Chellappa to Receive Distinguished Alumnus Award from Indian Institute of Science

Rama Chellappa, Distinguished University Professor and chair of electrical and computer engineering with an appointment in UMIACS, will be honored this weekend with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Distinguished Alumnus Award.

The award, to be presented to Chellappa on Sept. 11 in Bangalore, India by the IISc Alumni Association, recognizes IISc alumni worldwide that are exemplary in their chosen fields and that have made significant contributions in academia, industry and other areas.

Chellappa's expertise is in signal and image processing, computer vision, pattern recognition, multi-dimension stochastic processes, statistical interference, image analysis, robust and secure biometrics, and artificial intelligence in computer vision.

Previous recipients of the IISc award include distinguished professors and members of the National Academy of Engineering and notable academic and industrial leaders in the United States and India.

Chellappa says the two years he spent at IISc (1975–1977) were the two best years of his life as a student.

“I had some of the best teachers in pattern recognition, signal processing, communications and applied mathematics to learn from,” he says. “Being recognized by one's alma mater is a special feeling. I am also honored to be in the company of many distinguished scientists who have received this recognition.”

To see an overview of Chellappa’s work in computer vision, facial and gait recognition, and active authentication, go here.