John L. Hennessy is an American computer scientist, academic, and businessman who serves as Chairman of Alphabet Inc. He is a pioneer in computer architecture, particularly in the development of RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) architecture, which has profoundly influenced modern processor design. Hennessy co-founded MIPS Computer Systems Inc. in 1984 to commercialize his research. He served as the 10th President of Stanford University from 2000 to 2016, where he was instrumental in expanding its research capabilities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and leading major fundraising campaigns. He is also the inaugural Director of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program at Stanford, the largest fully endowed graduate-level scholarship program in the world. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Turing Award.
John Hennessy's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:
Often referred to as the 'Nobel Prize of Computing', awarded alongside David Patterson for pioneering a systematic, quantitative approach to the design and evaluation of computer architectures with enduring impact on microprocessor design (RISC).
Appointed as the lead independent director of Google's board in 2004, then Google's parent company Alphabet Inc. in 2015, and became its non-executive Chairman in February 2018, succeeding Eric Schmidt.
Led Stanford University through a period of significant growth, innovation, and successful fundraising, enhancing its global reputation and impact. Oversaw major initiatives in interdisciplinary research and education.
Co-founded MIPS Computer Systems in 1984 to commercialize the RISC processor technology developed from his Stanford research. MIPS architecture became widely used in embedded systems, routers, and video game consoles.
Awarded by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for pioneering the RISC processor architecture and for leadership in computer engineering and higher education.
Leads the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program at Stanford University, which aims to cultivate a new generation of global leaders by providing full funding for graduate study across all disciplines at Stanford.
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