On October 10, 2021, Ilya Baldin was inducted into the North Carolina State University Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame. This honor is granted to those alumni who have exhibited noteworthy contributions to their profession and the communities they serve. 

Throughout the course of his career, Baldin has led many projects in the computer science realm and has addressed major problems in data software development. From developing prototypes to creating technologies for testbeds, he has invested much of his time to make contributions to this field.

“I am deeply honored to be one of 2021 NC State Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame inductees,” said Ilya Baldin, director of the Network Research Infrastructure Group at RENCI. “My professional work has been a huge part of my life and allowed me to explore numerous opportunities to develop technologies and create advancements in this field that will hopefully one day benefit future generations.”

Ilya Baldin, PhD, came to the United States in 1991 after two years at Moscow State University. He received his B.S. in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology before entering NC State for his graduate work. He then graduated from NC State in both 1995 and in 1998 with an MS and PhD in Computer Science respectively.

After his PhD, Baldin began his career at MCNC as a Research Scientist, then Senior Scientist, developing novel hardware / software prototype systems and protocols for DARPA. In 2008, he joined RENCI as the Director for Network Research and Infrastructure Group. His team focuses on developing and running complex distributed infrastructure systems to address science problems such as data processing and storage. 

During his tenure at RENCI, Baldin has generated millions of dollars in federal funding from the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and DARPA. As Co-PI for the ExoGENI testbed, he helped develop a world-wide edge cloud that allowed researchers to create on-demand complex experimental topologies to help study novel distributed applications and protocols. Through RENCI, he is the PI and Project Director for FABRIC – a $20 million investment funded by the National Science Foundation in 2019 to build a unique scientific instrument to help computer science researchers reimagine the Internet. Baldin has authored over one hundred scientific publications, several book chapters, and one patent. Additionally, he is a Senior Member of IEEE.

As a NC State CSC Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee, Ilya Baldin will forever serve as an example for current and future students studying computer science of the breadth and impact of the research that can be conducted in the field.

Learn more about Ilya Baldin’s research here.

By Allison Cales, Communications Intern at RENCI