-support tools for climate-resilient cities.
His work emphasizes practical outcomes—guiding urban design, water management, and emergency planning to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather and shifting hydroclimates.
- Laboratory leadership: head of TExUS Lab, a hub for interdisciplinary climate research
- Collaborative impact: UT-City CoLab partnerships translating climate science into policy and planning tools
Impact, Recognition, and the Path Forward
AAAS will feature the 2025 Fellows in Science magazine and will honor them at the annual Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C., in May.
This national platform elevates UT Austin’s profile in both engineering and geoscience while underscoring the university’s commitment to science that informs practice and policy.
The recognition also reflects the broader value of cross-disciplinary research, where advances in machine learning, embedded systems, and urban hydrology converge to address real-world challenges.
For the scientific community, the Fellows’ work highlights a shared trajectory: building smarter, more resilient technologies and cities through rigorous science, open collaboration, and translational tools.
As UT Austin continues to invest in cross-cutting programs and interdisciplinary labs, the achievements of Marculescu and Niyogi exemplify how engineering and environmental science can jointly advance sustainable, data-informed decision-making on a national scale.
Here is the source article for this story: UT Faculty Members Elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science