Jelani Nelson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jelani Osei Nelson
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| Born | June 28, 1984 (age 40) |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, MEng, PhD) |
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| Thesis | Sketching and Streaming High-Dimensional Vectors |
| Doctoral advisor | Erik Demaine and Piotr Indyk |
Jelani Osei Nelson (born June 28, 1984) is an American professor. He teaches Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. He won a big award in 2014 called the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Professor Nelson is also the person who started AddisCoder. This is a special summer program for high school students in Ethiopia. It teaches them about computer science.
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Early Life and Learning
Jelani Nelson was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother is from Ethiopia and his father is African-American. He grew up on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
He went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, he studied both mathematics and computer science. He stayed at MIT to earn his master's degree and his PhD in computer science.
For his master's, he studied how to search through large amounts of data quickly. His PhD work focused on "sketching and streaming high-dimensional vectors." This is about finding ways to handle huge amounts of data efficiently.
After getting his PhD, he continued his research. He worked at places like the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and Princeton University. He is an expert in algorithms that process data as it arrives, called "streaming algorithms."
His Work in Computer Science
Professor Nelson is very interested in "big data." This means extremely large sets of information. He works on creating fast and efficient computer programs, called algorithms, to handle this data.
In 2013, he joined the computer science team at Harvard University. Later, in 2019, he moved to UC Berkeley.
He is well-known for his work on streaming algorithms. These algorithms help computers process data quickly without needing to store all of it. He also works on "dimensionality reduction." This is a way to simplify complex data while keeping its important features.
Professor Nelson has also received several awards for his research. These include the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award in 2015. He also got an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship in 2017.
Helping Students Learn Math
Professor Nelson cares a lot about how math is taught. He believes that all students should have the chance to learn advanced math. He has spoken out about changes to math education in California. He worries that some changes might make it harder for students to get strong math skills. He wants to make sure that more students, especially from diverse backgrounds, can succeed in science and technology fields.
AddisCoder and JamCoders Programs
In 2011, while still studying at MIT, Professor Nelson started AddisCoder. This is a summer program in Ethiopia. It teaches high school students about computer science and algorithms.
Over 500 students have been part of AddisCoder. Many of them have gone on to study at top universities. These include Harvard, MIT, Columbia, and Stanford. Some have even pursued PhDs in science and math.
Starting in 2022, Professor Nelson also helped create JamCoders. This is a similar summer camp in Jamaica. It teaches algorithms and coding, just like AddisCoder.
David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute
Professor Nelson also helped start the David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute. This program aims to help more African-American students earn PhDs in mathematics.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2022 ACM Eugene L. Lawler Award
- 2017 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
- 2017 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship
- 2011 George M. Sprowls Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis
- 2010 IBM Research Pat Goldberg Memorial Best Paper Award
