Willow Ahrens

Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech.

I am an assistant professor in the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech. I am inspired to make programming high-performance computers more productive, efficient, and accessible. My research focuses on using compilers to accelerate productive programming languages with state-of-the-art datastructures, algorithms, and architectures, bridging the gap between program flexibility and performance. I’m the author of the Finch sparse tensor programming language. Finch supports general programs on general tensor formats, such as sparse, run-length-encoded, banded, or otherwise structured tensors. My work is listed on my publications page. Please reach out if you are interested in doing research at Georgia Tech!

This fall, I am teaching a seminar course on Domain-Specific Languages for High-Performance Computing, CS8803-DSL. Students will learn basics of compiler construction and language design as it relates to the challenges of high-performance computing and performance engineering. It is my hope that any student taking the course will leave with the skills to build compilers to solve programming problems in their own HPC research areas. If you’re a Georgia Tech student, I encourage you to enroll!

Glassblowing adds balance to my life. I blow glass and teach first-time glassblowers at the MIT Glass Lab. If you’re curious, I’ve highlighted some of my favorite creations in my portfolio.

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