Communications of the ACM

candidates for

MEMBERS AT LARGE (VOTE FOR TWO)

(7/1/14–6/30/16)

Biography

Victor Bahl is a principal researcher and director of mobility and networking research in Microsoft. He helps shape Microsoft’s long-term vision in networked systems through research and engagement with governments and industries around the world. Previously he was director of multimedia engineering in Digital Equipment (now Hewlett Packard). His research spans a variety of topics in mobile computing, cloud services, datacenter networking, and wireless systems. He is a respected author with over 22,000 citations, holds 105 patents, and has given 35 keynotes.

Bahl received Digital’s Doctoral Eng. Fellowship Award in 1995 and SIGMOBILE’s Distinguished Service Award in 2001. In 2004, he was Microsoft’s nominee for the Innovator of the Year Award. He received Microsoft’s Individual Perf. Award in 2007, 2010, 2011. He became an ACM Fellow in 2003, an IEEE Fellow in 2008, and an AAAS Fellow in 2010. He received the IEEE Reg. 6 Outstanding Engineer Award in 2010, the FCC Open Internet App. and People’s Choice App Awards in 2011, and was honored as a Distinguished Alumni of UMASS Amherst in 2012. In 2013, he received SIGMOBILE’s Outstanding Contributions Award and the IEEE Reg. 6 Outstanding Leadership and Prof. Service Award. He has served as ACM Distinguished Speaker (2007–2010) and IEEE Distinguished Lecturer (2007–2009).

Bahl co-founded and chaired ACM SIGMOBILE. He founded ACM MobiSys and was founding editor-in-chief of ACM Mobile Computing and Communications Review. He served as general chair of SIGCOMM, MobiCom, DYSPAN, and several IEEE conferences. Since 2002, he has served as the steering committee chair of ACM MobiCom and ACM MobiSys and on editorial and advisory boards of several journals, university centers, and government bodies.

Statement

Having served in many SIG and ACM leadership activities for over

20 years, I know how ACM has changed as we adapted to the needs of our members. Today, once again, we face new challenges and I would like your help to take these on.

The very pillars of our faith in personal privacy were shaken when we learned about NSA surveillance activities. A recent decision that struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rule left us wondering if ACM should have done more. The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology reports on advancing education and cyber security made us ask had they gone far enough. These events and others are global issues in which ACM has had little say. We are the largest computer science organization.

Collectively our members generate trillions of dollars worldwide and among us are some of the smartest intellectuals on the planet. It is our duty and responsibility to get involved and help shape policy and regulations worldwide on such issues and I will help ACM do this.

Another cause important to me is reversing the tide on the diminishing number of women and minorities in computer science.

My wife left a lucrative high-tech job to focus on creating interest in computer science among middle-school girls and my teenage daughter educated me on why CS is considered a “boys profession.” Embracing diversity is the key to progress. I want to help ACM-W do more, especially in the K– 12 bracket.

Finally, I want to create more opportunities for cross-disciplinary engagements. We will generate great ideas, invent new things, and expand the global economy with forums that encourage the mingling of experts from various SIGs.